Built in 1922, the St. Charles Borromeo Church is located in St. Francis on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
After the original building was destroyed by a fire in 1916, the new church was built using hand-mixed concrete. It features Romanesque-style architecture with Lakota designs throughout and numerous stained-glass windows.
“It’s quite a church. And most of the people that come here, see it, they’re surprised to see this in the middle of the plains in South Dakota,” said Deacon Ben Black Bear, Jr.
Black Bear, Jr. was ordained by Pope Paul VI in 1976 at the age of 30. He said he's come to the church every Sunday for the past 49 years, frequently preaching in his first language, Lakota.
"When I was ordained, I said even if there's only one person left in this world that speaks Lakota, I am going to preach to that one person," said Black Bear, Jr. "It's important, because you can explore God's message, the ideas, in any language, in any culture."
