Frederic Baraga

Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868; Slovene: Irenej Friderik Baraga) was a Slovenian Roman Catholic missionary to the United States and a grammarian of Native American languages. He became the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, originally sited at Sault Sainte Marie, which he led for 15 years. His letters about his missionary work were published widely in Europe, inspiring Saint John Neumann and Father Francis Xavier Pierz to emigrate to the United States. In 2012, during the reign of Pope Benedict XVI, Baraga was declared "Venerable."