Ordained in Montreal, Father John Malo was sent to Dakota Territory in 1879 to work with the indigenous people. He settled in the area near the Turtle Mountains. Not having a church building, he said mass in settlers’ homes and led open-air Masses. He also constructed a rough chapel, a small log building with a dirt floor and three wooden benches that served as pews. A simple wooden table served as the altar. Father Malo was one of the earliest white settlers in the area that would include the town of St. John.