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27

THE THIRD

COMMANDMENT:

LOVE THE LORD’S DAY

REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE LORD’S DAY

—CCC, NOS. 2168-2195

IT’S THE MASS THAT MATTERS

The history of theChurch in the United States includesmissionaries and priest

circuit-riders who traveled widely in their territories to bring the Mass and the

other Sacraments to the Catholic people. Fr. Junipero Serra planted mission

stations in California from San Diego to Sonoma. Fr. Jacques Marquette did

the same in the early days of Michigan andWisconsin. Fr. Eusebio Kino rode

the trails of Arizona to bring the Eucharist to the dispersed pioneers settling

the new lands. Fr. Pierre DeSmet served the North American Indians in parts

of the upper Midwest. Briefly sketched here are stories of two priests who

gave witness to these ideals.

An unlikely and colorful pioneer priest was Fr. Demetrius Gallitzin. He

was born as a prince in 1770. His father was a Russian prince, and his mother

a Prussian countess. Fr. Gallitzin was raised an Orthodox Christian but

became a Catholic after his mother’s conversion to the Catholic Church.

Upon completing his education, he emigrated to the United States.

In Baltimore, he met Bishop John Carroll, who interested him in mis-

sionary work. Fr. Gallitzin enrolled at St. Mary’s Seminary and was ordained

a priest in 1795. He soon obtained permission to go to Captain Michael

McGuire’s settlement in western Pennsylvania. Once he arrived there, Fr.

Gallitzin built a small church and celebrated the first Mass in it on Christmas

Day, 1799.