GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Wyoming: WY-8
St. Stephens Mission
33 St. Stephens Road
P.O. Box 250
St. Stephens, WY 82524
Phone: 307-856-7806
Email: masb25@hotmail.com
History: St. Stephen’s Mission, St. Stephens, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming, has been a predominantly Native American (Arapaho, Shoshoni) parish in the Diocese of Cheyenne (Archives: Cheyenne, Wyoming).
|
1851 |
Rev. Pierre Jean de Smet, S.J. [Jesuits], visited the Arapaho Indians at the Fort Laramie Treaty Council and promised to return |
|
1884-2010 |
Rev. John B. Jutz, S.J. [Jesuits], visited the Arapaho Indians in fulfillment of De Smet’s promise; with approval from Chief Black Coal (Arapaho, d. 1893) and financial support from Saint Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), he and the Jesuits (of the Buffalo, Turin, California, Missouri, Wisconsin provinces) (Archives: St. Louis, Missouri) established and administered St. Stephen’s Mission, which was located first on the west side of the Wind River Reservation and then relocated to the eastside three years later |
|
1888-1890 |
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (Archives: Leavenworth, Kansas) staffed the school, which was established in 1888 for grades 1-8 |
|
1891-1892 |
Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia (Archives: Concordia, Kansas) staffed the school |
|
1892-1981 |
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia (Archives: Ashton, Pennsylvania) staffed the school |
|
1957-1968 (closed) |
St. Stephen’s added and then gradually discontinued a high school |
|
1974-unknown |
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Archives: Monroe, Michigan) established a community and have assisted in staffing the school |
|
1974-present |
Sister Monica Suhayda, C.S.J. [Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden] (Archives: Baden, Pennsylvania) has served in pastoral ministry |
|
1975-present (transferred to S.S.I.S.E.A.) |
The St. Stephen's Indian School Educational Association (Arapaho, Shoshoni) has administered the school, which they renamed St. Stephen's Indian School |
|
1975-1979, 1989-2000s |
Sister Florence Petsch, O.S.F. (Arapaho) [Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia], has served as a pastoral ministry |
|
1989-present |
Other Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia have served in pastoral ministry at St. Stephen's |
|
2010-present |
Cheyenne diocesan priests have administered St. Stephen's Mission |
Jesuits and Cheyenne diocesan priests at St. Stephen’s have attended the following Native American (Shoshoni, Arapaho) missions on the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming, with assistance from the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia:
|
1884-1885 |
Fort Washakie station (Shoshoni) |
|
1900-1929 |
Shoshone School (also diocesan priests, 1909-1929) |
|
1906-1911 |
Riverton station (Arapaho, Shoshoni) |
|
1911-1937 (transferred to Cheyenne Diocese) |
St. Margaret/ Riverton Mission (Arapaho, Shoshoni), Riverton |
|
1932-present |
St. Joseph/ St. James Mission (Arapaho, Shoshoni), Ethete/ Arapaho |
|
1939-present |
Blessed Sacrament Mission/ Chapel (Shoshoni), Fort Washakie |
|
1974-1988 |
St. Joseph’s, Ethete, was served by Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary with religious education and parish ministry |
|
1988-present |
St. Joseph’s, Ethete, has been served by Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with religious education and parish ministry |
|
1997-present |
Blessed Sacrament, Fort Washakie, has been served by Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with religious education and parish ministry |
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1887-ongoing
Volume: At least 2 cubic feet (at least 16 volumes)
Description: Sacramental Records (e.g. baptism, marriage, burials) for Native American parishioners of St. Stephen’s Mission and its attended missions and stations.
Marquette University Special Collections and Archives, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serves as the archival repository for St. Stephen’s Mission.
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.
new2006/rev2020
