When the French dodged the Spanish and English and pinched in through northern Mi. the earliest report was of no mineral wealth. ( Though a fools gold strike one winter in Canada was noted elsewhere than my later link.)
The thing was though ,while mining was slightly farther west than the Sault , once they were there ( the Sault crossroad of waterway so to speak)they were in / near an area copper mining had been going on for many centuries.
It would not have taken long to get wind of it ,and the minor amount of silver and gold that is found with it.
One priest does not represent all. That said ,a Franciscan I met was well versed in being humble and not desiring more than enough to get by.
Beautiful handmade rosaries were his means of raising the small needs he had.
Though it must be reasoned that if the materials to make them existed simply by picking them out of rock , why would he not?
Maybe giving much to the church would come to mind ,but it did not seem the man would worry about things more than people beyond a short term forecast.
Magnify that by entire orders....Squirrel a bit of financial security if it comes your way. But don't flaunt it and attract attention.
Their purpose was missionary(?) and being tied up in mining and labor was not their purpose.
There was very real competition between Franciscans and Jesuits here. Which is interesting their being here at the same time. Arriving , as far as records nearly the same year when immigration was the cause
When we get to Allouez ( Jesuit father) , copper really gets noticed.
Marquette in 1673 made that southbound run .....turning back at the Arkansas.
No mining mentioned. Souls being the mission still throughout the regions.
Still ,word got out and mining ,prospecting ,and some acquisition eventually followed beyond what the natives were already doing.
http:// https://books.google.com/books?id=6CQzAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=franciscan+vs+jesuit+early+history+in+Michigan&source=bl&ots=3f-pGBHNNd&sig=zUsVhUtbRNz1MlE_H4VU2KFsp5s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiP_fv1nMDVAhUCQSYKHVj1Bv8Q6AEIJjAG