Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site
Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site, located about one mile east of Daniel, Wyoming, is the site of the first Catholic mass in Wyoming.[2] The mass was conducted on July 5, 1840, by Jesuit missionary Pierre-Jean De Smet. A congregation of 2,000 people, composed of Native Americans, trappers, and traders from the region, attended the service. A stone altar was constructed for the mass and a granite cross enclosed by a small chapel was later added to the altar site. The service was one of the earliest Christian religious ceremonies conducted in the Rocky Mountain region.[3] The Prairie Mass Site lies approximately at the confluence of the Green River and its tributary Horse Creek. A commemorative mass is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday after the 4th in July every year at 10:00 AM MST. Mass is facilitated by the parish Our Lady of Peace located in Pinedale, WY.
Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site | |
Nearest city | Daniel, Wyoming |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°52′10″N 110°2′29″W |
Area | less than one acre |
NRHP reference No. | 70000676[1] |
Added to NRHP | April 28, 1970 |
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1970.[1]
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- Official State Highway Map of Wyoming (Map). Wyoming Department of Transportation. 2014.
- Barnhart, Bill (December 19, 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site". National Park Service. Retrieved June 3, 2013.