Background
Joseph Menetrey was born on November 28, 1812 in the Swiss canton of Freiburg.
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- Works
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- Works
book
Indian and White in the Northwest; a History of Catholicity in Montana, 1831-1891
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
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Joseph Menetrey
Edit ProfileEducation
Menetrey probably attended the University in the Swiss canton of Freiburg. On September 29, 1836, he entered the Society of Jesus and passed through the regular Jesuit training prior to ordination late in 1846.
Career
As a volunteer for the American missions, Menetrey sailed on a ten months' voyage via Cape Horn for Oregon, where he arrived August 13, 1847, and set about learning the Indian dialects in which he ultimately gained fluency. From St. Paul's, Oregon, he passed to other mission stations in Idaho, Montana, and Washington, working among the Kalispel, Blackfeet, Flathead, Spokane, Coutenais, and Coeur d'Alène tribesmen. Monuments to the activity of "Pel Leméné, " as he was known to the natives, were found everywhere. In 1854, along with Adrian Hoecken, S. J. , he founded the model mission of St. Ignatius with a church, barracks, shops, and farms, in the heart of the Pend d'Oreilles country in the Siniélemen Valley. This, as a center on occasions of feasts, attracted the various tribesmen for two hundred miles around. In 1874 a printing press was brought from St. Louis and religious tracts and an Indian dictionary, were printed. For a time, Menetrey was located at the Sacred Heart Mission among the Pointed Hearts Indians. Later he was the first pastor of Frenchtown, from which he ministered to scattered white and half-breed Catholics in Hell's Gate Valley and visited the gold gulches of a wide area. In 1874, he was sent to Last Chance Gulch or Helena, where he built a church and attended stations as far-flung as Crow Creek, Gallatin Valley, Boulder, and the Missouri River settlements. In 1888, broken in health, he retired to St. Ignatius Mission, where, three years later, he died on the feast of St. Peter Canisius whom he especially revered. His funeral services were attended by a concourse of Indians of various tribes, of whom 1, 000 are said to have received communion for the repose of his soul.
Achievements
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Menetrey is known as founder of the the model mission of St. Ignatius with a church, barracks, shops, and farms, in the heart of the Pend d'Oreilles country in the Siniélemen Valley. Also he established a flourishing congregation and built St. Patrick's Hospital and St. Francis Xavier Church. Few missionaries were more widely known or labored more successfully for the conversion of the Indians.
Works
book
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Indian and White in the Northwest; a History of Catholicity in Montana, 1831-1891
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
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Indian and White in the Northwest; a History of Catholicity in Montana, 1831-1891
Connections
There is no information about his personal life.
