on this day

Today, the world has a new Roman Catholic Pope, Benedict XVI. Special thanks to Gina for answering all my questions about the process of electing a new Pope.

De Smet was named for a Jesuit Priest, Father Pierre Jean De Smet (1801-1873). He was called "Father Blackrobe" by the Indians, and he helped open up Catholicism to the Yankton Sioux along the James River. There is a statue of him in the city park in De Smet; it dedicated in 1986.

During the De Smet "Little House" years, the Pope was Leo XIII, an Italian who had been elected in 1878 (so he was Pope before there even was a De Smet). There wasn't a Roman Catholic church in De Smet until 1884 (photo shown above). The foundation was laid in the fall of 1883. July 4, 1884, a picnic and ball was held in town to aid the building fund. The priest who served the area, Father Collins, was in attendance.
- posted by pioneergirl at 11:52 PM