GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Missouri: MO-8

Catholic Church. Archdiocese of St. Louis. Archives
Cardinal Rigali Center
20 Archbishop May Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119-5738

Phone: 314-792-7022
Email: archives@archstl.org

 

Hours: See website

Access: See website

Copying facilities: Yes

 

History: The Diocese of St. Louis was erected, 1826, for all of Louisiana Territory. With substantially reduced territory, St. Louis was elevated to an archdiocese, 1947. The St. Louis Archdiocese estimated 300 Native American Catholics, 1980s, with no parish or school with significant numbers. The Archdiocese and its predecessor included the following parishes, schools and a committee that served Native Americans:

1770-ca.1850s (no longer Native)	St. Louis King of France Cathedral/ Church/Mission (various, Métis), St. Louis, Missouri
1824-1831 (closed) (St. Louis, 1826-1831)	St. Regis Seminary (various), Florissant, Missouri
1836-1841 (closed)	Kickapoo Mission and School (Kickapoo), Missouri
1839-1847 (closed)	Sugar Creek Mission and School (Potawatomi), Kansas
1841-1850 (transferred to Nesqually Diocese)	St. Mary Mission (Salish), Bitter Root River, Montana
1847-1849 (closed)	St. Francis Regis Mission (Miami), Missouri
1847-1870 (no longer Native) (St. Louis, 1847-1850)	Osage Mission and School, Kansas
1848-1870s (no longer Native) (St. Louis, 1848-1850)	St. Mary Mission and School (Potawatomi), St. Marys, Kansas
1980s-2000s	Within the Archdiocesan Human Rights Commission, a Native American Ministry Committee served urban Native Catholics at large

 History of St. Louis King of France Cathedral:

1770-ca.1850s (no longer partially Native)	Various priests established and administered St. Louis King of France Cathedral/Church/ Mission (various, Métis), St. Louis
1809 (December 28)	Rev. Urbain Guillet, O.C.S.O. [Trappists], baptized Jean Baptiste “Pompey” Charbonneau (1805-1866), son of Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea [Sacajawea] (Shoshoni)
1831	Narcisse (Salish) and Paul (Salish), of a Salish Indian delegation from Montana, died and were buried in the St. Louis Catholic cemetery

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates 1820s-1840s, 1980s, undated

Volume: Ca. .4 cubic foot

Description: In 7 series.

 

/1 "Bishops' Papers: Bishop Joseph Rosati (1789-1843) Papers"

Inclusive dates: 1820s-1840

Volume: Ca. .1 cubic foot

Description:

A. Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M. [Vincentians], "Diary (also copies)," 1822-1840, 3 volumes: includes references to Indian mission and school activities and requests for missionaries from Salish Indian delegations from Montana

B. Correspondence, 1820s-1840, 1 folder: to Indian missionaries, including Rev. Charles F. Van Quickenborne, S.J. [Jesuits], and to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Rome

 

/2 Bishops’ Correspondence

Inclusive dates: 1820s-1840s 

Volume: Approximately l folder

Description: Arranged alphabetically by surname. The files of the following include some discussion of Catholic evangelization of Native Americans:

A. Bishops Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur

B. Bishop Louis W. Du Bourg

C. Bishop Mathias Loras

 

/3 Deceased Priests File

Inclusive dates: 1820s-1840s

Volume: Ca. .1 cubic foot 

Description: Arranged alphabetically by surname. Prominent missionaries with files include:

A. Badin, Rev. Stephen, 1828-1829, 2 letters

B. Badin, Rev. Vincent, 1823-1838, 10 letters

C. De Smet, Rev. Pierre-Jean, S.J. [Jesuits], 1837, 1841, 1 letter and a report from the Rocky Mountain Mission

D. Duerinck, Rev. J.B., 1834, 1 letter

E. Hoecken, Rev. Christian, S.J., 1835-1844, 3 letters

F. Mazzuchelli, Rev. Samuel, O.P., 1832-1839, 22 letters

G. Petit, Rev. Benjamin, 1834, 1838, 2 letters

H. Richard, Rev. Gabriel, 1822-1825, 5 letters

I. Roux, Rev. Benedict, 1833-1839, 41 letters

J. Van Quickenborne, Rev. Charles, S.J., 1823-1837, 32 letters

K. Verhaegen, Rev. Peter, 1826-1841, 75 letters

 

/4 "Religious Women"

Inclusive dates: 1825-1831

Volume: Several letters

Description: Arranged alphabetically by community; includes files on the “Society of the Sacred Heart,” re: Female Indian School, Florissant, Missouri.

 

/5 "Charles L. Souvay Collection"

Inclusive dates: 1820s-1840, undated 

Volume: Approximately .15 cubic foot 

Description: Records (copies), re: St. Louis Archdiocesan history copied by Rev. Souvay (former President of Kenrick Seminary) in archives throughout Europe and the United States. Records relating to evangelization of Native Americans include the following:

A. Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M. "Diary," 1822-1840, 3 volumes

B. Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M. "Memoirs," undated, 202 pages

C. Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M. Correspondence, 1820s-1840, 1 folder: Letters primarily from the St. Louis Archdiocesan Archives.

 

/6 Sacramental Records 

Inclusive dates: 1770-ca. 1850s 

Volume: Few entries within several volumes 

Description: Records (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials) for parishioners identified as Native Americans written in Latin or French.

A. Florissant, St. Regis Seminary

B. St. Louis, St. Louis King of France Cathedral

 

/7 Human Rights Commission and Office Records, RG 03 C 05

Inclusive dates: 1980s-20008

Volume: 1 folder

Description: Series 7, “Division of Urban and Black Community Ministry” includes correspondence, photography, publications, and notes relating to the Black and Indian Mission Collection [Commission for Catholic Missions among the Colored People and the Indians] and Native American evangelization activities, e.g. annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha celebration, developed by the Division in conjunction with a Native American Ministry Committee. The Commission closed, 2009.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

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