The Roving Missionary:
A Chronology of Father Chrysostom Hoffman

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In August 1902, Fr. Bruno Doerfler headed the exploratory expedition across the western Canadian prairies, which pinpointed St. Peter's Colony as the site of a new Benedictine Monastery, around which a German Catholic settlement could grow. Fifty townships of fertile land, located about 30 miles east and beyond Rostern, Sask., were obtained for this purpose.

It was in this territory Fr. Chrysostom Hoffman a 28 year old Benedictine monk, literally become known as the "roving missionary."

The first Benedictine contingent of monks had arrived at their homestead (just south of the present village of Muenster) on May 21, 1903. Imagine 1,000,000 acres of land, greening with bushes, sloughs and prairies. There were no roads except the Carlton Trail cutting through it. Even though there were no towns, villages or churches and hardly any settlers, hundreds of families in Minnesota and the northern United States 'invaded' this territory to find a new homeland starting 1903.

Into this region stepped Chrysostom Hoffman, who was just ordained priest on July 1, 1903. He belonged to St. Anselm's Priory, Manchester, New Hampshire. But when he heard about the decision to found a new Benedictine Monastery in Western Canada, his missionary zeal prompted him seek permission to join this founding community. He arrived at St. Peter's Monastery, as it was first called, on August 1, 1903 and celebrated his first solemn Mass in the big tent serving as a temporary chapel in front of the newly erected 12 x 16 log monastery. The new monastery was finished on August 20. We treasure the chronology of the major events in his first five years as a missionary traveller. His travels took him even beyond the boundaries of the colony from St. Bede's church (near Meacham ) up to Wadena ( in the east).

We have his original chronology, in his own hand writing,

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but a typed version of the diary follows:

FATHER CHRYSOSTOM'S MISSIONS

1 9 0 3
Aug 20 - at Monastery in tent First Highmass Nov 1 first services at Gottfried Schaeffer's (St, Bernard's Dixon) Dec 25 first services in log church, Dead Moose Lake (Marysburg)

1 9 0 4
May 8 - first Baptism at Schaeffer's (St. Bernard's Dixon) Jun 13 first Wedding at Assumption Church ( Marysburg)
Jul 18 - services in Wm Smith's Store at Bruno
Jul 25 - services in log church at St. Joe (Fulda)
Aug 2 - baptized at Phillip Fleischhacker's (near Pilger) Aug 14 meeting to build a block church at Schaeffer's (St. Bernard's)
Aug 29 - building began on St. Bernard's church
Aug 21 - first Highmass at Assumption (Marysburg)
Aug 22 - meeting to build a priest's house at Manning's?)
Oct 1 - first services in block church at Schaeffer's (St Bernard's)
Oct 31 - first High Mass at Fuch's
Nov 1 - first High Mass at St. Joe (Fulda)
Nov 2 - first Mass of Requiem at Assumption (Marysburg)
Nov 7 - first Baptism at Bruno Gertrude Hoffmann
Nov 8 - first time Mass at Ludwig's (Bruno)
Dec 27 - first services at Rauw's (St. John the Baptist, Willmont) (First High Mass at Bruno: Br.Placid Wolf is the choir)

1 9 0 5
Jan 24 - first Baptism at Rauw's (Willmont)
Jan 30 - first Wedding at St. Bernard's: John Zubot & Regina Mirakowski
Mar 26 - first nigh Mass at Rauw's (Willmont)
Apr 15 - blessing of palms at St Joe (Fulda)
Apr 29 - school meeting at St Jose's by Fr. Alfred. He preached; I had High Mass
Jul 9 - first services (High Mass) in new church at Bruno Jul 24 High Mass again at Fuch's
Aug 13 - last time at Rauw's
Aug l8 - blessing of St Bruno's Church & Confirmation
Dec 3 - start of St. Martin's Mission at John A. Koenders (St. Martin's)
Dec 4 - start of St. Anselm's Mission (2 miles North of Spalding) in house of John Konrad (named after his 1st Benedictine home: St Anselm's Priory)

1 9 0 6
Jan 20 - first services and High Mass at DANA in Joe Daniel's warehouse
Feb 11 - first Sunday services (St. Maurus Mission, Dana) in J. D'S warehouse
Apr 8 - first blessing of Palms (Dana): first Baptism Josephine Marie Normand
Jun 3 - in Normand's store, Dana
Jul 1 - in Turcotte's Hotel High Mass Dana
Jul 23 - first services at John Koob's (St. Bene's Saxby/Meacham)
Aug 27 - first Baptism at St Bede's; Blasius Brecht
Sept 1 - I MOVED TO BRUNO
Sept 3 - first picnic at Bruno
Sept 4 - opening of St Bruno's Parochial School; I was the teacher
Oct 15 - first wedding in house of John Konrad (St. Anselm's)
Oct 28 - first High Mass at St. Bede's (W.F Hargarten, parochial school teacher at Bruno, being the choir of one.)
Nov 4 - meeting at Spalding: resolved to build a log church
Nov l0 - in Joe Pirot's Store at Dana
Dec 9 - at St Bede's - High Mass: Hargarten & Honisch the choir, Resolved to build a frame church

1 9 0 7
Jan 27 - at St Martin's. John Daleiden began school in the house of John A. Koenders
May 5 - at Dana. Meeting: resolved to build a frame church
May 7 - first time services at Louis Marcoux's, south of present Viscount
May 30 - first "First Holy Communion at Bruno
Jun 9 - first High Mass and also first services in new church at SPALDING
Jun 10 - first High Mass at St. Martin's
Jun 24 - first services & Solemn High Mass in new church at DANA; P. Leo was deacon; F. Matthias subdeacon; followed by first picnic.
July 2 - first Baptism in new church at Dana: Marius Louis Dauvin
Sept 17 - opening of parish school in Dana
Oct 2 - first services at WADENA
Oct 14 - first services in present Viscount. Ed Comault's house
Nov 3 - first Baptism at Wadena
Sep 23 - first Wedding at St. Bede's (near Meacham)
Nov 18 - first services & High Mass at PASWEGIN
Nov 24 - first Baptism in new church at Spalding: Jos. Lockinger
Nov 5 - first Wedding at Dana
Nov 6 - first Wedding at Bruno

1 9 0 8
Jan 29 - first services at KUROKI
Feb 3 - first blessing of throats at St. Bede's (after Mass) and at Viscount (8:30 p.m.)
Feb 4 - Baptism at Viscount: Eugene Alfred Turcotte
Feb 13 - services at Egg Lake Post
Feb 13 - Baptism at Egg Lake Post: Caecilia LeCount
Feb 1 7 - Wedding At Viscount
Apr 21 - first Holy Communion at Viscount
Jun 3 - first & only time at Laxdal (Wadena south)
Jul 22 - moving to Spalding to stay for six weeks:to prepare First Com.
Sep 13 - first Holy Communion at Spalding
Sep 15 - left Spalding en route for Bruno

1 9 0 9
May 4 - first services at Ephrem Dauvin's (south of Dana; also Baptism
Jul 24 - last time at St. Bede's (Saxby/Meacham)
Dec 25 - first Midnight Mass at Bruno

1 9 1 0
Feb 7 - first wedding at St Martin's: Joe Dietman to Vina Pappenfuss
in new church at St. Martin's first Baptism: Rose D. A.
Feb 9 - first Ash Wed. At St. Martin’s
May 24 - first time Charpentier