CATALDO MISSION, IDAHO - AUGUST 2019

We were married at the Mission in Santa Clara, CA.   Being lifelong Californians we are familiar with our missions, thanks to 4th grade California history.   But we didn't realize that Idaho had any missions.

The history of this mission is very different.  The Coeur d Alene (CDA) Indians actually recruited the priests.  The CDA were experiencing issues with the other local tribes.   They heard that the "Black Robes" had special powers.   In an effort to seek this white man's powerful religion, the tribe sent leaders to St. Louis, Missouri.  Fr DeSmet ( A Jesuit priest) convinced his order to allow him to start the mission in Idaho.  From the 1840's, the mission was moved several times due to flooding and fire.  Finally the Mission of Sacred Heart was constructed between 1850 - 1853 in Cataldo.  The Jesuits and the CDA tribe worked jointly to build this mission.  Look closely at the ceiling it was dyed with huckleberry juice - giving it this purple blue cast.   Today this Mission is the OLDEST building in the state.



      

After visiting the Mission we took a short kayak trip in the CDA river as the boat ramp is within 500 yards of this park.  This was not our most successful kayak adventure.  I put the seats in backwards and the tiller was in the front and not the back.  We paddled and paddled but couldn't get the kayak to go straight.  Picture 2 old people going around and around in circles and going nowhere.  Another lesson - never let Gail set up the kayak.



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