Warm Springs
The Warm Springs Reservation was formed by the federal government as the enforced dwelling of six tribes of Indians, most of whom were known as the “Columbia River Tribes.” Their early connection with the Catholic Church was through visits from The Dalles to their fishing camps at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River. Soon after the reservation was established, the Indian Bureau established Presbyterianism as the semi-official religion on the reservation. Scarcity of priest made it impossible to do much follow up work after the scanty instructions given at Celilo. As a consequence, many of the present generation tribal members are descended from baptized Catholics who had little or no instruction. Warm Springs, like Madras, was successively part of the Bend, Redmond, and Prineville parishes. As a mission of Bend, the Capuchin Fathers visited the reservation and gradually revived the Catholic faith of some. Visiting priests offered Mass in the “Shaker” church and later they used Catholic homes and the public school gymnasium for Mass. In August 1941, St. Thomas parish in Redmond was established and the mission of Warm Springs attached to it. On February 20, 1942, the Catholic Church Extension Society gave a donation of $1,000.00 toward the building of a church. However, because of the war and building restrictions, it was impossible to build a church at that time. It was not until May 9, 1946, that construction began of the new church. On May 19, 1946 $2,500.00 was donated by the Catholic Indian Bureau toward the building. Under the supervision of Father O’Donovan and with the aid of four carpenters, St. William’s church was finally constructed. It was dedicated on May 8, 1947 by Bishop Joseph F. McGrath. In September 1953, Warm Springs became a mission of the Prineville parish. On January 12, 1955 Madras was canonically erected as a parish with Warm Springs attached to it. When the old church, built in 1946, was no longer suitable for Mass it was decided to build a new one. On August 4, 1961, six acres were purchased from the Indian Agency as a site for a new church. The Catholic Church Extension Society gave a donation of $10,000.00 for the building. Frank Kendal, an architect from Portland, was hired on August 11 to draw the plans. The bids were opened on November 18 and the contract was awarded to Cedar Fabrics Company of Salem on January 18, 1962. Construction began on February 2. The old church was given to the Confederated Tribes of the agency in exchange for the use of their equipment in the excavation work. The first Mass in the new St. William’s church was celebrated by Father Richard Conway on April 15, 1962 and two weeks later, on April 29, it was dedicated by Bishop Francis P. Leipzig. “Written by St. Pat’s Boosters organization” | Warm Springs Church
has become Mission
By Carolyn Grote
Bulletin Staff Writer Warm Springs – The Catholic Church here will no longer be known as the St. William Catholic Church. Last Sunday the church was rededicated as the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Indian Mission. As a mission it is attached to the St. Patrick Parish in Madras March 16, 1984. The new name honors the first North American Indian on the threshold of being canonized or named a saint, said Msgr. Matthew Crotty, pastor of the St. Patrick church. At a 10:00am service, Bishop Thomas J. Connolly, Bishop of the Baker Diocese, conducted the service of rededication and blessed a statue of Kateri. As part of the service Prosanna Williams, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs told about Kateri’s life as a little girl and the many hardships she suffered for her religion after her birth in 1656 near the present town of Auriesville in New York. Know as the lily of the Mohawks, some also thought that the name Kateri meant “eye of the sun.” According to a short biographical sketch by the Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik of the Divine Word Missionary, Kateri “…was considered a saint by her great love for God and all people.” Kateri first learned about Christianity from Jesuit missionaries and on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1676, she was baptized. Four years later she became ill and died at the age of 24 on April 17, 1680.
Healing of the sick, conversions of sinners and other miracles have been attributed to prayers of Kateri throughout the years. On June 22, 1980, three centuries after her death, Pope John Paul II declared her to be blessed, the last step before a person is declared to be a saint. When Kateri will be need a saint is not an event that can be predicted, said Msgr. Crotty. “It’s an ongoing process,” he said adding, “The wheels of the Vatican grind pretty slowly on that.” Catholicism first came to Warm Springs through Columbia River Tribes. They were introduced to the catholic faith by priests from The Dalles who visited the Indians at their fishing grounds at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River. The wood structure of the church was designed to match the natural environment of the hillside where it perches just north of Highway 26 about one-half mile northwest of Madras. Written by “Carolyn Grote – Bulletin”
As of September 30, 2009 Fr. Luis M. Flores-Alva of St. Patrick Church in Madras celebrates Mass at the Warm Springs church at 8:00am each Sunday. |
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha tapped for sainthood
- By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
- 12/21/2011
- Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
American Indian woman credited with curing boy of flesh-eating virus
Pope Benedict XVI has decreed that a Washington state boy who was afflicted with the flesh-eating bacteria and was miraculously cured can be attributed to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. If she is canonized, Kateri will become the first American Indian saint in the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has decided Jake's recovery was a miracle that is beyond the explanation of medicine and that could be attributed to the intercession on his behalf by Blessed Kateri, who was born in 1656.
"They didn't think any of their medical expertise was the cure," Lenz explained. "They thought every night he was going to die." Doctors who treated Jake, as well as a committee of doctors at the Vatican had all arrived at the same grim conclusion.
After Jake fell and bumped his mouth in the closing moments of a basketball game in February of 2006, necrotizing fasciitis, or Strep A, invaded his body and bloodstream through that small cut, and the aggressive bacteria raced across his cheeks, eyelids, scalp and chest as doctors worked desperately to stop its spread.
Doctors surgically removed his damaged flesh daily. Jake spent nine weeks at Seattle Children's hospital, where doctors prepared the family several times for what they believed to be the boy's impending demise.
As Jake lay near death, longtime family friend the Reverend Tim Sauer advised his parents to pray to Blessed Kateri, patroness for American Indians for her intercession. Finkbonner is of Lummi descent.
The Vatican has decided Jake's recovery was a miracle that is beyond the explanation of medicine and that could be attributed to the intercession on his behalf by Blessed Kateri, who was born in 1656.
His family, all devout Catholics believes that there's no question that a miracle occurred. "In my heart, in all of us, we've always found that Jake's recovery, his healing and his survival truly was a miracle. As far as Blessed Kateri becoming a saint, it's honorable to be a part of that process," Elsa Finkbonner said.
Jake, currently a sixth-grader at Assumption Catholic School in Bellingham was reportedly excited by the news and also the opportunity to attend a ceremony for the canonization.
"He's excited to meet the pope. I think that's going to be the icing on the cake for him," Elsa Finkbonner said.
For American Indian Catholics, Blessed Kateri's canonization was a cause for celebration. "It's been a long time coming for the Indians across the country. A lot of people are happy today. ... It's something that we've all been waiting for," Henry Cagey, a former Lummi tribal chairman who is active at St. Joachim Catholic Church on the Lummi Reservation says.
"I'm happy today for the Finkbonners. I'm happy today for Native American Catholics, especially. It's a celebration of faith. God continues to work in our lives and the world today. God continues to work miracles," Reverend Sauer, who is now the pastor at St. Bridget Church in Seattle says.
© 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.