Parish plans celebration marking its origin as the archdiocese’s first permanent mission

TOLEDOBy Jean Parietti

In December 1838, Father Francis Norbert Blanchet of Quebec traveled up the Cowlitz River to establish a mission for French-Canadian Hudson’s Bay Co. employees and settlers, and to bring the faith to local Native Americans.

This December, the parishioners of what is now St. Francis Xavier Mission will host a celebration marking the 175th anniversary of the first Mass said on the Cowlitz Prairie.

We take great pride in the fact that our church was the first one in the Oregon Territory, before we were even a state,” said Kim Piotrowski, a St. Francis parishioner who is pastoral assistant for faith formation for the six parishes in West Lewis-Pacific counties.

Father Blanchet, accompanied by Father Modeste Demers, arrived at Fort Vancouver in November 1838 and celebrated Mass in the school house. Then he traveled about 60 miles north to what is now the Toledo area, where he said Mass on Dec. 16, 1838, in the home of Simon Bonaparte Plamondon.

During his initial four-day visit, Father Blanchet baptized seven children and laid out a 640-acre section of land for Cowlitz Mission, the territory’s first permanent mission, according to a history compiled for the mission’s 150th anniversary.

Many Indians came to the mission to hear about the “Great Spirit” when Father Blanchet returned in the spring of 1839. To teach biblical history and the Catholic faith to them in a more familiar way, Father Blanchet (who later became the first archbishop of what is now the Archdiocese of Portland) created a simply carved stick that became known as the “Catholic Ladder.” The Indians called it “Sahale stick,” or “stick from heaven.”

Over the years, the mission had a series of churches — and fires. On Jan. 1, 1901, the church and rectory burned to the ground, killing the new pastor, who had arrived just two days earlier. Fire leveled the rebuilt church in 1916 and then claimed its replacement in 1932, according to Ross’ history.

The parishioners once again rebuilt, and that church remains standing today.

“People were dedicated to the church and the church was dedicated to making this community a good, solid place to live,” Piotrowski said of the mission’s early days. The same holds true at St. Francis today, she said, where the parishioners are “wonderful and prayerful.”

The mission remains small, with just 126 households.

“The people in our parish love the place. We’re very protective of it,” said Jack Herrick, chair of the committee planning the parish’s December celebration.

Early plans call for Archbishop J. Peter Sartain to concelebrate the anniversary Mass, with parish children in period clothing bringing up the gifts. Parishioners may mark some of the historic graves in the parish cemetery.

“We’re excited, as the months unfold, to educate more of our parishioners regarding this rich and faith-filled story,” Piotrowski said.

April 25, 2013