CHAPTER XXX.

HOLY FAMILY MISSION AND SCHOOLS.

This mission owes its beginning to Father P. Prando, at Birch Creek, on the outskirts of the Blackfoot reservation; and was at first a dependency of the Mission of St. Peters.

A few years later, in 1885, Father J. M. Cataldo, the Superior of the Missions, applied to the Government at Washington, through the Catholic Indian Mission Bureau, for authorization to erect buildings "for Indian schools and mission work among the Indians belonging to the Blackfeet, Fort Peek and Crow Agencies, on their respective reservations." The request having been granted, the original location on Birch Creek was changed for a more central site on Two Medicine Creek, where large and comfortable buildings were erected, the Misses Drexel, of Philadelphia, supplying the funds.

As soon as the accommodations were ready the Catholic Indian Mission Bureau applied to the Government to obtain an allowance for "the education and support of 100 Indian children at the Holy family Indian School at the Blackfeet Agency." A bill to that effect was introduced by Hon. T. H. Carter, Montana's delegate to Congress, and pass the House. The Senate Committee, however, reported it adversely. The bill came up for discussion before the Senate July 25, 1890, and was passed by a vote of twenty-seven to nineteen.

Considering the short time of their existence, the Holy Family Mission schools have attained excellent results in every way.

According to the Catholic system of education, the schools were divided into distinct and separate departments, one for the Indian boys, the other for Indian girls. Members of the Society of Jesus conduct the former, while the latter is in the hands of the Ursuline Nuns.

The first in charge of the Mission was Father Philbertus Tornielli. Next came Father Damiani, who took the former's place in 1892, remaining to the spring of 1898, and built during

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the while a residence for the Father sand the boys. It is a substantial structure of native sandstone quarried from the neighboring hills. In the winter of 1898, the original frame quarters occupied by the female department, were almost entirely destroyed by fire. they were replaced, soon after by a sandstone edifice erected by Father Bandini, who took for a year or so the post of Father Damiani. Next, but only for a few months, came father Ignatius A. Vasta. Father Damiani returned to this field, and conducted the Mission till 1905, when he was relieved of his charge by Father Joseph Bruckert, for some three years. The latter's place was now taken for some time by Father Philip DeLon, and the by Father Peter Bougis, and lastly, once more by Father Damiani, who quite recently has been sent back to his former camping ground.

Browning, a town some eighteen miles from the Mission, is confided to the missionary care of Father J. B. Carroll, whose little church is well fitted with Indians every Sunday.

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