We joined my friend Diane and her children to explore Priest Point Park in Olympia. The park is a beautiful reminder of Catholic missionaries here in the Pacific Northwest in the 1800's.
Missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate came to this area in 1848 to minister nearby Indian tribes. The site was claimed as St. Joseph's of New Market and was led by Father Pascal Ricard. Father Ricard and three other priests cleared the land, planted a large garden, built a chapel and operated a school for Indian boys.
(Ellis Cove - no water - lowest tide of year)
The Squaxin Indians were the immediate neighbors while the Nisqually, Puyallup, and Snoqualmie tribes used the mission as a trading center. Pascal left the mission in 1857 and the mission closed in 1860.
In a letter annoucing Father Picard's death he was described as
“A perfect religious, he lived obedience; he dedicated himself joyfully to all the tasks entrusted to his zeal. In our communities, a refined model of all religious virtues, he showed himself happy to live in and belong to a congregation which he was happy to call his beloved mother. A tireless worker in the missions, he joyfully put to use for the good of souls all the health and talents God had given him. Concerned only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, he sought only to be forgetful of self and to go unnoticed by others...”
This park is over 300 acres with several trails to explore and a playground for fun.
We were somewhat disappointed not to find a historical marker that showed where the mission and school were, but the park is quite large and we left most of it unexplored.