Cataldo Mission, Idaho

On our way home from Montana we stopped to see the Cataldo Mission near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was a beautiful place - beautiful in many ways. 

"The Old Mission (Mission of the Sacred Heart) is the oldest standing building in Idaho. Jesuits established it in the early 1840’s, at the invitation of the Coeur d’ Alene Indians. The first Mission was established on the St. Joe River, by Father Point. Because of its location, it was repeatedly flooded. So in 1846, the Mission was relocated to a grassy knoll, about 35 miles away. Construction of the Old Mission (at its new location) began in 1848 in a joint effort between the missionaries and native Catholics [Coeur d'Alene Indians]  Construction on the Mission was completed in 1853.

Father Ravalli, a Jesuit born in Italy, designed the building in the tradition of the grand cathedrals of his birthplace.... Chandeliers, designed to replicate those found in the grand cathedrals of Italy, were fashioned out of used tin cans. Wooden altars were painted and treated to resemble marble. ... The only tools Ravalli had were broad axe, auger, ropes and pulleys, a pen knife and an improvised whip saw.  Source 

Ceiling panels - stained blue using huckleberry juice

chapel in the parish house

beautiful hinge on door to chapel in parish house

 mission bell

Coeur d’Alene Indians helped build the mission 

Click on the Montana label to the right to see more posts about this, and previous, trips.