Abstract
Three texts add to our knowledge of the work of Felix De Andreis (1778–1820), the founding superior of the Congregation of the Mission in the United States. These have recently come to light. Two are originals, and the third is a copy. They are given in the original languages and in English, with introduction and commentary. The first is an “Indian grammar” with the Lord’s Prayer and catechism by Felix De Andreis, written circa 1817. According to David J. Costa, a scholar in Native American linguistics, it “provide[s] us with the only source of data that is clearly transitional between old Illinois and early Miami, but also because it contains data from some Ojibwean dialect that does not match any known present-day dialect.” The second discovery is an 1819 catechism written in English by Felix De Andreis as lessons for atheists for use of priests working in the United States. The third discovery is a single French sentence from a letter from De Andreis that attests to the difficulties of living on the American frontier.