GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Minnesota: MN-7

Catholic Church. Diocese of Crookston. Archives
1200 Memorial Drive (physical address)
P.O. Box 610 (postal address)
Crookston, MN 56716

Phone: 218-281-4533, Extension 416
Email: See website (Diocesan Staff)

 

History: The Diocese of Crookston was erected from territory in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, 1909. Crookston has served the following Native American (Ojibwa) missions and parishes in Minnesota:

1873-present (Crookston, 1909-present)	St. Benedict Church, White Earth Reservation, White Earth
1879-present (Crookston, 1909-present)	St. Mary Mission, Red Lake Reservation, Red Lake
1895-present (Crookston, 1909-present)	St. Joseph Mission, White Earth Reservation, Beaulieu
1895-ca. 1940 (no longer Native) (Crookston, 1909-ca. 1940)	St. Michael Church, White Earth Reservation, Mahnomen
1896-1964 (closed)	Sacred Heart Mission, Leech Lake Reservation, Onigum/ Leech Lake
1903-present (Crookston, 1909-present)	St. Theodore Mission, near White Earth Reservation, Ponsford
1908-1917 (no longer Native) (Crookston, 1909-1917)	Assumption Mission, Callaway
1910-present	St. Ann Church, White Earth Reservation, Waubun
1911-present	Most Holy Redeemer Church, White Earth Reservation, Ogema
1915-1966 (closed)	St. Gertrude Mission, Round Lake
1916-present	Immaculate Conception Mission, White Earth Reservation, Bejou
1918-present	St. Anne Church, White Earth Reservation, Naytahwausch
1928-1971 (closed)	St. Agnes Mission, Fond du Lac Reservation, Island Lake
1935-1970 (closed)	St. Anne Mission, St. Vincent
1939-1974 (closed)	Christ the King Mission, Red Lake Reservation, Redby
1942-present	St. Francis Cabrini Mission, White Earth Reservation, Big Elbow Lake

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: 1852-ongoing, undated

Volume: At least 1.7 cubic feet and 18 reels of microfilm

Description: 9 series include Native Catholic records:

 

/1 Parish Files

Inclusive dates: 1928, 1932-ongoing 

Volume: At least .4 cubic foot

Description: Correspondence arranged alphabetically by parish location and chronologically there under. 

A. Island Lake, St. Agnes Church, 1967-ongoing, 1 folder

B. Mahnomen, St. Michael Church and its Native chapels and stations, 1928, 1932-ongoing, 2 folders: Major correspondents include the priests at St. Michael's responsible for the Native missions and Bishop John H. Peschges, Bishop Francis J. Schenk, and Bishop Lawrence A. Glenn

C. Naytahwaush, St. Anne Church, 1949-ongoing, 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Andrew Winczewski, Rev. Adrian Fox, Bishop Francis Schenk and Bishop Lawrence Glenn

D. Ogema, Most Holy Redeemer Church, 1940-ongoing, 2 folders: major correspondents include Rev. Roman Homar, O.S.B., Rev. Benno Watrin, O.S.B., Bishop Francis Schenk and Bishop Lawrence Glenn

E. Ponsford, St. Theodore Church, 1944-ongoing, 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Maurice Hurrle, Rev. Humphrey Zdechlik, Rev. Osmund J. Jacobs, Rev. Constantine Thelen, Bishop Francis Schenk and Bishop Lawrence Glenn

F. Red Lake, Immaculate Conception Church, 1951-ongoing, 2 folders: major correspondents include Rev. Cassian A. Ossendorf and Bishops Francis and Bishop Lawrence Glenn

G. Round Lake, St. Gertrude Church, 1948, 1958, 1962, 1965-1966, 1 folder

H. Waubun, St. Ann Church, 1940-ongoing, 2 folders

I. White Earth, St. Benedict Church, 1942-ongoing, 2 folders: Major correspondents include Rev. Valerian Thelen, O.S.B., Abbott Alban B. Fruth, O.S.B., Bishop Francis Schenk and Bishop Lawrence Glenn

 

/2 "Parish Legal Deeds"

Inclusive dates: 1870s-ongoing 

Volume: At least .1 cubic foot

Description: Arranged alphabetically by parish location; contains property records such as deeds, title abstracts, and articles of incorporation. There is 1 folder per Native mission.

 

/3 Priests' Files

Inclusive dates: 1938-1939, 1945-ongoing

Volume: 1 folder

Description: Correspondence between the bishops and St. John's Abbey, re: appointments, finances, and general administrative problems of Native missions within the diocese.

 

/4 Financial and Statistical Reports

Inclusive dates: 1910-ongoing 

Volume: At least .6 cubic foot

Description: Annual reports arranged alphabetically by parish location. 

A. Beaulieu, St. Joseph Church, 1911-ongoing, 1 folder

B. Bejou, Immaculate Conception Mission, 1916-ongoing, 1 folder

C. Big Elbow Lake, St. Francis Cabrini Mission, 1938-ongoing, 1 folder

D. Island Lake, St. Agnes Mission, 1927-1971, 1 folder

E. Mahnomen, St. Michael Church, 1910-ongoing, 1 folder

F. Naytahwaush, St. Anne Church, 1911-ongoing, 1 folder

G. Ogema, Most Holy Redeemer Mission, 1911-ongoing, 1 folder

H. Ponsford, St. Theodore Church, 1910-ongoing, 1 folder

I. Red Lake, Immaculate Conception Church, 1919-ongoing, 1 folder

J. Redby, Christ the King Mission, 1940-1976, 1 folder

K. Round Lake, St. Gertrude Mission, 1928, 1930-1931, 1935-1936, 1952-1953, 1 folder

L. Waubun, St. Ann Church, 1911-ongoing, 1 folder

M. White Earth, St. Benedict Church, 1910-ongoing, 1 folder

 

/5 "History of the Diocese"

Inclusive dates: 1868-ongoing

Volume: At least .1 cubic foot

Description: Arranged alphabetically by parish location; contains published histories and historical notes for Native missions at or attended from Mahnomen, Naytahwaush, Pembina, Ponsford, Red Lake, and White Earth.  

 

/6 Photographs

Inclusive dates: undated 

Volume: 39 prints  

Description: 

A. Beaulieu, St. Joseph Church, undated, 2 prints

B. Bejou, Immaculate Conception Mission, undated, 2 prints

C. Naytahwaush, St. Anne Church, undated, 3 prints

D. Ogema, Most Holy Redeemer Mission, undated, 10 prints

E. Ponsford, St. Theodore Church, undated, 2 prints

F. Red Lake, Immaculate Conception Church, undated, 14 prints

G. Waubun, St. Ann Church, undated, 4 prints

H. White Earth, St. Benedict Church, undated, 2 prints

 

/7 "Diocesan General"

Inclusive dates: 1935-ongoing 

Volume: At least .3 cubic foot 

Description: Arranged alphabetically by subject or name of organization.

A. "Indian: Bureau of [Catholic Indian] Missions," 1935-ongoing, 4 folders: Correspondence and reports, re: primarily financial transactions; major correspondents include the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, the bishops, and superiors at Native missions within the Diocese

B. "Marquette League [for Catholic Indian Missions]," 1950s-ongoing, 1 folder: correspondence between the bishops and the Marquette League, re: financial concerns at Native missions

 

/8 Sacramental Records

Inclusive dates: 1852-1974

Volume: At least 18 reels of microfilm

Description: Arranged alphabetically by parish location.

A. Beaulieu, St. Joseph Church, 1900-1974

B. Bejou, Immaculate Conception Mission, 1912-1974

C. Mahnomen, St. Michael Church, 1908-1974

D. Naytahwaush, St. Anne Church, 1934-1974

E. Ogema, Most Holy Redeemer Mission, 1911-1974

F. Ponsford, St. Theodore Church, 1903-1974

G. Red Lake, Immaculate Conception Church, 1852-1974

H. Waubun, St. Ann Church, 1915-1974

I. White Earth, St. Benedict's Church, 1870-1974

 

/9 Diocesan Newspaper

Inclusive dates: 1946-ongoing 

Volume: At least .1 cubic foot

Description: Our Northland Diocese includes occasional articles on Native Americans and Catholic evangelization within the diocese. 

 

For student attendance records at Catholic schools that served Native Americans -- see -- Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Marquette University Special Collections and Archives, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives. 

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