Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/172

 GEORGE H. HIMES

162

Upon

Dr. McLoughlin's arrival he began the practice at once

of reading the services of the Episcopal Church every Sunday, and frequently would read a chapter in the Bible, a sermon or

Most of the gentlemen of Fort Vana tract or a prayer. to Mrs. Whitman, who arrived there in couver, according September, 1836, were Scotch Presbyterians, and a few were However, many of the laborers were Roman Episcopalians. Catholics and had a service of their own, at which Dr. McLoughlin officiated in French, and sometimes would translate a sermon or a tract, but this kind of service was not satisfactory. Accordingly two petitions were sent to the Bishop on Red River for a priest, one on July 3, 1832, and the other on In response two missionaries were 23, 1833. granted Rev. F. N. Blanchet and Rev. Modeste Demers but they did not arrive at Fort Vancouver until November 24, 1838, after enduring incredible hardships in coming over the northern lake, river and horseback route. These fathers toiled

February



1842 were reinforced by two 1843. the Oregon Mission was This was erected into an erected into a vicariate apostolic. ecclesiastical province on July 24, 1846. with three sees Oreeon City. Walla Walla and Vancouver Island. Rt. Rev. F. N. Blanchet, Rt. Rev. A. M. A. Blanchet, and Rt. Rev. Modeste alone for four year?, and in

more

priests.

On December

1.

Demers being

constituted the presiding: Archbishops Bishops respectively, with perhaps forty helpers.

So much for

Now

and

the planting of the Roman Catholic work. of the Protestant work among the

I will recite the origin

Indians.

By

the close of the vear 1832 the knowledge of the Indians'

St. Louis became generally known throughout Protestant missionary circles, and plans began to be formed Dr. Samuel with reference to responding* to their request.

trip

to

Parker, of Ithaca. N. Y., a Congregational minister and a supporter of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions the foreign Missionarv Societv of the Congrewas gational. Presbvterian and Dutch Reformed Churches

one of the

first,

and

I

am

not sure but the very

first,

among