The Catholic Missions That Evangelized the Kansas Frontier

About this sermon

Long before Kansas became a state, Catholic missionaries crossed its vast prairies to celebrate Mass, preach the Gospel and establish missions among the Native peoples of the region. In this episode of How the Faith Came to the United States, we explore the forgotten Catholic history of Kansas. The story begins with Franciscan Father Juan de Padilla, killed during the Coronado expedition in 1542 and frequently remembered as America’s first Christian martyr. A new missionary era began in 1822 when Father Charles de la Croix traveled on horseback to minister among the Osage. Jesuit missionaries later established Sugar Creek Mission among the Potawatomi, creating one of the first enduring centers of Catholicism west of Missouri. We also encounter Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, remembered by the Potawatomi as the “Woman Who Prays Always.” Despite her age, illness and hardship, she offered her prayers and sufferings for the conversion and salvation of the people she loved. This episode recounts Native baptisms, Catholic schools, missionary journeys across trackless prairies, the Catholic communities of Miami and Linn counties, Baptiste Peoria, Mother Baptiste and the eventual destruction of the original Sugar Creek Mission. The principal source was published in 1922. Some quotations contain descriptions of Native peoples reflecting the assumptions and language of that period; they are presented as part of the historical record rather than adopted as modern judgments. 00:00 You Are the Resistance 00:42 How the Faith Came to Kansas 00:50 Principal Historical Source 01:48 Catholic Explorers and Missionaries 04:26 Father Juan de Padilla: America’s First Martyr 05:50 Catholic Missions in Indian Territory 06:07 Native Removal and the Kansas Territory 08:36 A Historical Account from 1843 10:14 The Catholic Mission at Sugar Creek 10:49 Bishop DuBourg and the Jesuits 11:52 Father de la Croix Visits the Osage 14:00 Government Assistance for Missionaries 16:16 A Seminary for Native Missions 16:55 The First Kansas Missionary Journey 18:36 Father de la Croix Reaches the Osage 19:29 Reception by the Osage Nation 21:00 Mass and Baptisms Among the Osage 22:05 Sickness and the Dangerous Return Journey 22:53 Sugar Creek Mission 23:30 Saint Philippine Duchesne Arrives 25:21 “The Woman Who Prays Always” 26:03 Religious Sisters Continue the Mission 26:42 The Early Catholic History of Paola 28:42 Missions Among the Peoria and Miami 29:29 Baptism of the Peoria Tribe 30:35 Catholic Missionaries in Miami County 32:03 Saint Francis Xavier Chapel 32:18 Chief Baptiste Peoria 35:21 Mother Baptiste and the Catholic Church 38:33 The Beauty of the Kansas Prairie 41:41 The Cradle of Kansas Catholicism 42:36 Sugar Creek and Saint Mary’s Mission 44:05 Saint Philippine Duchesne’s Legacy 45:37 The Mission Faces Destruction 46:02 Removal to the Kaw River 47:06 Ten Years of Missionary Baptisms 47:30 Sugar Creek Mission Is Burned 48:10 The Catholic Legacy of Linn County https://www.amazon.com/Centenary-Catholicity-1822-1922-Counties-Missionaries/dp/1361378271 https://www.tanbooks.com/ type SF15 at Checkout for 15% off Mediatrix Press affiliate link - https://mediatrixpress.com/?wpam_id=9 Glory & Shine Products - https://gloryandshine.com/?utm_source=Youtube%20/%20Sensus&utm_medium=a45903521d&utm_name=65995592a1 Please remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #CatholicHistory #KansasHistory #AmericanCatholicHistory #SaintPhilippineDuchesne #CatholicMissions #NativeAmericanCatholics #JesuitMissionaries #SugarCreekMission #Potawatomi #CatholicKansas #JuanDePadilla #ChurchHistory #CatholicFaith #KansasCatholics #SensusFidelium

Topics

• Evangelism
• Missions