Rachel Evans
Montana, located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwest US, is home to several Catholic dioceses. Catholicism was introduced to the state in the early 19th century by a band of Iroquois Indians who had been instructed and baptised by Father Isaac Jogues. The faith was then spread by Father De Smet, who arrived in 1840, and the dynamic Bishop Brondel. In 1884, the Holy See established the Diocese of Helena, which appointed John Baptist Brondel as its first bishop. In 1980, St. John Paul II renamed the Diocese of Great Falls as the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. Today, there are approximately 125,000 Catholics in Montana, served by about 122 active diocesan priests.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Dioceses in Montana | 2 (Diocese of Helena and Diocese of Great Falls-Billings) |
| First Catholic Diocese in Montana | Diocese of Helena, established in 1884 |
| Catholic Population in Montana | 113,000-125,000 |
| Total Population of Montana | 815,800 |
| Number of Catholic Priests in Montana | 122 |
| Number of Parishes | 124 |
| Number of Missions | 86 |
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What You'll Learn
St. Mary's Mission and Museum, Stevensville
Montana, located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwestern United States, became a state in 1889. The Catholic Church in Montana falls under the Diocese of Helena, which was established in 1884. The state's Catholic history, however, dates back much further.
St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville, Montana, was the first white settlement in the state and played a significant role in the early days of the settlement of the West. Established in 1841 by Father Pierre Jean De Smet, St. Mary's Mission is now a historic site that includes restored buildings, museums, and artefacts reflecting the history of the site and the Salish people. The mission is administered by a nine-member volunteer board and operated by an executive director.
The history of Catholicism in Montana began with the Iroquois who moved west with Canadian fur traders and settled among the Flatheads of western Montana in 1811-12. The Flatheads sent several expeditions to obtain the services of missionaries, and in 1840, Father De Smet went on an exploratory journey among the natives. He returned the following year with fellow Jesuit priests and lay brothers to establish St. Mary's Mission, marking the beginning of Jesuit endeavours among the Native Americans and, later, the whites.
St. Mary's Mission holds a significant place in the history of Montana and the Catholic Church in the state. The site has been preserved and now offers guided tours for visitors interested in learning about the early days of the settlement and the cultural heritage of the Salish people. The St. Mary's Mission Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, recognising its importance in Montana's history.
The Catholic Church in Montana continued to grow and develop over the years. By the beginning of the 21st century, there were approximately 125,000 Catholics in the state, served by about 122 active diocesan, extern, and religious priests. The Diocese of Helena, which covers the entire state, includes two dioceses that serve five Native American reservations and a total of 124 parishes and 86 missions.
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The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
Montana, located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwestern United States, was admitted to the Union as the 41st state in 1889. Catholicism was introduced to the state when the Iroquois moved west with Canadian fur traders and settled among the Flatheads of western Montana in 1811–1812. In 1840, Pierre Jean de Smet, a Jesuit, went on an exploratory journey among the natives. He returned the following year with fellow Jesuit priests and lay brothers to establish St. Mary's Mission, marking the beginning of Jesuit endeavours among the Native Americans and, later, the whites.
Montana became a vicariate apostolic in 1883, and in 1884, the Holy See established the Diocese of Helena, coextensive with the entire territory. The first Catholic parish in Billings, St. Patrick's, was established in 1887. Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Great Falls on 18 May 1904, taking eastern Montana from the Diocese of Helena. Pope John Paul II renamed the Diocese of Great Falls to the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings on 14 February 1980, to reflect the population growth in Billings.
The first bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls was Reverend Mathias Lenihan from the Diocese of Dubuque. Lenihan served as bishop for 26 years and played a significant role in temperance reform, the development of the parochial school system, and the construction of a new cathedral. He was also instrumental in establishing an orphanage staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Providence and introducing Benedictine sisters from Germany to minister to Native Americans at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
In 1930, Fr. Edwin V. O'Hara was consecrated as the second bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls. O'Hara worked to establish the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine program (CCD) to meet the religious education needs of children and adults in the rural diocese. He also founded the College of Great Falls in 1932. In 1939, O'Hara was named archbishop of Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1988, Bishop Curtiss of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings presided over a diocesan synod, the first one held in 80 years. Curtiss was named archbishop of Omaha in 1993, and his successor, Bishop Morlino, was consecrated in 1999. In 2005, the Northern Cheyenne Nation sued the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland and the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. In 2013, the Montana Supreme Court reversed parts of a lower court ruling, stating that the Northern Cheyenne had not proven their allegations. However, the school agreed to an out-of-court settlement, paying the nation a substantial sum in instalments. In 2016, the diocese created the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings Juridic Persons Capital Assets Support Corporation (CASC), a non-profit organization.
In April 2018, the diocese and sexual abuse victims announced a bankruptcy plan and settlement, similar to the 2015 filing by the Diocese of Helena. The Great Falls-Billings plan also required the diocese to conduct intensive background checks and screening of seminarians and to publish a list of all known abusers. A federal court approved the plan in August 2018, with the diocese agreeing to pay $20 million to 86 alleged victims and setting aside $1.75 million for administrative costs and future claims.
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The Diocese of Helena
Catholicism was introduced to Montana when Iroquois fur traders settled among the Flatheads of western Montana in 1811. In April 1883, Pope Leo XIII erected the Apostolic Vicariate of Montana and appointed Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel as the apostolic vicar. In 1884, the Holy See established the Diocese of Helena, with Brondel as its first bishop. The Diocese of Helena is the Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in western Montana in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. The diocese covers 51,922 square miles, encompassing 21 counties and parts of two others. As of 2023, the diocese had 57 parishes and 38 missions divided into six deaneries: Bozeman, Butte, Conrad, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula.
During his tenure, Brondel travelled throughout the state, establishing several new parishes and building churches. He also significantly increased the number of priests; by 1903, the number of seminarians in Montana increased from one to thirteen. Brondel took a particular interest in the evangelization of Native Americans, and the United States government often used his popularity among that community to further its aims.
After Brondel died in 1903, Reverend John Carroll of the Diocese of Dubuque was named by Pope Pius X as the next bishop of Helena. That same year, the pope erected the Diocese of Great Falls to cover the eastern half of the state. When Carroll became bishop, the diocese had 53 priests, 65 churches, and nine parochial schools to serve 50,000 Catholics. In 1904, Carroll started the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Helena.
Carroll was a vocal opponent of socialism and alcohol, which he believed were detrimental to society. He died in Europe in 1925, and it wasn't until 1927 that Pope Pius XI appointed Reverend George Finnigan as the third bishop of Helena. In 1933, Pope Pius XI appointed Reverend Ralph Hayes from the Diocese of Pittsburgh as the fourth bishop of Helena. After two years, Hayes was replaced by Monsignor Joseph Gilmore of Helena, who served for 26 years. During his tenure, Gilmore presided over a period of great growth for the diocese, with material development and programs to foster vocations, help resettle refugees, retrain unskilled workers, aid in adoptions, and promote the lay apostolate.
In 1969, Pope Paul VI named Monsignor Raymond Hunthausen of Helena as the next bishop of the diocese. Hunthausen worked with Call to Action, a progressive Catholic group, and his tenure was marked by increased lay involvement in church matters, the establishment of a mission in Guatemala, and the closure of several churches. Reverend Elden Curtiss of the Diocese of Baker was the next bishop of Helena, named by Paul VI in 1976. After Curtiss, several other priests served as bishops of Helena, including Alexander Brunett, Robert Morlino, and George Thomas.
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St Ignatius Mission Parish
Montana, located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwestern United States, became a state in 1889. The Catholic Church in Montana was introduced when Iroquois moved west with Canadian fur traders and settled among the Flatheads of western Montana (1811-12). The Flatheads sent four successive expeditions (in 1831, 1835, 1837, and 1839) to St. Louis, requesting missionaries from Bishop J. Rosati. In 1840, Pierre Jean de Smet, a Jesuit priest, embarked on an exploratory journey among the natives. He returned the following year with fellow Jesuit priests and lay brothers to establish St. Mary's Mission, marking the beginning of Jesuit endeavours among the Native Americans and, later, the white settlers.
Montana became a vicariate apostolic in 1883, and in 1884, the Holy See established the Diocese of Helena, which covered the entire state. John Baptist Brondel, the bishop of Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada, was appointed to lead the diocese. In 1925, the unexpected death of Bishop Carroll left the Diocese of Helena without a bishop for two years until Fr. George J. Finnigan, provincial of the Congregation of the Holy Cross at Notre Dame, was appointed the third bishop of the diocese in 1927.
In 1930, Fr. Edwin V. O'Hara was consecrated as the second bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls in eastern Montana. O'Hara worked to establish the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine program (CCD) to meet the religious education needs of the rural population within his diocese. He also founded the College of Great Falls in 1932, in collaboration with the Sisters of Providence and the Ursuline Sisters.
At the turn of the 21st century, Montana was home to approximately 125,000 Catholics, served by about 122 active diocesan, extern, and religious priests. The two dioceses in the state oversaw five Native American reservations and a total of 124 parishes and 86 missions. Unfortunately, I could not find specific information about the 'St Ignatius Mission Parish' in Montana. However, there is a Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City, which has a YouTube channel and a Facebook page where they stream their Sunday 11 AM Solemn Mass.
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Montana Catholic Conference on Social Welfare
Montana, located in the Rocky Mountain region of the northwestern United States, became a state in 1889. Catholicism was introduced to the region when Iroquois moved west with Canadian fur traders and settled among the Flatheads of western Montana in 1811–1812. In 1840, Pierre Jean de Smet, a Jesuit priest, went on an exploratory journey among the natives and established St. Mary's Mission, marking the beginning of Jesuit efforts among the Native Americans and later, the whites. Montana became a vicariate apostolic in 1883, and the following year, the Diocese of Helena was established, encompassing the entire territory.
The Montana Catholic Conference on Social Welfare was established by Bishops Schuster and Hunthausen. This conference led to the formation of Catholic Social Services of (for) Montana, which has been providing support to families and those in need through its ministries since 1953. The organisation assists individuals facing unplanned life events and helps them navigate their options. It also provides counselling and support for expectant parents, including adoption services, and has helped thousands of children find healthy and loving families.
The Montana Catholic Conference, also known as the Montana Catholic Conference | Catholic Advocacy in the Public Arena, is led by Executive Director Matthew C. Brower (also referred to as Matt Brower). The Conference has been involved in providing testimonies to various Montana legislative committees, including the House Taxation Committee, the Senate Taxation Committee, and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. These testimonies cover a range of bills, with the Conference advocating for or opposing specific legislation.
Montana is home to approximately 125,000 Catholics, who are served by about 122 active diocesan, extern, and religious priests. The state has two dioceses, which include five Native American reservations and a total of 124 parishes and 86 missions.
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Frequently asked questions
There are two Catholic dioceses in Montana: the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings and the Diocese of Helena.
The Diocese of Helena was established in 1884.
John Baptist Brondel, bishop of Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada, was the first bishop of the Diocese of Helena.
There are approximately 113,000-125,000 Catholics in Montana, about a quarter of the state's population.
