| Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site | |
| Nearest City: | Daniel, Wyoming |
| Coordinates: | 42.8694°N -110.0414°W |
| Added: | April 28, 1970 |
| Area: | less than one acre |
| Refnum: | 70000676 |
Father DeSmet's Prairie Mass Site, located about one mile east of Daniel, Wyoming, is the site of the first Catholic mass in Wyoming.[1] The mass was conducted on July 5, 1840, by Jesuit missionary Pierre-Jean De Smet. A congregation of 2,000 people, composed of Native Americans, trappers, and traders from the region, attended the service. A stone altar was constructed for the mass and a granite cross enclosed by a small chapel was later added to the altar site. The service was one of the earliest Christian religious ceremonies conducted in the Rocky Mountain region.[2] The Prairie Mass Site lies approximately at the confluence of the Green River and its tributary Horse Creek. A commemorative mass is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday after the 4th in July every year at 10:00 AM MST. Mass is facilitated by the parish Our Lady of Peace located in Pinedale, WY.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1970.