On June 22, 1830, Fr. Simon Petit Lalumiere, a newly ordained priest of the Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, arrived in Washington Indiana in an area known as Black Oak Ridge. During the Centennial of he Diocese, in 1934, Saint Meinrad Historical Essays published an article by Joseph Casey, entitled “The First Priest of Bishop Bruté” Here is a excerpt of that article:
Simon Petit Lalumiere was born at Vincennes on September 18, 1804, of immigrant stock. The first of the Petit family, Nicholas, had come to America in 1660. The first indication of residence in Vincennes is the marriage of Simon’s parents in 1784. Simon was the fifth of six children. He made his studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Bardstown Kentucky. He was ordained a Deacon on November 23, 1828 and a Priest on January 3, 1830. Both ceremonies took place at the Old Cathedral in Bardstown and were presided over by Bishop Flaget.Fr. Lalumiere c. 1850s courtesy of the Archives of the University of Notre Dame. 1
Lalumiere waited in Bardstown until June of 1830. He then went to Daviess County where a group of Kentuckians had settled near the forks of the White River. This was known as Black Oak Ridge near what is now known as Washington Indiana. Simon also ministered to the Catholic community in Shelby County and numerous other places in the state. 2 3
As is the requirement that a sacramental record be established, Lalumiere carried one with him through various parishes and parts of Indiana.
Here is that sacramental record, which reads… “Simon P. Lalumiere CP (Catholic Priest) entered congregation of White River on the 22 of June 1830-Sent by the Rit Rev Bishop Flaget.” Within a year a new church was built, of which Lalumiere wrote: “On the third 3 of July 1831-was blessed here on the ridge St. Peter’s church a frame 38 by 28 – The ceremony was performed by Rev. Mr. L. Picot and S.P. Lalumiere preached.”
Upon the establishment of the Diocese of Vincennes, Lalumiere was incardinated in the the new diocese, led by Servant of God, Simon Brute. He served a number of southern Indiana settlements, including Shelby County. He eventually ended up at St. Joseph Terre Haute, which is where he died in 1857.
You can read Fr. Lalumiere’s obituary as it appeared in the Catholic Telegraph 5 on June 24, 1857. It is remarkable that he was only 53 years old at his death.
Read more about “Black Oak Ridge” in Brother Aiden’s Extracts. He tells part of the story of how Notre Dame was nearly established at St. Peter’s, Black Oak Ridge.
- Archives of the University of Notre Dame-All rights reserved[↩]
- Casey, Joseph P. First Priest of Bishop Brute, St. Meinrad Historical Essays, Vol. 3, No. 2, May 1934, 118-121[↩]
- See Also: Simon Lalumiere-First Priest of Bishop Brute [↩]
