Lecture & Dinner: Louis & Jacques

It has been 350 years since Pere Marquette and Louis Jolliet traveled down the Mississippi River. Over the course of the last one hundred years, various individuals and groups have studied and commemorated this story. Articles have been written (in 1923, the Illinois Catholic Historical Review dedicated their publication to this); authors such as Fr. Joseph Donnelly, S.J. wrote Jacques Marquette, and recently, Ruth Nelson, A Search for Marquette, and many others; and in 1973, a band of reenactors on canoes retraced the same journey with such notables as Ralph Frese (Windy City Historians Podcast, Episode 7). Here we are in 2023, the question arises, what have we done to celebrate this incredible accomplishment? In light of the renewed interest in the role of the French in 17th and 18th century Midwest America, it is a worthwhile inquiry. What does all of this mean for the future of America since there are various, even conflicting interpretations of our fundamental origins as a nation and how we should proceed into the future as a people. In particular, Green Bay (La Baye) had a role to play in Marquette and Jolliet’s groundbreaking journey.

Come enjoy a short time of reflection on the original journey of this Jesuit priest and explorer,  subsequent commemorations over time, and efforts to celebrate this in 2023, and what we might learn from this incredible story.