Bishop Frederic Baraga, born and ordained in Slovenia, devoted his life in North America to missionary work among the tribes of the upper Great Lakes region. About 150 years ago, he traveled seven hundred arduous miles each winter on snowshoes through the frozen wilderness between Native American villages, often sleeping without a tent. He was remembered as a small, slender, exceedingly reserved man with a sweet low voice, and he was deeply loved by Indians, half-breeds, and old voyageurs among whom he spent many years. Affectionately known as the Snowshoe Priest, Shepherd of the Wilderness, and Apostle of the Lakelands, he learned Indigenous languages and understood the desire of Native people to preserve both their culture and their land. At his mission in Assinins across Keweenaw Bay, he wrote a dictionary and a grammar book of the Ojibwa language that remain in use today. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette from 1853 to 1868 and is entombed in St. Peter’s Cathedral.