Frederic Baraga

"Jesus, takes good care of religion ; for he said that he would take care of it always. He also appoints bishops; it is his will that there shall always be such in his church. And so he willed also me to be bishop, although I am unworthy, and he gave me all the Christian Indians here, and he wants me to take good care of them, to exhort them well to always practice their religion, to pray well, to behave well until death. And that is now what I shall do as long as I live."

"No Indian missionary of modern times was more beloved and revered by both Indians and whites than Baraga. He loved his Indians with a warm-hearted devotion which they reciprocated. Men of all positions in society, Catholics and non-Catholics, revered him as an ideal man, Christian, and bishop."