Baraga, Frederic

Baraga, Frederic

(bâr`əgə), 1797–1868, Roman Catholic missionary to the Native Americans of Upper Michigan, b. Slovenia. He received (1821) a law degree from the Univ. of Vienna, and after study at the Laibach seminary he was ordained (1823). As a missionary, he reached (1831) Cincinnati, where he was later (1853) consecrated bishop of Upper Michigan. The seat of that bishopric was Sault Ste Marie, and in 1865 he was given authority also over the see of Marquette. His authoritative grammar and dictionary of the Ojibwa language are still used by scholars.

Bibliography

See biographies by E. Jacker (1957) and B. J. Lambert (1967).

Baraga, (Irenaeus) Frederic

(1797–1868) Catholic missionary; born in Austria. A parish priest, he emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1830 and worked among Chippewa and Ottawa Indians in upper Michigan, where he became vicar apostolic (1853) and ultimately bishop (1865). He published devotional works and a grammar and dictionary of Indian languages.