Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin

1770-1840. Roman Catholic priest and missionary to the Alleghenies (also known as Smith or Schmet). Son of a freethinking Russian scientist and ambassador to Holland, he was, after his mother's return to the faith, converted to Catholicism. He came to America in 1792, and after attending Baltimore Seminary he was ordained. Refusing offers of prestige, both in the church and by the Russian government, he devoted his life to upbuilding the church in the Alleghenies. In this effort he exhausted his personal fortune. He was honored by the church for his success in establishing a large Catholic settlement in the area, also for his writing A Defense of Catholic Principles.