. ▁Bar aga ▁left ▁a ▁comfortable , ▁arist ocr atic ▁existence ▁behind ▁when ▁he ▁left ▁Sloven ia . ▁He ▁arrived ▁in ▁Michigan ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁Native ▁population ▁and ▁isolated ▁small ▁communities ▁of ▁this ▁region . ▁He ▁spoke ▁and ▁developed ▁written ▁Native ▁languages ▁and ▁is ▁cred ited ▁for ▁spread ing ▁the ▁G ospel ▁among ▁the ▁local ▁Ott aw as ▁and ▁O j ib we . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁Bar aga ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁Bishop ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁bishop ▁in ▁Upper ▁Michigan . ▁ ▁Father ▁Francis ▁X avier ▁Pier z , ▁Bishop ▁Bar aga ' s ▁friend ▁and ▁fellow ▁Sloven ian , ▁was ▁also ▁assigned ▁to ▁Cross ▁Village ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁Father ▁Pier z , ▁however , ▁was ▁bother ed ▁by ▁the ▁increasing ly ▁settled ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁depart ed ▁for ▁the ▁newly ▁organized ▁Minnesota ▁Territ ory ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁Em met ▁County ▁was ▁re organ ized ▁and ▁four ▁new ▁town ships ▁were ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁state . ▁One ▁of ▁them ▁was ▁" La ▁Cro ix ", ▁which ▁was ▁officially ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁" C ross ▁Village " ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁Holy ▁Cross ▁Church ▁which ▁had ▁primarily ▁O j ib we ▁members ▁was ▁oper ational ▁until ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁ ▁Today , ▁a ▁rep lica ▁of ▁Father ▁Mar qu ette ' s ▁cross