Francis X. Prefontaine
Francis Xavier Prefontaine (French: François Xavier Préfontaine; 1838–1909) was a French Canadian Catholic priest and missionary, an early resident in the pioneer days of Seattle, Washington, and a figure in the history of Seattle and the Puget Sound region of Washington State.
His early education took place at parochial schools and Nicolet College and he went on to study for the priesthood at the Grand Seminary of Montreal in 1859.
Within three weeks after his graduation and ordination on November 20, 1863, he departed on a long sea voyage for Washington Territory in the United States via the Isthmus of Panama.
[1] Blanchet assigned the young priest to a ministry at Fort Stevens on the Oregon side of the mouth of the Columbia River.
The bishop assigned him to such duties as saying mass for the nuns and parishioners, providing for the education of the children, and supervising the building of several churches in the area.
[5] Prefontaine rented a small two-room house at Third Avenue and Yesler Way in Seattle for $6 per month to be used as a church as well as his living quarters.
The bishop had believed that Seattle was a lost cause, but nevertheless he gave the priest permission to build a church as long as Prefontaine would raise the money for it himself and it would cost the diocese nothing.
[6] Prefontaine purchased a plot of land near his house on Third Avenue and Washington Street and began construction of a small church there.
He purchased an old soap factory at Fifth Avenue and Madison Street and persuaded the Sisters of Providence to come to Seattle and establish a hospital there.
He purchased a plot of land at Second Avenue and Seneca Street for $6,800, and in that year the order established the Holy Names Academy at that location.
He retired in 1903 and purchased a roomy, three-story house on Capitol Hill near Volunteer Park and enjoyed reading from his large library there.
In July 1908 Pope Pius X conferred on Prefontaine the honorary degree of protonotary apostolic as a reward for his distinguished service in Seattle since 1869.
He was invested with robes and the title of Monseigneur Member of the Papal Household (Monsignor) by Bishop Edward John O'Dea.
