Frederic Baraga


Frederic Baraga
Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette
Bishop Baraga holding his Dictionary of the Otchipwe Language (between 1853 and 1860)
ProvinceDetroit
SeeSault Sainte Marie and Marquette
AppointedOctober 23, 1865
Term endedJanuary 19, 1868
SuccessorIgnatius Mrak
Previous postsVicar Apostolic of Upper Michigan (1853-1857)
Titular Bishop of Amyzon (1853-1857)
Bishop of Sault Saint Marie (1857 to 1865)
Orders
OrdinationSeptember 21, 1823
by Augustin Johann Joseph Gruber
ConsecrationNovember 1, 1853
by John Baptist Purcell
Personal details
BornIrenaeus Fridericus Paraga
(1797-06-29)June 29, 1797
DiedJanuary 19, 1868(1868-01-19) (aged 70)
BuriedSt. Peter Cathedral, Marquette
NationalitySlovene
DenominationRoman Catholic
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
MottoUnum est necessarium
(There is need of only one thing)
Styles of
Irenaeus Frederic Baraga
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop
Posthumous styleVenerable

Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868; Slovene: Irenej Friderik Baraga) was a Slovenian Catholic missionary to the United States, grammarian and author of Christian poetry and hymns in Native American languages. He served as the first bishop of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette in Michigan from 1865 to 1868. He previously served as bishop of Sault Sainte Marie from 1857 to 1865 and as vicar apostolic of Upper Michigan from 1853 to 1857.

Baraga's letters about his missionary work were published widely in Europe, inspiring the priests John Neumann and Francis Xavier Pierz to emigrate to the United States. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared Baraga as "venerable."