Although it was overcast on Tuesday, September 7, we drove north along Montana Highway 93 to Flathead Lake. Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. It is located sixty miles north of Missoula between Polson and Kalispell. This gorgeous, deep lake offers many recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Twenty-eight miles long and up to fifteen miles wide, Flathead Lake is approximately 386 feet deep in some areas and has been rumored to have its own monster, sighted regularly since 1889. (We did not see any signs of the monster on our drive around the lake!) The southern half of the lake is located in the Flathead Indian Reservation. As we drove around the lake we pulled into several
of the six state parks located along the shores of the lake. These parks offer access to boating, sailing, fishing, camping and swimming.On our way back to Missoula we stopped in the town of St. Ignatius. It is beautifully located in the Mission Valley, bounded by the Mission Mountains to the east and the hills of the National Bison Range to the west.
In 1854, St. Ignatius Mission was founded to serve the religious and educational needs of the Salish and Kootenai People. Father Hoecken and his Jesuit helpers built the original log cabin which still stands on the north side of the church. Within 35 years the mission included a large
school
, a sawmill, printing press, flour mill, hospital, farm and the present church.St. Ignatius Mission today consists of four buildings; two of the original residences and the present rectory. The most predominant of the buildings is the church. Construction was begun on the building in 1891 and took approximately two years to complete. The missionaries and the Indian people together built the church of bricks made from local clay and trees cut in the foothills and sawed at the Mission mill. The building measures one hundred and twenty feet by sixty, with the belfry reaching nearly one hundred feet.
The interior of the church contains fifty-eight murals, painted in the early twentieth century. The artist was Brother Joseph Carignano (1853-1919), an Italian Jesuit who spent many years as the cook and handyman at the mission. With no professional training in art, but a great amount of energy and dedication, he completed his work in between his regular jobs. Behind the main alter are three scenes from the life of St. Ignatius Loyloa, to whom the church is dedicated. They show the three visions which the founder of the Society of Jesus had, each making an important changing point in his life.
In 1973, this mission was declared a National Historic Site.
What a beautiful place! To find something as incredible as this in the middle of no place is amazing! The beauty of the murals is indescribable! If you are ever in this area I recommend you stop in to see this for yourself!
That is all for today, tomorrow we are going to have to refridgeator checked as it seems to be off cycle.
Love to all,
Candy and Johnny
