First Mass1842
| Location | Brown County |
|---|---|
| State/Territory | South Dakota |
| County | Brown County |
| Modern Diocese | Sioux Falls |
| Historical Diocese | Diocese of Dubuque |
| Date | 1842 |
| Priest | Monsignor Augustin Ravoux |
| Religious Order | Diocesan / Secular clergy |
| Rite | Roman (Latin) Rite |
| Expedition | First visit to the Sioux Natives |
| Confidence | confirmed |
Documentation
Notes
Exact location of the first mass in Brown County is not known, but likely a fur trading post along the James River. The post was called Oakwood Post and Northeast of Aberdeen. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=187060 Settlement did not occur until much later. Another source has Msgr Ravoux in Fort Pierre to baptize families of French Catholics in June 1842. Brown County is directly west of his origin from Saint Paul, and the journey would have taken about a month. Winter broke very early in 1842 in this region, with temps in the upper 80's by April.
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