ABSTRACT
The article deals with the role of the Slovene missionary Francis Pierz in the establishment of the first Slovene settlements in the United States. While mainly promoting the German Catholic colonization of Stearns County in Minnesota, he also managed to attract several fellow countrymen to the area of his missionary activity. The article focuses on the establishment of the two Slovene settlements and parishes of St. Stephen and St. Anthony, respectively in Brockway and Krain townships – the latter was named so after the area of origin of the settlers, and it still retains this name.

Like the German Catholic community in Stearns County, the much smaller Slovene “island” within it as well shows an outstanding attachment to its ethnic roots and the Catholic religion, which is also related to their preservation of the rural way of life. However, it originally stems from the beginnings of their life in the wilderness, when they needed mutual collaboration and the contacts with the missionaries for their very survival. On the other hand, we can also suppose that they were somehow aware of their role in setting the bases of their ethnic community in the new world. The missionaries and the institutions of St. Cloud's diocese sure aided them in this regard.

The writings of the Slovene missionaries also provide the essential sources which enable us to follow the events that led to the establishment of the settlements of St.Stephen and St. Anthony, as well as their development in their early years.

Thus, by reading Pierz's letters in the Slovene religious newspaper Zgodnja danica (Early Morning Star) we can follow the emigration of a group of his fellow countrymen from their homeland up to Minnesota, where, however, they were misled, probably by land agents, and did not reach the missionary.

However, through the memories which have been preserved in their community we learn of their encounter with another renowned missionary, Joseph Buh. Through Buh's baptismal records and his letters to Zgodnja danica we then learn of the early development of their settlements and parishes, of which St. Stephen is regarded as the first Slovene ethnic parish in the United States.

Still another prominent person who decisively contributed to the establishment of St.Anthony's parish was Bernard Ločnikar, who joined the Benedictines of St.John's Abbey in Collegeville and later also became their abbot.

Though the paper does not propose to examine the further religious development of the two parishes, it stresses the growth of the Slovene settlement in St. Stephen up to the First World War, while on the contrary the Slovene population decreased in St. Anthony.

The conspicuous compactness of the Slovene settlement in St. Stephen, besides its size, certainly aided the preservation of its ethnic identity, though it was also fostered by the Church. However, the attachment to the ethnic roots was also sustained by the persistence of rural values, so that even Slovene farmers in St. Anthony managed to maintain ethnic traditions by living on their historic farms.

In honor of the Slovenes in St. Stephen and St. Anthony since 1982 both the St. Stephen church and rectory as memorial of the establishment of the Slovene settlement and the Anton Gogala farmstead in Krain township as a significant representative of a Slovene pioneer farmstead are included in the National Register of Historic Sites in the United States.

Majda Kodrič is historian and professor in Trieste, Italy.

ABSTRACT
The article deals with the role of the Slovene missionary Francis Pierz in the establishment of the first Slovene settlements in the United States. While mainly promoting the German Catholic colonization of Stearns County in Minnesota, he also managed to attract several fellow countrymen to the area of his missionary activity. The article focuses on the establishment of the two Slovene settlements and parishes of St. Stephen and St. Anthony, respectively in Brockway and Krain townships – the latter was named so after the area of origin of the settlers, and it still retains this name.

Like the German Catholic community in Stearns County, the much smaller Slovene “island” within it as well shows an outstanding attachment to its ethnic roots and the Catholic religion, which is also related to their preservation of the rural way of life. However, it originally stems from the beginnings of their life in the wilderness, when they needed mutual collaboration and the contacts with the missionaries for their very survival. On the other hand, we can also suppose that they were somehow aware of their role in setting the bases of their ethnic community in the new world. The missionaries and the institutions of St. Cloud's diocese sure aided them in this regard.

The writings of the Slovene missionaries also provide the essential sources which enable us to follow the events that led to the establishment of the settlements of St.Stephen and St. Anthony, as well as their development in their early years.

Thus, by reading Pierz's letters in the Slovene religious newspaper Zgodnja danica (Early Morning Star) we can follow the emigration of a group of his fellow countrymen from their homeland up to Minnesota, where, however, they were misled, probably by land agents, and did not reach the missionary.

However, through the memories which have been preserved in their community we learn of their encounter with another renowned missionary, Joseph Buh. Through Buh's baptismal records and his letters to Zgodnja danica we then learn of the early development of their settlements and parishes, of which St. Stephen is regarded as the first Slovene ethnic parish in the United States.

Still another prominent person who decisively contributed to the establishment of St.Anthony's parish was Bernard Ločnikar, who joined the Benedictines of St.John's Abbey in Collegeville and later also became their abbot.

Though the paper does not propose to examine the further religious development of the two parishes, it stresses the growth of the Slovene settlement in St. Stephen up to the First World War, while on the contrary the Slovene population decreased in St. Anthony.

The conspicuous compactness of the Slovene settlement in St. Stephen, besides its size, certainly aided the preservation of its ethnic identity, though it was also fostered by the Church. However, the attachment to the ethnic roots was also sustained by the persistence of rural values, so that even Slovene farmers in St. Anthony managed to maintain ethnic traditions by living on their historic farms.

In honor of the Slovenes in St. Stephen and St. Anthony since 1982 both the St. Stephen church and rectory as memorial of the establishment of the Slovene settlement and the Anton Gogala farmstead in Krain township as a significant representative of a Slovene pioneer farmstead are included in the National Register of Historic Sites in the United States.

Majda Kodrič is historian and professor in Trieste, Italy.

ABSTRACT
Franc Pirc (1785–1880) has among Slovene missionaries an authentic place because of his beleated decision to become a missionary, and because of his original approach to the environment in which he was active. He operated on the territory of two dioceses: Detroit, Michigan (1835-1852) and St. Paul, Minnesota (1852–1873). He set the foundations for the subsequent diocese St. Cloud, Minnesota. Besides his fundamental goal – to acquaint the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians with the gospel and establish among them Christian communities, Pirc was striving for the preservation of their cultural originality and rights, which were in the very period of accelerated formation of the United States and intensive colonisation even more menaced. Thus his work was not limited to only spreading Christianity; Pirc always had before his eyes all dimensions of life of Indian communities, particular was his concern for their health. As he was a writing man, he frequently sent letters to the press in Slovenia and wrote long reports for the Leopoldina’s missionary society in Vienna, which was the organiser of a systematic collecting of means for missions in North America. Franc Pirc has prepared several Indian and German texts of which the majority remained in manuscript. In various ways, he collected means needed for the operating of missionary stations, and spread information on missionary work. Pirc gained several co-workers for the continuation of his missionary and cultural work among the Indinas; his sole visit to Carniola in 1864 was destined to that goal. Of especially witnessing significance are his reports to the bishops of Ljubljana, A. A. Wolf and J. Vidmar. As a very practical and versatile man, Pirc brought to realisation a number of initiatives that have improved the everyday life of the Indians. At the same time, he was setting foundations for the church communities that European emigrants formed. Along that, Pirc was during his entire stay in America maintaining contacts with the Slovene space where he had a good reputation. After his return to Ljubljana in 1873, his compatriots named him “patriarch of Indian missions”.

Bogdan Kolar, doctor of theology, archivist and senior lecturer at the Theological Faculty in Ljubljana.

ABSTRACT
Franc Pirc (1785–1880) has among Slovene missionaries an authentic place because of his beleated decision to become a missionary, and because of his original approach to the environment in which he was active. He operated on the territory of two dioceses: Detroit, Michigan (1835-1852) and St. Paul, Minnesota (1852–1873). He set the foundations for the subsequent diocese St. Cloud, Minnesota. Besides his fundamental goal – to acquaint the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians with the gospel and establish among them Christian communities, Pirc was striving for the preservation of their cultural originality and rights, which were in the very period of accelerated formation of the United States and intensive colonisation even more menaced. Thus his work was not limited to only spreading Christianity; Pirc always had before his eyes all dimensions of life of Indian communities, particular was his concern for their health. As he was a writing man, he frequently sent letters to the press in Slovenia and wrote long reports for the Leopoldina’s missionary society in Vienna, which was the organiser of a systematic collecting of means for missions in North America. Franc Pirc has prepared several Indian and German texts of which the majority remained in manuscript. In various ways, he collected means needed for the operating of missionary stations, and spread information on missionary work. Pirc gained several co-workers for the continuation of his missionary and cultural work among the Indinas; his sole visit to Carniola in 1864 was destined to that goal. Of especially witnessing significance are his reports to the bishops of Ljubljana, A. A. Wolf and J. Vidmar. As a very practical and versatile man, Pirc brought to realisation a number of initiatives that have improved the everyday life of the Indians. At the same time, he was setting foundations for the church communities that European emigrants formed. Along that, Pirc was during his entire stay in America maintaining contacts with the Slovene space where he had a good reputation. After his return to Ljubljana in 1873, his compatriots named him “patriarch of Indian missions”.

Bogdan Kolar, doctor of theology, archivist and senior lecturer at the Theological Faculty in Ljubljana.

ABSTRACT
We understand Pirc’s time as the period before his leaving for America, that is between the years 1785 and 1835, and after his return to the homeland, from 1873 to 1880. In general, we can say Carniola was at Pirc’s departure still just as feudal as it was already capitalist on his return. Generally, we can denote that period as one of the turning points in Slovene history. Joseph II was continuing the dismantling of feudalism that his mother started; the 1848 revolution exterminated it. The Slovene peasant, whom Pirc intended so much attention, became a free citizen.

In economic aspect and in agrarian sphere in particular this was the time of final victory of potato, corn and clover, which entered into Slovene agriculture global changes. The progressing capitalism destroyed the self-sufficiency of agriculture. True, the peasant did no more experience mass famine, the last was in the years 1816/1817, but was becoming increasingly dependent on market economy. The building of the railway Vienna-Triest and its sections destroyed the centuries old sources of income from the non-agrarian activity that were for the Slovene passive agrarian of vital significance. The iron foundry in Carniola fell in ruins. All the mentioned lead the agrarian economy to a deep crisis, which the cooperative movement – along massive emigration – was successfully solving.

The activity of Franc Pirc should be evaluated in the spirit of the time and space. We should derive from the physiocratic economic theory, which was the spine of economic principles of Joseph II and his counsellors. Care for a more profitable and successful agriculture was an official state economic policy in which especially the Agricultural societies joined and thus in theoretic and in practice fields promoted agriculture. As lords of the castles were because of social differences less successful with the task, the more important were clergymen who were easier and more frequently, and least but not last with the authority of the Church carrying out the modernisation of the countryside. Franc Pirc is consequently just one of the large group of Slovene priests of whom besides him Josip Vrtovec and Janez Zalokar impressed in Slovene historical recollection. Characteristic for the mentioned is they were not only practical but as well writers of important agrarian-technical books. A particularity of Franc Pirc is that he attempted as a missionary to transfer Slovene economic-social experience among American Indians. In that view, he presented a significant supplement to the practice of the missionary Friderik Baraga who was on the basis of experience from the homeland creating the general civilisation development of the Indians especially in the field of language.

Stane Granda, doctor of historical sciences, research advisor of the Zgodovinski inštitut Milka Kosa of the ZRC SAZU in Ljubljana.

ABSTRACT
We understand Pirc’s time as the period before his leaving for America, that is between the years 1785 and 1835, and after his return to the homeland, from 1873 to 1880. In general, we can say Carniola was at Pirc’s departure still just as feudal as it was already capitalist on his return. Generally, we can denote that period as one of the turning points in Slovene history. Joseph II was continuing the dismantling of feudalism that his mother started; the 1848 revolution exterminated it. The Slovene peasant, whom Pirc intended so much attention, became a free citizen.

In economic aspect and in agrarian sphere in particular this was the time of final victory of potato, corn and clover, which entered into Slovene agriculture global changes. The progressing capitalism destroyed the self-sufficiency of agriculture. True, the peasant did no more experience mass famine, the last was in the years 1816/1817, but was becoming increasingly dependent on market economy. The building of the railway Vienna-Triest and its sections destroyed the centuries old sources of income from the non-agrarian activity that were for the Slovene passive agrarian of vital significance. The iron foundry in Carniola fell in ruins. All the mentioned lead the agrarian economy to a deep crisis, which the cooperative movement – along massive emigration – was successfully solving.

The activity of Franc Pirc should be evaluated in the spirit of the time and space. We should derive from the physiocratic economic theory, which was the spine of economic principles of Joseph II and his counsellors. Care for a more profitable and successful agriculture was an official state economic policy in which especially the Agricultural societies joined and thus in theoretic and in practice fields promoted agriculture. As lords of the castles were because of social differences less successful with the task, the more important were clergymen who were easier and more frequently, and least but not last with the authority of the Church carrying out the modernisation of the countryside. Franc Pirc is consequently just one of the large group of Slovene priests of whom besides him Josip Vrtovec and Janez Zalokar impressed in Slovene historical recollection. Characteristic for the mentioned is they were not only practical but as well writers of important agrarian-technical books. A particularity of Franc Pirc is that he attempted as a missionary to transfer Slovene economic-social experience among American Indians. In that view, he presented a significant supplement to the practice of the missionary Friderik Baraga who was on the basis of experience from the homeland creating the general civilisation development of the Indians especially in the field of language.

Stane Granda, doctor of historical sciences, research advisor of the Zgodovinski inštitut Milka Kosa of the ZRC SAZU in Ljubljana.

ABSTRACT
The Slovene electronic bibliographical database COBISS, otherwise quite useful and preciuos as a starting point to various researches, yet rather incomplete mainly in regard of older publications, cites approximately 20 bibliographical units on the Slovene priest, promoter of fruit growing, missionary and emigrant priest in the U.S.A. Franc Pirc (1785–1880). The author of his newest biography Franc Pirc (1785-1880), fruit grower in Carniola and missionary in America from 2003, Marjan Drnovšek, PhD, cites in the chapter on literature as many as 40 bibliographical units of which twelve directly relate to Franc Pirc. The purpose of the article is not to give a complete survey on the up to the present bibliography of Franc Pirc but a commented presentation of most significant Slovene biographical publications on him, particularly the works of Florentin Hrovat Franc Pirec oče umne sadjereje na Kranjskem in apostolski misijonar med Indijani v severni Ameriki from 1887, Dr. Franc Ks. Lukman in the Slovene biographic lexicon from 1949, Ivan Zika Franc Pirc oče umne sadjereje na Kranjskem in oče mesta St. Cloud v Ameriki from 1965, and the already mentioned book by Marjan Drnovšek. Presented are some other works as well. In his contribution the author presents and compares the evaluating of Pirc’s life and work and the key data from individual works, particularly those that are with different authors not identical, especially the place of Pirc’s birth and the date of his death.

Andrej Vovko, doctor of historical sciences, senior lecturer for modern and contemporary history at the Pedagogical Faculty in Maribor, research advisor of the Inštitut za biografiko in bibliografijo of the ZRC SAZU.

ABSTRACT
The Slovene electronic bibliographical database COBISS, otherwise quite useful and preciuos as a starting point to various researches, yet rather incomplete mainly in regard of older publications, cites approximately 20 bibliographical units on the Slovene priest, promoter of fruit growing, missionary and emigrant priest in the U.S.A. Franc Pirc (1785–1880). The author of his newest biography Franc Pirc (1785-1880), fruit grower in Carniola and missionary in America from 2003, Marjan Drnovšek, PhD, cites in the chapter on literature as many as 40 bibliographical units of which twelve directly relate to Franc Pirc. The purpose of the article is not to give a complete survey on the up to the present bibliography of Franc Pirc but a commented presentation of most significant Slovene biographical publications on him, particularly the works of Florentin Hrovat Franc Pirec oče umne sadjereje na Kranjskem in apostolski misijonar med Indijani v severni Ameriki from 1887, Dr. Franc Ks. Lukman in the Slovene biographic lexicon from 1949, Ivan Zika Franc Pirc oče umne sadjereje na Kranjskem in oče mesta St. Cloud v Ameriki from 1965, and the already mentioned book by Marjan Drnovšek. Presented are some other works as well. In his contribution the author presents and compares the evaluating of Pirc’s life and work and the key data from individual works, particularly those that are with different authors not identical, especially the place of Pirc’s birth and the date of his death.

Andrej Vovko, doctor of historical sciences, senior lecturer for modern and contemporary history at the Pedagogical Faculty in Maribor, research advisor of the Inštitut za biografiko in bibliografijo of the ZRC SAZU.

ABSTRACT
In this article I demonstrate that Frederick Baraga, a 19th-century Roman Catholic priest and bishop, had a unique access to the consciousness of individual Ojibwa people and to their culture through the sacrament of penance. Through individual auricular disclosures in Michigan, United States, and in Ontario, Canada, he gained insights both into the idioms of the Ojibwa language and into their spiritual dispositions.

According to Baraga, one of his most important and time-consuming missionary activities was “hearing confessions.” The confessional became a unique source of factual and affective information of the Native world; it was a bridge between the Native oral tradition and the European/North American literal approach. Rigorously true to the demands of the seal of the confessional, Baraga did not share the details or even generalities regarding what transpired in the sacrament of penance. Perhaps because of this confidentiality, Natives trusted and welcomed this forum which was like their spiritual vision/sound quest. In this sacrament, Natives revealed their inner selves and their relatedness to their community, for it was a meeting similar to their experience with elders and healers. In its admission of women and girls, confession was an egalitarian relationship similar to principles directing their own Ojibwa society. This penitential form provided a unique insight into the conscience of the Ojibwa, gave clues to their world, and fashioned an understanding of Ojibwa life which Baraga, the “Snowshoe Priest,” used both in the translation of catechisms and prayer and hymn books, and in the compilation of a grammar text and dictionary. The Ojibwa furnished Baraga with an expanded consciousness, which together with his legal skills, served him as he interceded to implore governments to honor treaty agreements, and to make land purchases on their behalf.

Michael M. Pomedli, PhD, is professor of philosophy at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He specializes in Native philosophy and spirituality.

ABSTRACT
In this article I demonstrate that Frederick Baraga, a 19th-century Roman Catholic priest and bishop, had a unique access to the consciousness of individual Ojibwa people and to their culture through the sacrament of penance. Through individual auricular disclosures in Michigan, United States, and in Ontario, Canada, he gained insights both into the idioms of the Ojibwa language and into their spiritual dispositions.

According to Baraga, one of his most important and time-consuming missionary activities was “hearing confessions.” The confessional became a unique source of factual and affective information of the Native world; it was a bridge between the Native oral tradition and the European/North American literal approach. Rigorously true to the demands of the seal of the confessional, Baraga did not share the details or even generalities regarding what transpired in the sacrament of penance. Perhaps because of this confidentiality, Natives trusted and welcomed this forum which was like their spiritual vision/sound quest. In this sacrament, Natives revealed their inner selves and their relatedness to their community, for it was a meeting similar to their experience with elders and healers. In its admission of women and girls, confession was an egalitarian relationship similar to principles directing their own Ojibwa society. This penitential form provided a unique insight into the conscience of the Ojibwa, gave clues to their world, and fashioned an understanding of Ojibwa life which Baraga, the “Snowshoe Priest,” used both in the translation of catechisms and prayer and hymn books, and in the compilation of a grammar text and dictionary. The Ojibwa furnished Baraga with an expanded consciousness, which together with his legal skills, served him as he interceded to implore governments to honor treaty agreements, and to make land purchases on their behalf.

Michael M. Pomedli, PhD, is professor of philosophy at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He specializes in Native philosophy and spirituality.