Crawford County WI Archives Church Records.....St. Gabriel's Parish
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 27, 2007, 9:51 pm

RECAPITULATION
   With the return of the Jesuits in 1916 to the pastoral duties at the
remodeled and renovated St. Gabriel's, the last chapter of its centennial
history was reached. Through the labyrinth of its century-long career, we
followed its growth from the proverbial mustard seed to the full-grown tree.

   By way of background for the proposed story of that growth, we ventured,
first of all, to set down in sketchy outline the long century and. a half that
followed the coming .of Marquette, when the unfilled soil of the Prairie lay
fallow,-waiting for the bourgeoning touch of the 'black-robed' ploughman. And
when for another protracted period, the black-robed one intermittently came and
went, we traced him in his peregrinations hither and yon, until at long last he
was content to settle himself, to reap where he had sown. Then came the long,
tedious season of sowing the good seed, with all its attendant disappointments,
to be followed, anon, by the longer period of feverish waiting, when the parched
soil seemed to shrink away and the hoarfrost threatened the tender sprout. But,
through it all, the faithful husbandman never faltered, as we dogged his
footsteps amid the ripening grain. At length came the harvest, the endless,
golden hundred-fold, ready for the ardent sickle of the reaper, to be gathered
later into the Master's barns. For it was He, after, all, who had sent the rains
and tempered the seasons; it was He who had given the increase. The harvest was
His by prior right. Yes, but the hireling 'Black-robe' would share with Him at
the end of the Harvest.

   Men build cities, but only God can build a Church.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Centennial History of St. Gabriel's Parish
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN WISCONSIN
1836       1936
DR. P. L. SCANLAN, M. D.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/crawford/churches/stgabrie28gbb.txt

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