About St. Francis Xavier Mission *Historic Church [Crow Catholic Community] · Saint Xavier, Montana
St. Francis Xavier Mission is a historic Catholic church in St. Xavier, Montana, located on the Big Horn River within the Crow (Apsáalooke) Indian Reservation. Founded in 1886 and built in 1888 with funding from St. Katharine Drexel, the church is the 'mother' church of the Crow Reservation's Catholic community and the only surviving Jesuit Mission-era church on the reservation. Since the 1960s it has been served by Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Joseph. Today about 95% of the congregation is Native American, and roughly 120 Crow children attend weekly school Masses in the same worship space their ancestors prayed in. The church and rectory are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1990) and are currently undergoing a multi-phase restoration supported by the National Fund for Sacred Places.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Diocese
- Diocese of Great Falls–Billings (served via Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph, with parish grouped under Apsáalooke / Crow Catholic Parishes)
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is more than a Sunday destination — it is the spiritual heart of the Crow Reservation and a living link between generations of Apsáalooke families and the Catholic faith. Each week Crow schoolchildren pray in the same 1888 sanctuary their ancestors did, while the parish celebrates weddings, funerals, and naming ceremonies alongside Sunday and school Masses. The parish blends Catholic worship with the Crow language and culture, runs feeding and backpack-meal programs for students, and welcomes visitors into a place described as 'the heart of the Catholic Church on the Reservation.' Coming here means joining a community that is both deeply historic and actively building the future with Crow youth.
History of St. Francis Xavier Mission
Founded in 1886 by Jesuit missionaries and built in 1888 with the financial backing of St. Katharine Drexel, St. Francis Xavier is the mother church of Montana's Crow (Apsáalooke) Indian Reservation and the only surviving Jesuit Mission-era church on the reservation. Jesuit missionaries preached in the Crow language even while teaching school in English, and by 1891 had baptized roughly half of the reservation's Crow population. The Jesuits later withdrew, and since the 1960s Capuchin Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Joseph have ministered here, continuing the work of Catholic worship and education among the Apsáalooke people. The church and rectory were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
- 1886 — mission established by Jesuits
- 1888 — church constructed with funding from St. Katharine Drexel
- 1891 — about half the reservation's Crow population baptized
- 1960s — Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Joseph assume stewardship
- 1990 — church and rectory listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Architecture and Historic Fabric
The church was designed by an unknown architect working in Carpenter Gothic, Eastlake, and Shingle Style influences; St. Katharine Drexel engaged East Coast architects and many elements of the wood-frame building were shipped in on the newly completed railroad. The simple rectory is a contributing building associated with the mission. The interior retains original wood timbers and the original wood floor that worshippers still stand on today.
- Carpenter Gothic, Eastlake, and Shingle Style influences
- Unknown architect, designed with East Coast input via St. Katharine Drexel
- Wood-frame construction, materials shipped by rail in 1888
- Rectory listed as a contributing building in association with the mission
Capuchin Franciscan Ministry
For more than 50 years Capuchin Franciscan friars from the Province of St. Joseph have served St. Francis Xavier as part of their Montana Native American apostolate. A team of three friars — Brothers Jerry Cornish, Mike Dorn, and Thomas Skowron, all OFM Cap. — minister across the Crow Reservation from their home base at Crow Agency, serving St. Francis Xavier together with St. Dennis (Crow Agency), Our Lady of Loretto (Lodge Grass), St. Charles Borromeo (Pryor), and St. Kateri Tekakwitha Mission (Wyola). They celebrate the sacraments, visit the sick and elders, teach at the local Catholic Indian school, feed the hungry, and accompany the community through weddings, funerals, and recovery meetings.
- Br. Jerry Cornish, OFM Cap.
- Br. Mike Dorn, OFM Cap.
- Br. Thomas Skowron, OFM Cap.
- Home base: St. Katharine's Friary, Crow Agency
Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy and School Ministry
St. Labre Catholic Indian Schools operates Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy, a prekindergarten through 8th grade school that serves about 140 Crow children at St. Xavier. Each week roughly 120 Native students walk into the 1888 church to attend school Masses, pray on the original wood timbers and floor, and prepare for the sacraments. Crow language and culture are a critical part of the school curriculum, and the school has been a major source of employment in the area.
- Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy (preK–8)
- About 140 Crow students
- Weekly school Masses in the historic church
- Sacrament preparation integrated with the school week
Crow Language, Culture, and Worship
Unlike many 19th-century missions that have become museum pieces, St. Francis Xavier remains alive — and openly embraces Crow language and culture alongside Catholic worship. The parish acknowledges the 'uneasy alliance' between Christian missionaries and traditional Native ways and has moved forward through education and cultural sensitivity. New liturgical furnishings installed during the Phase 1 restoration feature Crow designs, reflecting this intentional blending of Apsáalooke and Catholic heritage.
- Crow (Apsáalooke) language used in worship
- Crow cultural designs in liturgical furnishings
- 95% of the present congregation is Native American
Restoration Campaign
After more than 130 years of continuous use, the church and rectory are undergoing a multi-phase restoration to address structural and exterior deterioration. Phase 1 was completed, Phase 2 is underway with a $100,000 matching grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places, and a long-term Phase 3 will tackle the mission grounds.
Phase 1 — Completed
Initial stabilization and interior restoration of the church.
- Foundation piers of the church repaired
- ADA-accessible ramp constructed
- Interior of church restored
- Pews installed
- New liturgical furnishings featuring Crow designs
Phase 2 — Current
Exterior and structural work on the church and rectory, funded by a $100,000 matching grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places together with $328,824 raised locally by the congregation. Local craftsmen and products are being used to bring economic benefit to the reservation.
- Replace church roof structure and cover materials
- Restore church wood windows, clad siding and cross
- Paint the church exterior
- Replace rectory foundation
- Replace rectory roof
- Restore rectory wood windows, porch and clad siding
- Paint rectory exterior
- Renovate rectory interior
Phase 3 — Long-Term Goal
Future plans for the mission grounds, anticipated to cost in excess of $300,000.
- Repair the historic church cemetery
- Create a visitor center
Outreach and Community Life
St. Francis Xavier is described by its Capuchin friars as 'a welcoming community that is really the heart of hope on the reservation,' a refuge for children whose families are broken and a gathering place for major life events. Beyond Sunday and school Masses, the parish hosts Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery meetings, runs feeding programs and backpack meals for students, and serves as the spiritual home for weddings, naming ceremonies, and funerals drawing families from across the reservation.
- Feeding programs and backpack meals for students
- Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery meetings
- Weddings, funerals, and naming ceremonies for the Crow community
Visiting and Contact
The mission's physical address is 212 Mission Ave, St. Xavier, MT 59075, with a mailing address of PO Box 247, Crow Agency, MT 59022. The historic-preservation site for the parish is saintfrancisxavier.church, and the wider Crow Catholic Parishes site (formerly crowcatholicparishes.com) now redirects to crowcatholics.org.
- Physical: 212 Mission Ave, St. Xavier, MT 59075
- Mailing: PO Box 247, Crow Agency, MT 59022
- Web: saintfrancisxavier.church / crowcatholics.org