St. Michael's Mission (Window Rock, Arizona) facts for kids
St. Michael's Mission was the first permanent Catholic mission built for the Navajo in 1898. A school was also opened there in 1902. This mission helped teach and support the Navajo community for many years.
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Michael's Mission
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St. Michael's Mission
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Window Rock, Arizona |
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| Area | 640 acres (260 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000335 |
| Added to NRHP | May 29, 1975 |
History of St. Michael's Mission
In 1895, the Catholic Church bought a ranch called "Cienega." This was done by Katharine Drexel, who was asked by Father Stephan. The ranch had a building that was meant to be a trading post.
Three years later, in 1898, this building was changed to be used by Catholic missionaries. It became the first permanent Catholic mission for the Navajo people. The mission was about six miles from Fort Defiance.
It was hard to find people to work at the mission at first. But in 1897, Sister Katharine found Franciscans in Cincinnati who agreed to help. The mission officially opened in 1898.
A chapel was part of the new mission. The first church service was held there in October 1898. In 1899, a nearby log cabin was turned into a boarding school for children.
A second school opened in 1902 with 56 students. Around the same time, twelve sisters from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament arrived. They lived in their own building.
Fathers Anselm Weber and Berard Haile led the mission. They wrote many books about the Navajo language. These included dictionaries and grammar guides.
Today, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament own the mission site. It covers 640 acres (260 ha) of land. The mission church is still active. There is also a museum on site. It shows Navajo artifacts and items from the early Franciscans.
What the Mission Building Looked Like
The mission building was about 27 feet wide and 60 feet long. It had a sloped roof covered with shingles. On the north side, there were three doors and three windows. The south side had four windows but no doors. Both the east and west sides had one window each.
Inside, the walls were plastered. The building was originally one big room. It was later divided into six smaller rooms. There were four bedrooms. To reach the chapel, you had to walk through three of these bedrooms.
The chapel was the largest room and was on the west side. It had wooden pictures showing the Stations of the Cross. There were also four simple wooden kneelers for prayer. A small wood stove kept the chapel warm. An organ in the next room provided music for services.
On the east side, there was a larger room. This room was used as a kitchen, dining room, and living room all at once. It also served as a place to greet visitors.
Important Books from the Mission
Fathers Weber and Haile wrote several important books. These books helped people learn and understand the Navajo language. Some of their famous works include:
- Vocabulary of the Navajo Language (published in 1912)
- Manual of Navaho Grammar (published in 1929)
- Learning Navajo (a four-book series written between 1942 and 1949)
- A Stem Vocabulary of the Navaho Language (published in 1951)
These books are a big part of the mission's lasting impact. They helped preserve and share the Navajo language.
