OUR LADY OF LORETTO LODGE GRASS
In the spring of 1909, Fr. Louis Taelman supervised the building of a church with logs near Lodge Grass. Two years later it was replaced with a frame church which was dedicated to St. Ann. Fr. Aloysius Vrebosch,, S.J., supervised the construction of the second church. 20 students were taught in the church.
A new school was built in Lodge Grass in 1918.
The Marquette League of New York helped build a new brick church in 1932. It was dedicated in honor of Our Lady ofLoretto by Bishop O'Hara. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Flynn presented the church to the diocese on behalf of the Marquette League.
The chapel of St. Ann's Mission was moved to the St. Xavier Mission and became a recreation hall. The present church was built in 1968. It serves as a center for religious education and as a social and recreational center.
Data taken from the Official Catholic Directories is as follows:
1910-37Mission of St. Francis Xavier Indian
Mission
1915called St. Ann
1932called Our Lady of Loretto
1937-38Mission of St. Joseph's, Hardin
1938-59Mission of St. Xavier
1959-60Mission of St. Charles Mission, Pryor
1960-62Rev. Dominic W. Doyle, S.J.
1962-65attended from St. Xavier Mission
1965-70Rev. Gary Farrell, OFM Cap.
1970-75Rev. Randolph Graczyk, OFM Cap.
1975-77Rev. Noel Hedrick, OFM Cap.
1978Rev. William Lulloff, OFM Cap.
1978-82Rev. Michel Antoine, OFM Cap.
1982-83Rev. John Guimond, OFM Cap.
1983Rev. Michel Antoine, OFM Cap.
Continued below:
While the church was sponsored by the Baptists, the intentions were for it to be a Community Church for people of all faiths to worshipped God.
The Baptist Church of Sheldon, Iowa, where Rev. Petzoldt had pastored, sent a piano, pulpit furniture, seats and a bell. The same bell has tolled these many years, calling people to come worship the Lord. In times far past the bell has been used to call people together to help find a lost child and other times to call people to help put out a fire.
In it's original form the church had a kitchen, a social room, and a larger room used for the services. The pulpit was at the long side opposite the social room. The Baptistery was built in this part. Every one in the building faced the pulpit when seated. Early in the 1930's this was all taken out and was changed to the shorter side of the room. The platform is built full width of the room and holds the organ, piano and the pulpit furniture. The baptistery was eliminated.
Due to the crowded conditions of the schools, the church trustees for a time, allowed the social room to be used for classes. In the twenties, many high school class plays were held here as well as Junior-Senior Banquets and Commencement exercises. Finally the School unit on the hill was built. Many civic and social affairs were transferred to the school from the church.
In 1962, due to circumstances beyond its control, the church was no longer able to meet all of its expenses so arrangements were made to share the Crow Indian Baptist Missionary by paying part of his salary.
Many changes have taken place in the physical appearance of the church. It has been a place for celebrating weddings and anniversaries and a place of sadness at times with funerals.
Many friends of the Church have given freely to help the Church go forward to serve the Community and a wonderful Loving God. So as Psalm 122.1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord."
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO MISSION— PRYOR MISSION
St. Charles Borromeo Indian Mission began on land donated by Chief Plenty Coups on the condition that a school be built. Fr. Peter Prando, arranged for the church to be built in 1891, while he was at the St. Francis Xavier Mission. He returned to Pryor in February 1892 with Brother A. Cartagno to help with the school project. Later in February, Mother Thomas Stoeckel, Mother Agnes Dunne and Sister Patrick Brown came to Pryor from St. Xavier to open a school in the church building. Three weeks later, three Indian boys "their faces as long as their arms" were ushered into school by Fathers Prando and Bandini.
During the summer of 1892, a two story frame house was built to house a convent, classrooms and living quarters for the children. Money came from Mother Katherine Drexel, of Philadelphia. She had inherited money on the death of her father and had then become a nun. She founded the Order of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament whose work was among negroes and Indians. She developed teaching methods and a catechism for Indians. At her death in 1955, she had 49 houses.
The school closed in 1898 and the buildings sold to the United States government in 1901 for use as a government school. St. Charles remained a Mission of St. Xavier with the staff frequently exchanging places. Father Francis Andreis, an assistant pastor at St. Xavier, frequently made the trip to Pryor driving a buggy. When he came over on June 13, 1898, things were fine but when he and two Indian children were returning to the St. Xavier Mission, a diary tells this sad tale: "A great misfortune has fallen on this Mission. Fr. Andreis was drowned in attempting to cross a narrow slough on the other side of the ferryboat landing. He did not realize how much water had risen since Monday." The children were saved.
From 1926 to 1930, the Jesuit Fathers held day school in the combination building which consisted then of only one large classroom with a Catholic lay teacher. In June 1930, a new mission chapel was built by Mrs. Mary O'Malley of Billings in memory of her husband. It was called St. James in honor of the man in whose memory it was built. It was dedicated by Fr. Thomas Grant who had supervised its construction. Fr. Grant, as a scholastic, had taught at Pryor in 1897 and ministered to them as a priest from 1907 to 1913 while stationed at St. Xavier.
In 1932, Fr. Grant returned to Pryor to assist Bishop O'Hara as deacon at the funeral of Chief Plenty Coups.
Fr. C. L. Owens encouraged the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana, to come to teach the Crow Indian children in 1936 and St. Charles Mission at Pryor was reopened.
The Jesuits served the Pryor Mission from its beginning until 1967. Fr. Joseph Brown, a native American of the Blackfeet Tribe, was the last Jesuit priest. The Capuchins, who have been in charge since then, appointed Rev. David Coffey as the first Capuchin priest
.
In 1970 work began on a new multi-purpose building containing a church, classrooms, offices, gym and kitchen. A further addition with several classrooms and offices was built in 1987.
(source: Big Horn Heritage book, out of print)
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BIG HORN COUNTY, MONTANA

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