Picture: Cataldo Mission
During our pilgrimage to Nature’s Cathedrals I received this email from Rebecca B., “Old Mission State Park in Cataldo, Idaho: Dearest David, This hallowed old Jesuit Church built in 1850, is a priceless discovery, serving Native American tribes originally called ‘shee-chjo-umish,’ who welcomed the ‘Blackrobes’ (their name for the Jesuit priests) into their lives. The vibration in this church is so EXTREMELY powerful! The most spiritually-charged church I have ever entered in my whole life…It is the humble sanctity of its vibration that still speaks to me, even today.”
Needless to say, with a description like this, we felt drawn to visit this church on our way back from Yellowstone. This church that is now a state park keeps regular hours and the time, as we drove over the Rocky Mountains, seemed to be dwindling. However, we crossed over into Pacific Time Zone and reprieve came as we gained an hour. We arrived with little under an hour to take in the site, so we skipped the museum and went straight to the wooden church built on a hilltop.
As I ascended the thick wooden stairs I suddenly felt a spiritual magnetism envelope me. Walking through the doors and the feeling only increased. The inside was the product of simplicity, only a single row of a type of pew not usually seen, the fourteen stations of the cross in picture frames surrounded the room, the altar being rustically beautiful, with sacred paintings on each end. This venerable wooden structure that has lasted over 160 years smelled like my grandmother’s basement, but the spiritual mood was intoxicating.
Picture: Alter of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacratissimi Cordis Iesu in Latin)
I took some pictures and then joined Carla on the first, and only, seats facing the sacred heart Christ. Spontaneously my soul silently cried, “Oh my Lord, Oh my Lord,” again and again. I was nothing, He is everything. “Oh, my Lord.” After some time an inner question came from the all-pervasive Christ-Consciousness, “What do you pray for?” The thought flashed for my health, but I discarded that instantly, “Oh my Lord, I pray for this world. You are all-powerful, You are everywhere present, awaken Yourself in all humanity. You are the Great Awakener, You are the eternal Light, You are the great Awakener, awaken Yourself in all humanity.” And so on went my prayer out of the depths of my soul.
So many subtly powerful experiences came in this powerfully charged house of God as my sense of being merged into His Presence, mingling with Him, yet some deep part of me continued to pray to Him—I being nothing, He being everything. Mystic Union being the only apt description. He bids me write this to you, so too must He reveal to you the depth and breadth of this moment in which time is suspended. Gradually awareness began to creep back—somewhere, I had a body, it was in this building. Just then the custodian came in through the back and started to close up.
We pronamed to the sacred heart, took our leave. As I dropped a donation into the box at the back of the church the man asked, “Did you enjoy it?” It felt it was God Himself who was asking the question, I could only nod my ascent. He said, “Good.” As with Rebecca, the grace of the Old Mission stays with me still, and as I write this I am wrapped in the powerful experience I had there.
Note: The Coeur d’Alene tribe asked for priests to come to them after hearing they were powerful medicine men in black robes. The church was constructed by the natives, and the structure is made with wattle and daub method, no nails were used at all on this long lasting wood structure. Cut down tin cans fabricated the candle holders, painted newspaper sent to the priest made for wallpaper, the blue colored wood was stained using pressed huckleberries, and the statues were carved using only a knife. Antonio Ravalli, an Italian Jesuit, designed the mission building. Obviously, there have been tremendous souls surcharging this church. A description of a gathering of old natives emphasized their great devotion. Here is an example of the union of two cultures which served to spiritually surcharge this mission building and carries with it the Christ’s great Presence.
Picture: Priest’s alcove off to the side of the altar
