A Catholic Mission
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page
         Above Image -1914 Annual Meeting of the Anti-Horse Thief Association in Chanute, Kansas.

Links: 
An assortment of links related to our story, with some attempts to categorize.

Some of the Missions Today.

As you research the locations of individual mission stations, and their stories, you always wonder if the folks who live there are aware that they are related to us.  This is particularly true of the churches that sprang up as a result of the Jesuit missionary efforts.  Here are a few that are aware:
  • Diocese of Dodge City Necrology page based on Timothy F. Wenzl's book Priests of the Prairie. The page links to brief profiles of Father Philip Colleton and Father Paul Ponziglione; Osage Mission missionaries whose work spanned central and western Kansas including Fort Larned and Dodge City.
  • Holy Name Catholic Church, Coffeyville, KS - Originally established by Father Philip Colleton at Old Parker, about 2-1/2 miles from Coffeyville, and later moved to present Coffeyville.
  • Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Pawhuska, Oklahoma — also known as The Cathedral of the Osage.  If you google for this famous 100 year old church you will find several returns.  Some are church or travel related.  Some are aimed at stained glass enthusiasts.  One window in this church, partially depicted at the bottom of the page, is the "Father Schoenmakers" window.  A few years ago Vann Big Horse, then the head of the Osage Cultural Group, stood in our museum during a Mission Days celebration, and told several local  patrons about the effect the Osages had on his people and their culture.  Here is another link, from this site, that shows that window in full.
  • Legend of Greenbush - The St. Aloysius Historical Site web page about their historical site and events.
  • Mary Queen of Angles Catholic Church, Fort Scott, Kansas.  "During the year of 1860 the first effort to organize a parish in Fort Scott was made by three Jesuit Fathers from the Osage Mission ...."
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Larned Kansas. While Osage Mission priests did not establish the Sacred Heart Parish in Larned, Father Philip Colleton did establish a mission at Fort Larned for the soldiers in garrison and railroad crews. This linked article regarding Sacred Heart's history mentions the murals in the church, including the depiction of Father Philip Colleton on one of the murals. A photo of this mural is attached. Father Colleton is the tall, black robed figure at the left side of the cross.  This is a nearly life-sized artwork.
  • Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Emporia, Kansas - "The first Mass was celebrated in Emporia by Jesuit Father Paul Ponziglione in March 1870 at the home of T. L. Ryan ...."
  • St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Independence, KS - Visit their "Parish History" link .
  • St. Bridget Catholic Church, Scammon, KS - Another old and prominent southeast Kansas parish founded by an Osage Mission missionary.
  • St. James Catholic Church, Augusta, Ks. - Their history page starts with the first Catholic Mass celebrated in Butler County by Father Paul Ponziglione - August 19, 1869.   It is also interesting to note that the Stations of the Cross, in St. James new church, were digitally reproduced from those in our own St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church, when Father Sam Pinkerton was there.
  • St. Joseph Catholic Church, Baxter Springs, KS -  was originally established as a mission station, for Fort Blair soldiers, by Father Philip Colleton of Osage Mission.
  • St. Joseph Catholic Church, Humboldt Kansas.  Father Ponziglione did the early missionary work, from homes, in the Humboldt area.
  • St. Mary's Catholic Church, Newton, KS was established by Father Philip Colleton in the 1969 time frame.  Father Ponziglione is also reported to be there in about 1872.  The St. Mary's page cites the 1872 date.
  • St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Parsons, KS - Originally established by Father Colleton as a mission for railroad workers.
  • St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Eufaula, Oklahoma. In July of 1871, Father Paul Ponziglione started saying outdoor Masses to large crowds of local Indians.  A permanent structure followed.
  • St. Rose Catholic Church, Columbus, KS - This southeast Kansas church was originally established in 1858, as a mission, by Father Ponziglione.
  • St. Teresa Catholic Church, Hutchinson, Ks. - Their history page is actually several pages long and includes a couple of illustrations of Father Ponziglione who celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Reno County in 1872.
Here is one we probably shouldn't forget:
  • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church, St. Paul, Kansas.  The history page from our parish website.

The Early Work of the Lorettines in Southeast Kansas (From the Kansas State Historical Society) – This 1947 article about St. Paul was written by a native of St. Paul.  Sister Lilliana Owens was a Loretto historian who received here Ph. D. from St. Louis University.  She wrote several articles and books on the Catholic Church and school history.  This article was written about her home town on the year of our centennial.

Osage Mission - Neosho County Historical Society and Museum.  - A new site that is still under construction but it does provide a valuable email link to their research capability.

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Significant Tourism Links.
Here are two websites that make the Osage Mission - St. Paul story accessible to millions of travel planners:

​Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area.  During 2011 the Osage Mission - Neosho County Historic Society joined the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Freedom's Frontier recognizes the struggles that occurred in twenty-nine eastern Kansas counties and twelve western Missouri counties during the Bleeding Kansas and Civil War era.  It also recognizes events related to the earliest history of Kansas including Native American History, Settling the Region, etc.   It is interesting to note that Osage Mission has remained as one of the top locations based on the number of web accesses to our mini-page.  Here are three interesting links:
  • Link to the main website.  This site is accessible via a few mouse clicks from the National Park Service web site which is one of the largest travel planning sites on earth.
  • Link to the Places to See Page.  There are more than one hundred sites linked from the Freedom's Frontier page.  This page shows sites that have received the most interest based on recent web access.  Since joining in 2011, I do not recall seeing Osage Mission being ranked below six on this page.  You should be able to link to the Osage Mission mini page from this page or from here.​

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Eight Wonders of Kansas History - Kansas Sampler Foundation.  In 2010 the Osage Mission - Neosho County Historical Society competed with about 170 sites for recognition in the Kansas Sampler's Eight Wonder's of Kansas History Contest.  It was a two-stage selection process based on:
  1. An independent judges review of 170 nomination proposals submitted by individual sites.  The purpose was to thin the candidates down to the top twenty-four finalists.
  2. The top 8 Wonders were then selected, from the twenty-four finalists, by an internet or written ballot completion. 
Osage Mission was a finalist among several state and national historic sites but was not selected to be among the top eight.  However, we do retain a finalists link from the Kansas Sampler's web site.  Not bad considering some of the sites undoubtedly submitted funded proposals.  Here are links to:
  • ​The Kansas Sampler's Home Page.
  • Their 8 Wonders of Kansas History Page.
  • The Osage Mission mini-page.


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acatholicmission.org is a privately hosted website.  We hope that our site will educate and entertain those who are interested in the fascinating Osage Mission - St.  Paul - Neosho County Kansas story.  Ours is a regional story that crosses state lines, ethnic groups, faiths and a variety of frontier and post-frontier interests.  Enjoy.

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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page