After several months of research and visits one thing about the Sacred Heart Mission is very clear to me.There is no way I can tell the plethora of stories in a single document. For the most complete history, pick up Tenacious Monks by Joseph F. Murphy.
The parish church is located at:
47943 Abbey Rd.
Konawa, OK
Call (580) 925-2145 for information/tours.
The Sacred Heart Mission was established by Father Isidore Robot in 1879.The mission was started on the old Potawatomi reserve. This name was changed in 1888 just prior to the area being opened to non-indians. In October of 1876 Father Robot negotiated a grant with the Citizen Band Potawatomi. This land grant included the current location of the Sacred Heart Church and the surrounding area that encompasses what remains of the Sacred Heart Abbey.
Regarding Isidore Robot, I would describe his mission was to establish a monastery and minister to Indians who were Catholic, which involved the entire Indian Territory. He visited most of the tribes in Indian Territory before choosing to settle in Potawatomi territory. The Potawatomi who came were predominately Catholic having encountered the French Missionaries in the Great Lakes area when they lived there and were moving from St. Mary's Kansas. They agreed to give land to Fr. Isidore's endeavor if Fr. Isidore provided a school for their children and a church for worship. His missionary work was primarily ministry to Catholics, not an attempt to convert everyone, though conversions were always a possibility. Fr. Isidore eventually had two titles, Abbot "Honoris causa" as superior of the Monastery and Vicar Apostolic, the highest Catholic representative in an emerging church region.
They agreed to give land to Fr. Isidore's endeavor if Fr. Isidore provided a school for their children and a church for worship. His missionary work was primarily ministry to Catholics, not an attempt to convert everyone, though conversions were always a possibility. Fr. Isidore eventually had two titles, Abbot "Honoris causa" as superior of the Monastery and Vicar Apostolic, the highest Catholic representative in an emerging church region.
This was by far NOT the beginning of the story for Sacred Heart. For that we have to go back many years and begin with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The land purchased included the current state of Oklahoma. The treaty of 1819 with Spain resulted in the formation of the Arkansas Territory, which again included Oklahoma. Oklahoma was separated from Arkansas when it became a state in 1836.Territories continued to be redefined by Congress over the next decades.
As politicians go their endeavors created convoluted results that became issues to be solved at later dates. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, while important in the slavery controversy, failed to determine how to handle Indian Territory south of 36° 30'. This affected the early efforts of the Catholic Church to journey into Oklahoma.
Following the banning of military officers serving at trading posts or Indian reservations in 1870 President Grant enacted the “Peace Policy”. In an attempt to distribute management among the various denominations it created some of the most violent bloodshed between the U.S. Military and Indians around America. Quakers became a priority and the Peace Policy, at times became known as the “Quaker Policy”. With the increased violence the military became the “Peace Force” for the “Peace Policy”. These same type of policies turned religious factions against each other, making it even more difficult for missionaries traveling the territories.
In 1872 the Government enacted the “No Treaty Policy”. This was the strongest push and was the beginning of the end to the Indian Territory. Between the railroads forging their way through to Texas, coal mining and other profit oriented adventures thousands of new settlers moved into the territory by the spring of 1889. Many believe the end of the Indian Territory was signaled with Oklahoma declaring statehood in 1907 (104 years after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803).
In the middle of all this Father Robot, in 1875, established a residence in the Indian Territory. For the first years the Quaker agents refused to acknowledge his presence or the existence of the Sacred Heart Mission. This continued until the “Quaker Policy” ended.
A Quaker mission school was established in Shaweneetown for the Absentee-Shawnee. This seemed to go against the Citizen Band Potawatomi Treaty of 1868. Agreeing to give up their land in Kansas, in exchange for citizenship, the Citizen Band relocated to the Oklahoma Indian Territory. Members of the Citizen Band, after relocating, were not permitted to settle or take allotments on land in the Northern half of their reservation until 1883.
This Quaker mission was a point of contention for years as they considered themselves open and available to Shawnee and often ignored the Potawatomi children. Over time some of the Agents managed to get help from the Indian Department to establish some day-schools for the Potawatomi. There were rumored plans at one time to build and maintain a day-school for the Sacred Heart Mission area.
Members of the Citizen Band that supported the Sacred Heart Mission requested financial assistance from the Indian Department for years and were ignored. This changed in 1887 when some funds were finally approved and released. The amount of the funds was minimal.
The progress of the mission was amazing considering the location and available supplies. Between 1875 and 1884, when the first five nuns arrived from New Orleans the mission had erected a convent for the Sisters, a school for the girls, stables, homes for employees, shops for the blacksmith and carpenter and the bakery where the Sisters regularly baked 500 loaves of bread each day. All in all, over the years, the mission became self-sustaining.
Isidore Robot has been described as uncompromising with a very stern approach to dealing with people. During his time at the mission he upset parishioners and fellow monks alike. It is believed that his brusque personality led to him being replaced as monastic superior in 1882 but remained as prefect, thus separating the duties of leadership of the monastery and leadership of the emerging Catholic Church in the Territory.
In 1884 he moved to North McAlester. Once there he built a cabin that served as both a chapel and his home. Steadfast in his goal of missionary work he started parishes at both Krebs and Savannah. At the end of 1884 he journeyed to Baltimore to attend a council of American Church Superiors. Following that council he continued his journey and went to Rome where he tendered his written resignation as prefect. It was not until 1886 that the church accepted his resignation. His replacement arrived that November.
The old saying of “even in death…” seems appropriate for Isidore Robot. The issues he had with parishioners and fellow monks, following his death, turned to praise and adulation. Thirteen years after his death, on June 4, 1890, his remains were moved from the cemetery in Krebs to the Benedictine cemetery at Sacred Heart.
The headstone in color is the current headstone at that Sacred Heart Benedictine cemetery. The black and white one from the Oklahoma Historical Society appears to be from the same place, but is different.
Part of one of his headstones was incorporated into the entrance wall at the front of the property now. He was and will remain a supporting stone for the Sacred Heart Mission.
The Oklahoma Historical Society has a picture of the property taken in 1899. In this image you can see the boys dormitory on the right, the Abbey on the left and the building in front (shaped like a cross) was never completed. Visitors often incorrectly assume that the building in the foreground was burned in 1901. All that remains now is the foundation of that building. It is hard to tell from the ground, but shots from the air show the outline of a cross.
Around January of 1893 the mission began publishing “The Indian Advocate”. You can find copies of the publication in the Library of Congress. Here is the link:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/45043535/issues/1893/
The publication ended in March/April of 1910 and included the Story Of A Famous Indian.
“The Sauganash” was his Indian title. He was better known to red and white men alike as “Captain Billy Caldwell.” He was half Pottawatomie, half white….
Check them out to learn about the happenings at the mission, surrounding area and (best of all) some wonderful stories. One such story was told in the January 1894 publication, entitled “A Simple Act That Foretold the Greatness of Three Men”. It is a story about Christmas Eve in Paris, 1841.
Like so many communities of that era the two biggest fears were water and fire. On the evening of January 15th, 1901 the fear of fire became a blazing reality for Sacred Heart Mission. Starting in the dining room of the boys school a fire broke out and quickly became uncontrollable. Spreading from building to building, driven by a strong north wind, the fire consumed the principal buildings, namely the monastery including the boy's school, the church, and St. Mary's Convent and Academy. The remaining buildings north of the fire including the bakery and a 2-story log cabin which are still standing thanks to restoration efforts over the years. Rebuilding started immediately on the monastery and boy's school. The grainary was converted into the chapel where Mass was celebrated. The Sisters of Mercy moved a quarter mile away and built a new convent and St. Mary’s Academy. Except for the Sister's of Mercy Cemetery, the site of the Convent and Academy are now in private ownership and not part of the Mission area.
Over the next decade efforts to rebuild a new church the buildings failed, in part due to cost. With the trains routing to towns many miles away, increasing the cost of getting supplies became one of the main reasons the Abbey was relocated to its’ current location at St. Gregory’s.
Sacred Heart Cemeteries
There are 4 separate cemeteries located at Sacred Heart. 1. Located across the street from the Sacred Heart Church is the Potawotami cemetery. This cemetery is often missed and thought to be part of the Parish cemetery by some. Currently located on private property the cemetery can be seen from the road.
2. The parish cemetery is located in front of the Sacred Heart Church. The original entry portal gate was replaced with the one shown in this image and is located a few feet to the right.
As of this writing the cemetery is still open and operational.
3. On the Abbey property visitors will find the Benedictine cemetery where the reinternment of Isidore Robot was conducted on June 4, 1900.This cemetery is the resting place for the Benedictine Monks of Sacred Heart.
At the back of the Benedictine Cemetery you will find the headstones for each of the French Benedictine Nuns (not to be confused with a Sister)
4, The last cemetery is the most often incorrectly described at Sacred Heart. This is the Sisters Of Mercy +1.
During our tour we found these roses at the entrance to the cemetery. The first thing I noticed when I entered was that there was one headstone separated from the others. When I asked about that I found that all of the headstones in the cemetery are Sisters of Mercy, except for that one. She was the mother of one of the Sisters of Mercy and was so involved in the order that they allowed her be interred there. Her daughter’s headstone is
near the front.
The mother is the +1 mentioned.
The Confusing Parts
Over the years I have read about Sacred Heart there have been numerous stories about it being haunted, children dying during the fire, Monks haunting the cemeteries. They are all amusing, but very, very, very incorrect. One site I ran across actually tried to convince the readers that the Sisters of Mercy cemetery, because of the small headstones, was where all of the children that died in the fire of 1901 were buried and that there were reports of someone wandering the cemetery at night touching their headstones to comfort them.
I am sure there are plenty of ghost stories at these benches at night when the Boy Scouts come for their visits a fire is lit in the fire pit.
Personally I found the grounds to be very serene and full of loving memories and full of wonderful stories.
I look forward to my next visit and can’t wait to finish the Tenacious Monks by Joseph F. Murphy (even if he did get the date on the Bakery corner stone wrong.)
Sacred Heart Church
The first thing you see when you get to Sacred Heart is the beautiful church. Although the church on the Abbey property burned in 1901, this church was always built primarily for new white, non-indian settlers moving into the area and is separate from the Mission.
The area where the church is located is called Bald Hill and is located at the corner of Abbey Road and N3480 Road. (47943 Abbey Rd., Konawa, OK
On my final day of this adventure I met with Father Adrian and asked permission to photograph the inside of the church. He contacted current parish pastor and we received permission to enter.
Father Adrian is one of the most interesting individuals I have ever met and his love for the Sacred Heart Mission area is very apparent when you speak with him. He told me some of the history of the church as he guided me around.
Construction of the church began in 1914 under the pastorship of Father Fuestenburg. The cost of the construction was around $15,000. Much of the carpentry work to build the church was completed by the parishioners using a new construction technique. They built wooden forms for the walls, then they mixed concrete and using a bucket brigade poured concrete into the forms making the walls. The project was completed in three days working continuously around the clock. The church has no cracks in the walls to this day
.
The construction included the installation of 10 large painted windows and 7 smaller ones. Each window is unique in its design, story and meaning.
Despite the best efforts of volunteers from the parish the windows were showing extreme signs of decay. Caretakers tried using plaster, concrete, putty, tar and even silicone glue to retard the decay.
In 2009 Father Adrian, with the coordinated assistance of a local artist specializing in stained glass windows, began the long labor intensive task of restoring the windows to their original magnificence. Each window was carefully removed and secured. Once removed the slow process of removing the layers of substances accumulated on the glass over the years began. Father Adrian mentioned that volunteers assigned to this task put in over 600 hours.
Almost 108 years after its construction the church stands today as strong and beautiful as ever.
Conclusion
It has been 147 years since Isidore Robot started his mission to establish a monastery and do missionary work among the Indians. 147 years after completing the agreement with the Potawatome Citizens Band I think it can be said that Robot succeeded in his two life’s missions.
Through the struggles of the times, financial problems, surviving the Oklahoma weather, a fire and the all too often vandalism of the property and structures the mission has survived.
I know there is no way in the few pages I have written here that I can tell the whole story behind Sacred Heart. Rest assured that the story has not ended for this part of Oklahoma’s history. It is my hopes that next year I will be able to interview and record some of the many stories that Father Adrian has.
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