Father (Nosse) Baraga
(1797-1868)
Father Baraga was a Catholic Missionary who loved the gospel of Christ and who lived and worked with the Ojibwe Natives from 1831 to 1868 in the regions of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. He became Bishop in the year of 1863. He was known for his compassion and care, for being a zealous missionary and being there for the Ojibwe during one of the most challenging times in their life.
Father Baraga left a legacy of care and concern for all to follow. Confirming over 1,000 persons into the Catholic Faith he became known as the snowshoe priest due to his ability to travel hundreds of miles by snowshoe to be there for another in need. Learn more about this incredible missionary below and the Ojibwe natives whom he served.
Duluth News Tribune Press Release
Jay Gabler, from the Duluth News Tribune, created an incredible podcast, video and article commemorating Father Baraga's Cross, Father Baraga's Legacy and Father Baraga's Path to Sainthood. Please click on the links below to be able to be brought to each of these. The podcast and the video can also be found within the article that is written. Father Baraga has left an incredible legacy. It is my hope and prayer that I am able to bring greater awareness and attention to Father Baraga and the incredible work that he has done in the world. I am grateful to have also been joined by Curtis Chambers who is Ojibwe as well as on the Bishop Baraga Association advisory board which is in the process of helping Father Baraga become canonized as a Saint.
The Bishop Baraga Association
Father Baraga is on his way to becoming a Saint. The Bishop Baraga Association is instrumental in helping Father Baraga's cause for canonization move forward, preserving and translating the works of Father Baraga and helping others to connect with Father Baraga through events, etc. The links below offer a way for others to subscribe the bulletin and be taken to their website where you can learn more about them. They also publish quarterly bulletins to help others learn about Father Baraga.
Recently Added Pages
Notre Dame Archive List
This list is not the faint of heart but for the avid Father Baraga researchers who have had their hearts set on having a complete list of letters to, from and about Father Baraga in the 1800's! In order to obtain the records one would need to contact the archives at Notre Dame but this list itself is enough to drool over! Better yet, click on the excel sheet and then you have your very own options of also being able to sort, filter and search at will based on the your own hearts content. Blessed be Father Baraga! What a list!
Father Baraga as a Saint
Truth be told, honing down and trying to understand the Catholic path to Sainthood was an arduous task to say the least. I went through the 'arduousness' of it all to be able to be able to create a common understanding of what it takes to become a Saint and how Father Baraga is paving his way on the path to Sainthood. This is where you just say, "Thank you, Heidi" and appreciate the hours invested towards creating an ease for you to learn about his Sainthood.
Learn about why I believe Father Baraga is a Saint. There are many aspects that made him different from the time of the boarding schools and that differed him from the other missionaries that were there to teach the Natives about the gospel at that time.
So then the question is...what is the Catholic understanding of Sainthood? Welcome the stream-lined guide to this understanding. I have interwoven the Catholic terminologies into an 'easy to comprehend' guide (for the most part) so that the everyday person has the ability to understand the challenging process a person goes through to be able to become a Saint.
Last but not least, learn about Father Baraga's personal path to Sainthood. See how this journey developed for him and understand the whole of what has transpired to help Father Baraga achieve that goal.
The People of Lake Superior
The Lake Superior Region at the time of Father Baraga's entrance was filled...and I mean filled...with different varieties of people in addition to the Ojibwe. Fur Traders, Indian Agents, Government Officials, and even some of the Ojibwe whom Father Baraga worked with became authors and famous chiefs. It was a tight knit community of a network of people crossed incredible plains to have their name become known. One wouldn't think that this region would have been so famous for all that transpired during his time. Meet the crew, research them and find out just how incredible this history really is...
Chief Buffalo
Famous Ojibwe Chief who worked many years with Father Baraga
John Jacob Astor
First Multi-Millionaire in the US who owned half of Manhattan
Henry Schoolcraft
Indian Agent who wrote many books on the Ojibwe
Edmund F. Ely
Protestant Missionary and Foe of Father Baraga
Plan Your Pilgrimage
Just because it is incredibly fun to be able to travel to remote and distant places so that one can learn the histories of the region, this list has the ability to take one from Grand Portage all the way to the distant lands of Michigan...and yes...Father Baraga saw the totality of these places. So grab your coffee to go and stop in front of a random plaque on the side of the road which marks a random historic location (Historic Markers) and then travel the other end of history and learn from the Ojibwe about their culture as well. Oh yes...there may be a tremendous amount of missions to be seen along the way as well! That's what happens when a missionary baptizes over a thousand people....and then you get to see the beauty of the great lakes. Why not?
