Por: Pauline von Hugel

Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (1770-1840) was an émigré Russian aristocrat and devoted Catholic priest, renowned as The Apostle of the Alleghenies. Born to Prince Dimitri Alexeievich, a Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, and Countess Adelheid Amalie von Schmettau, he was initially raised in the Russian Orthodox faith. However, at the tender age of seventeen, a miraculous recovery of his mother from a grave illness led him to embrace Catholicism, her faith. Although his father envisioned a military career for him and sent him to America for education, Demetrius surprised his family by renouncing his inheritance to pursue a life in the seminary. Ordained as a Catholic priest in 1795, he dedicated himself to serving the pioneers of rural Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1796, Bishop John Carroll assigned him to Taneytown, Maryland, and by 1799, Father Demetrius founded a church in Loretto, Pennsylvania, nestled deep in the Allegheny Mountains. Over the next 41 years, he tirelessly traveled rugged hills and Indian trails, bringing the sacraments and the Word of God to resilient pioneer families. Despite facing numerous dangers and sacrificing personal comfort, he established many missions in remote settlements across the Allegheny frontier. During his tenure in Loretto, the community he served grew from a mere dozen to over ten thousand followers. This captivating account is penned by Baroness Pauline von Hugel, the daughter of Baron Charles Alexander Anselm von Hugel, an Austrian Ambassador who became known for her charitable work and compassion towards the poor after her fathers passing. (Adapted from Wikipedia)

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