The Sacred Heart Mission – its church the oldest building still standing in Idaho — is more commonly known as the Cataldo Mission, apparently for its proximity to the small town of Cataldo, population under 1,000, in Northern Idaho. For years I’ve had a strong interest in visiting the site. Unfortunately, I live in Spokane and it lies on the far side of Fourth of July Pass. With sinewy ascents and descents, this stretch of I-90 can be treacherous in winter months, limiting my window of opportunity to seasons of warmer weather when many other activities also tempt me. A couple of months ago, when the weather was better, I had an opportunity to stop by – never mind that it was late in the day and drizzling – and I seized it.
A bit of history:
In the early 1800s French explorers and fur traders pushed into the Inland Northwest. They eventually reached a beautiful region where a river entered a large lake. This was the territory of a native tribe: its members came to be recognized as sharp traders, and the tribe was given the French name Coeur d’Alene, ‘heart of an awl,’ an awl being a small pointed tool. As explorers kept coming and diseases reduced the Coeur d’Alene population, the tribal chief welcomed the black-robed Jesuits led by Pierre-Jean De Smet (more of him in a future post) in the hope that the new powerful religion could help the tribe. Construction of Sacred Heart Church was completed in 1853.
The site:
You can see the mission as you travel along I-90 just east of Fourth of July Pass. There is ample parking at the base of the hill where the mission is located. The church itself takes center stage and is surrounded by a parish house, cemeteries, nature paths, mission bell, grist millstone, all in a parklike setting, with wonderful views of the bordering mountains. Lower down the hill, a modern visitor center houses a gift shop, theater room with documentary, and an excellent exhibition about the mission, the tribe, and the missionaries.
The church:
Designed by an Italian priest, Father Ravalli, the church was modeled after European cathedrals. Working together on a limited budget, priests and tribal members used local materials in ingenious ways – tin-can chandeliers, wall hangings from Hudson’s Bay Company fabrics, handpainted recycled newspapers, huckleberry-stained wood, and faux marblework. Inside, several dark-wood pews rest on creaky wooden floors. An elaborate altar nestles in a half-dome recess, and there are paintings, statues, and detailed decorative work throughout. A tape plays indigenous songs and prayers. The church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The parish house:
Residence for the priests, the parish house burned down and was rebuilt in 1887. Today, it has been refurbished as a small museum recreating the priests’ daily lives in the 1800s, complete with kitchen, living room, and an altar.
Nearby attractions:
Not only is Old Mission State Park a site of great historical and spiritual interest, it is also near a put-in along the Coeur d’Alene River for boating enthusiasts and, for bicyclists, the popular Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.
