Be it in and around large cities, in rural areas, or among the native population, since the early Midwest days, Jesuits have been active pastors. Many Jesuit parishes began in conjunction with educational work, such as Gesu in Milwaukee, St. John's in Omaha, or St. Gabriel's in Prairie du Chien. Jesuits often ran parishes until diocesan priests were in sufficient number to take them over.
The "Mission Band"
Often, parish-related ministry was that of the "mission band". For almost a century, the mission band Jesuits traveled the country, giving two week "revival" missions in parish churches. In many ways the parish mission was one of the most successful and influential of Jesuit ministries of the time. The parish mission invigorated the faithful, recalled the lapsed, and convinced the convert.
Several sermons each day, along with countless hours of hearing confessions, and individual counseling made the mission band a hard working but honored ministry of the Society. Fathers Francis X. Weninger and Arnold Damen in the 19th century and Father Charles Dismas Clark in the mid-20th century were outstanding figures of the mission band.
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Education
