Item 7 - History of the Bend Mission

4 pp; typescript

A typescript document titled ‘History of the Bend Mission’ chronicling the Catholic Church’s growth in Central Oregon from 1910 to 1920. Irish Capuchin Friar Father Luke Sheehan initially faced this immense 8,000-square-mile wilderness alone. The document notes that he braved severe snowstorms and trackless deserts to serve widely scattered families. Over a decade, he successfully established permanent churches in Bend, Madras, Redmond, Prineville, and La Pine. Arriving assistant priests later supported this rapid regional expansion. By 1919, the mission transformed from an isolated outpost into a thriving parish network tracking hundreds of annual sacraments.