BajaNomad

More Montana--the St. Ignatius Mission

DianaT - 10-14-2011 at 06:36 PM

Not that far north of Missoula is the Flathead Indian Reservation---a beautiful location for this very unique Catholic Mission that is well worth visiting.

The sign, albeit a bit biased as this is still a functioning church, tells the story of the Mission.



While the outside of the building is quite nice, it appeared not so different than many churches.



But the interior just takes one's breath away----the amazing murals done by someone with no formal training, the massive amount of detail and the architectural lines and curves that are offset by the beautiful, but simple stained glass windows.

It is BEAUTIFUL

















And evidence of the ever adaptable Catholic Church

The Lord of the Salish people---or as some call it, the Native American Jesus and Native American Mary.





And it is located in that wonderful Big Sky Country---very close to the Bison Reserve.

Thanks for looking a just a few of the pix we enjoyed taking. ---we just found this such a unique place that others might also enjoy.

Paula - 10-14-2011 at 08:55 PM

The collection of photos in the original log building by the church is very interesting. I'm not sure that the four delegations mentioned on the sign knew just what they were asking for. The pictures of the now gone dormitories and classroom buildings and the children who were boarded there are poignant. Of course this is one of the more thriving reservations in northwest Montana, with rich and fertile land, and such beautiful water sources nearby. The church is incredibly beautiful. And the congregation to this day is mostly Native American~~ they learned their lessons well.

DianaT - 10-14-2011 at 09:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Paula
The collection of photos in the original log building by the church is very interesting. I'm not sure that the four delegations mentioned on the sign knew just what they were asking for. The pictures of the now gone dormitories and classroom buildings and the children who were boarded there are poignant. Of course this is one of the more thriving reservations in northwest Montana, with rich and fertile land, and such beautiful water sources nearby. The church is incredibly beautiful. And the congregation to this day is mostly Native American~~ they learned their lessons well.


Yes, those pictures in the log building are interesting and I most definitely agree with you.

These type of places are always a conflicted emotion for me. On the one hand, the building and the art are beautiful, and on the other hand is the the reality that much of it brought to the native peoples.




[Edited on 10-15-2011 by DianaT]