This is the most common view of Father Cataldo-seated in a formal pose, and looking 'large and in charge.' And indeed his skills as an administrator were formidable. Extensive, rigorous travel was an essential part of his job description as Superior of the Rocky Mountain Mission. The panorama photo of St. Peter's Mission shows us how isolated were the places needing regular visits.. Multilingual fluency was also a requirement, since his own Jesuits were an assortment of nationalities. Even the clergy of the Helena Diocese wrote to him in French, in their petition for a college like Gonzaga for their city. But above all, an effective administrator in the 1880s needed both vision and adaptability, for this was a period of great growth. Gonzagans know well how Father Cataldo favored tiny Spokane Falls over officially sanctioned Cheney for the new college, because he foresaw that 'no great city was ever built away from water.' Rapid settlement meant new Catholic institutions were needed seemingly everywhere at once, which in turn required an ability to form collaborations with diocesan hierarchies and other religious orders, especially those of women.
