Ep. 4: Marquette and Joliet Return North

In this episode, the Msgr. Michael Witt and Teresa Holman retrace the final leg of the 1673 Joliet-Marquette expedition down the Mississippi River, highlighting the explorers' encounters with Indigenous tribes, harsh weather, and looming dangers from both nature and rival Europeans. Father Marquette’s reflections, recorded in a heartfelt letter, reveal his deep missionary zeal and faith. The episode also recounts the tragic end of Joliet’s journey when his canoe capsized, resulting in loss of life and valuable records—saved only by a single copy left with Marquette. Finally, the episode follows Marquette’s return to Illinois to fulfill a promise, his declining health, and his death at just 38, marking the end of an era but the beginning of continued Jesuit missions in the Midwest.

*Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of America's Heartland originally aired on Covenant Network Catholic Radio. These podcast episodes are being released in anticipation of the Bicentennial Celebrations of the founding of the Archdiocese of St. Louis as the Diocese of St. Louis on July 18, 1826.