Richard Baxter

Richard Xavier Baxter
Born	1821-03-28 Carlisle, England
Died	1904-05-08 Montreal, Quebec
Occupation	Roman Catholic priest; Jesuit missionary
Father	Samuel Baxter
Mother	Mary Anne Bennis

The Reverend Richard Xavier Baxter ((1821-03-28)28 March 1821 – 8 May 1904(1904-05-08) (aged 83)) was a Jesuit priest and missionary who served the Roman Catholic community of the Thunder Bay region for more than two decades during the late nineteenth century, earning the sobriquet "Apostle of the Railway Builders" for his ministry among the crews who built the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Early life

Baxter was born on 28 March 1821 in Carlisle, England, the second son of Samuel Baxter, a military tailor, and Mary Anne Bennis, a native of Ireland. Around 1830 the family immigrated to Barrie, Upper Canada, where they converted to Catholicism. Baxter received early schooling in Ireland before attending schools in Toronto, and subsequently enrolled at the Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice in Montreal for classical studies.

Religious formation

Having completed his classical studies in 1845, Baxter entered the newly established Jesuit noviciate in Montreal on 17 September of that year, becoming the order's first English-speaking novice in Canada. In 1847 he transferred to New York City, where, after pronouncing his initial vows, he taught grammar and French for four years at a boys' school founded by Father John Larkin. He then studied theology at St Francis Xavier College until his ordination on 15 August 1854, followed by two years of teaching at St John's College (later Fordham University). Further studies in Montreal occupied 1859–60, and he took his final vows on 15 August 1861.

Early ministry

Baxter's pastoral work began in 1856 at Troy, New York. In 1863 he was posted to the Jesuit mission at Garden River in Upper Canada, where physical endurance, command of both English and French, and familiarity with Ojibwa suited him well for frontier mission life. At Garden River he celebrated mass, taught catechism, and performed the sacraments for settlers at Bruce Mines, Serpent River, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, traveling by boat or on foot in his black cassock and carrying a portable altar. Apart from visits to Troy and Guelph in 1871–72 and 1878–79, he spent the remainder of his active career in the Georgian Bay and Lake Superior region.

Thunder Bay ministry (1872–1900)

In June 1872 Baxter transferred to Thunder Bay, where he would remain until 1893 and again from 1897 to 1900. Before his arrival, Catholics at Prince Arthur's Landing (later Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay) had received only occasional visits from Father Dominique Du Ranquet. Baxter initially said mass at the house of engineer Simon James Dawson, builder of the Dawson Road, until St Andrew's Church was erected in 1875 and rebuilt after a fire in 1881. The church took its name from Scottish Catholic workers on the Dawson Road who contributed $100 toward its construction.

From 1872 to 1876 Baxter spent considerable time at Silver Islet, visiting neighbouring mining communities including Isle Royale in Michigan, Silver Harbour, and Vert Island. He helped establish a convent for the Sisters of St Joseph, who arrived in 1881 to teach and went on to open St Joseph's Hospital in 1884. Several churches were built during his tenure: St Rose of Lima at Silver Islet in 1873, St Patrick's at Fort William in 1882, and the Church of the Nativity and St Agnes at Fort William West in 1884.

Apostle of the Railway Builders

Beginning in 1875, as construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway pushed westward, Baxter followed the work crews from camp to camp, sharing their rough conditions and providing practical care — including distributing potatoes to prevent scurvy among the labourers. After the railway was completed he continued to travel by train, serving communities between English River and White River, a stretch of roughly 420 miles. His accounts of railway life were published in the Thunder Bay Sentinel between 1876 and 1878, edited by Catholic layman Michael Hagan. This work among the railway builders earned him the lasting title "Apostle of the Railway Builders."

Later life and death

Expected to retire when he reached the age of 72 in 1893, Baxter instead transferred to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, where he served as pastor until 1897. He then returned to Port Arthur until 1900, before retiring to the Hôtel-Dieu du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus in Montreal. Progressive mental decline prompted a further move to Hôpital Saint-Jean-de-Dieu in 1903, and he died there on 8 May 1904.

Legacy

In 1978 the Ontario Heritage Trust erected a provincial plaque at St Andrew's Catholic Church in Thunder Bay to commemorate Baxter's contribution to the region. He was remembered by contemporaries for his generosity, physical courage, and ready humour.

References

Additional sources consulted:

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography