Reprints & News...
The purpose of this page is to share information, articles and recent news that are of particular interest to Indiana Catholic History. Also take a look at our "History Blog" for other articles and comments.


Simon Petit Lalumiere —    Sacramental Record 1830-1836
[Posted January 26, 2006]
    
 •  In the earliest days of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Vincennes, the first priest assigned to the new diocese was Simon Petit Lalumiere, a native of Vincennes who knew the area well. Since priests were obliged to keep a record of baptisms, marriages, etc., Lalumiere carried his sacramental record with him. This PDF file is a transcription of the original document, which is located in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. When Fr. Lalumiere was sent to St. Joseph Church in Terre Haute, he took the sacramental record with him. When Fr. Bede O'Connor OSB became pastor of the parish, he began using it as well. Initially he registered deaths, but later he began to use it to record First Communions etc. You can view the transcription here


Louis DeSeille —    Missionary Priest
[Posted January 16, 2006]
    
 •  This is a reprint of an article that appeared in Saint Meinrad Historical Essays (Volume-2, Number-3), March 1932. It was written by Andrew Ditlinger. The article is in "PDF" format. You can read the article by clicking here


Simon Gabriel Bruté —    Now called 'Servant of God'
    
 •  In September 2005 Archbishop Daniel Beuchlein officially began the cause for the eventual canonization of Simon Brute' (See Criterion story) We look forward to hearing more from the Archbishop and we will keep you informed about his cause for sainthood. In addition to this news, the Criterion has a nice page which provides links to various stories about the causes of Mother Theodore Guérin and Bishop Bruté


Bishop Simon Gabriel Bruté —   Archbishop of Indianapolis begins to instruct - to further Bruté's cause for sainthood.
    
 •  Archbishop Daniel Beuchlein, in his weekly column, "Seeking the Face of the Lord" which appears in the weekly archdiocesan newspaper, The Criterion has begun a summer series focusing on the life of Bishop Bruté. The Archbishop says "I have initiated the beginning stages of the cause for canonization of Bishop Bruté." and he is using this series to tell the story of this holy man. So far, the Archibishop has written two columns dealing with Bruté. The first, appeared in the June 3rd issue of "The Criterion". It is entitled; Summer series will focus on life of Bishop Simon Bruté. The second article, appearing in the June 10th issue is entitled; Simon Bruté endures early tragedy and anti-Catholicism. Finally, the Archbishop referred to Bishop Bruté in his instruction to the two men who were ordained to the priesthood by encouraging them to follow the example of the bishop. Archbishop Beuchlein said tht the new priests were like missionaries and that they were entrusted with "...a mission no different than that of Simon Bruté,". We look forward to hearing more from the Archbishop and we will keep you informed about his cause for sainthood.


Catholic History —   Recent scholarship
    
 •   The latest issue of the Indiana Magazine of History features a review notice of Kaskaskia Illinois-to-French Dictionary by Carl Masthay, ed. ; (St. Louis: By the Author, 2002). In this work, Masthay has translated the Kaskaskia to French dictionary compiled by the Jesuit missionaries who worked among the Indian tribes.

 •   Even though it has been mentioned here before, it is worth mentioning again. If you are looking for more information about the Church in Indiana as well as genealogical information, it is worth looking at Local Catholic History a web site which is full of information. If you have information about web sites with an Indiana Catholic theme, please let me know and I can link to it.


Brute' Letter Presented to Mount St. Mary's —   Ancestors of saintly bishop present letter to college president :
    
 •   Recently I ran across an article that appeared in theEmmittsburg Dispatch in August of 2004. It concerned a letter written by Bishop Brute to his brother in Baltimore. A nice article, however, I noted that the article stated, in at least two places, that the letter was written in 1840. Certainly Bishop Brute, for all his saintliness could not have written anything in 1840 since he died in 1839. (See the story here. Also, there is an Emmittsburg Historical Association which has reprinted the Story of the Mountain. You can look at Chapter 5, which has a short history of Bishop Brute'. That story can be found here.

Another note on Bishop Brute. While searching for more information on Brute', I found an entry in the Making of America series at the University of Michigan. There you can read the entire book by James Roosevelt Bayley, Memoirs of the Right Reverend Simon Wm. Gabriel Bruté, D. D., first bishop of Vincennes.


Anthony Deydier —   One of the first Late Vocations:
    
Deydier grave site at St. Vincent dePaul, Vincennes    •  Anthony Deydier was ordained on Holy Saturday, March 25th, 1837. This was a special time for the Diocese of Vincennes not only because the first ordination in the new Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier had taken place a few weeks earlier, but also because Anthony Deydier, a man who had been ordained a deacon in 1812, was finally being ordained a priest. Why did Deydier wait so long? No one seems to know for sure, however, there are some possible explanations.
    Deydier was born in 1788 and he left his native France on June 10th, 1810 on the same boat as Simon Brute'. After his ordination to the diaconate he refused ordination to the priesthood and he taught for four years at Mount St. Mary's eventually ending up in Albany New York as a private tutor. Apparently his association with Brute at Mount St. Mary's is what led him eventually to his priestly ordination.
    After his ordination as a priest he was sent to Evansville where, except for a money collection tour, he remained.[1] Much of his time was taken up ministering to the workers on the Wabash and Erie Canal. Deydier's life in Evansville was not one of leisure. Blessed Sister Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence, St. Mary of the Woods wrote in her journal "So extreme was his poverty and so complete his destitution, that I shall run the risk of being accused of exaggeration in describing it."[2] Deydier remained until 1859, when he retired to the "Highlands" at Vincennes. He died in 1864.

____________________
[1] Deydier returned to Vincennes for a short time and arrived permanently in Evansville in November of 1837. His money collection tour took place in September 1838.
[2] Mother Theodore Guerin - Journals and Letters, Sister Mary Theodosia Mug (ed.), St. Mary of the Woods, 1942; pp. 53-54



First Priest of Bishop Brute —   [Excerpts from St. Meinrad Historical Essays - May 1934 with additions]
     :
 •  . Perhaps it was consciously that successors of Simon Brute happily used on their part of the canvas the strong colors with which the first Bishop had begun the picture; for, though details may have been lost for years, the Episcopal office insured the living of a strong tradition. But it was unconsciously that successors of Simon Lalumiere as happily took their coloring from the first priest, for his life work, long ago forgotten and lost had not the office and dignity to command that his memory live. In their proper spheres one was the equal of the other; both were masters of their art, the first Bishop and his first Priest. Simon Petit Lalumiere was born at Vincennes on September 18, 1804, of émigré 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. 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. He worked with Father Nichols Petit S.J. who operated out of St. Mary's Kentucky. In 1834 when the Diocese of Vincennes became a reality, Lalumiere, along with Fr. Ferneding at New Alsace were the only priests assigned to the new diocese. Brute appointed him Vicar General in 1835. After Brute's death in 1839 Lalumiere continued to work with the same zeal as before. In 1842 he was appointed the pastor at Terre Haute where he remained until his death in 1857. He was buried in the church of St. Joseph in Terre Haute, but the exact spot is not known. It is said that the original marker bore the words: "I sleep, but my heart watcheth"

Troubles from the Past:    -- The following is transcribed from "The Holy See and the Nascent Church in the Middle Western United States, 1826-1850" by Robert Trisco, 1962 (pp.386-388)
     [NOTE: The Church has always had problems with certain individuals. The clergy were no exception. The example below was intended to show how Papal power did not always extend to the lowest levels of the Church. My intention is to show that there were, and always will be difficult situations when it comes to the clergy. This example concerns the Rev. Charles Picot.]

...Seven years later in the Diocese of Bardstown the offender was a priest named Charles Laurence Picot. It was he who first appealed to Gregory XVI against the coadjutor. Bishop Chabrat, who had suspended him for a dispute over business matters with another priest. After they were reconciled, Chabrat lifted the suspension but refused to let him say Mass, and calling the Negro slaves, had him thrown out of the house. Another time the bishop had laid violent hands on him, pushing him down the stairs and injuring him; finally, he denounced and defamed him before a large congregation without stating his motives. Driven by the necessity of earning his living, Picot had undertaken the teaching of French in a school of which the president was a Protestant minister. Since Bishop Flaget in France had not answered his letters and the Archbishop of Baltimore refused to intervene while Chabrat even barred him from the Easter communion, he had recourse to Rome.123 Probably because other priests of the diocese had also com- plained of Chabrat's arbitrary treatment, the Propaganda took up the case in earnest; it sent Flaget a copy of the appeal and asked him to tell whatever he knew of the matter and to suggest some way of answering.124 Instead of replying directly, Flaget sent the whole case back to Chabrat. The coadjutor then has- tened to inform the Propaganda that everything in Picot's letter was either false or falsely expressed. He had not publicly de- clared the reasons for inflicting ecclesiastical censures on the priest, because one had to be extremely cautious and prudent in that region lest he be sued in the civil court for defamation of character. To the Congregation, however, he exposed all Picot's faults which had warranted the suspension.125 Though the Holy See would have dismissed the appeal at that point, Picot renewed it. The Propaganda, therefore, sent it back to Chabrat and directed him to act according to his own judgment or to Flaget's advice.126 In Chabrat's eyes the delinquent priest was thoroughly unworthy of the sacred ministry and could never be restored to his office unless he completely reformed his habits. It is unlikely that he ever did, for his name never recurred in the Catholic direc- tories. Correcting and punishing transgressors of ecclesiastical law was (and is) surely the least agreeable function of the Holy See. When the offending member of the Church was lower in rank than a bishop, Rome lacked not only the incli- nation but also the obligation to act. If it could strengthen the competent local authority or prevent obstructions of jus- tice, however, it was ready to intervene for the common good of all the faithful.

123 Picot to Gregory XVI, Bardstown, April 14, 1836, ibid., Vol. 11 fol 700r- /Olr. He had been ordained by Flaget in 1830. On his earlier ministry in Indiana see McAvoy, op. cit., pp. 179, 182.
124 The propaganda to Flaget - Jun^ 28, 1836, A.P.F., Lett., Vol. 317 fol 508v_9v. Not knowing exactly where in France Flaget then was the P'rona- ganda requested Antonio Garibaldi, the Charge d'Affaires of the Holy See in Pans, to deliver the letter (ibid., fol. 508r-v).
125 Chabrat to the Propaganda, Bardstown, September 25, 1836 A P F Scr nt., A.C., Vol. 11, fol. 778r-v; ' Dominus Picot saepesaepius ... sollicitavif' auri et argenti cupidissimus, multa fecit quibus despectus et contemptibilis factus est; saepissime a nobis rogatus ut ex hac dioecesi discederet, omnino recusavit et in hac civitate in domo cujusdam Calvinistici ministri, qui nobis et reli-' giom est infensissimus, gallicam linguam puellas docet, choreas frequentat irotestantmm multaque alia non minus scandalosa perpetrat. Indignus plane iqui sacerdotali fungatur officio, et ni fallor, perditissimus apostata ' The letter was signed also by Bishop David and four priests
126 The Propaganda to Chabrat. March 28, 1837, A.P.F., Lett. Vol 318 fol 248r. Picot s second appeal has not been found.
127 Chabrat to the Propaganda, Bardstown. June 26, 1837, A.P.F., Scr. rif., A.C., Vol. 12, fol. 131r-v: ' Nuper Protestantibus odio in Catholicos flagrantibus se turpiter sociavit, adeo ut coram magistratu civili, praestito juramento, testi- monium scripto exaratum dederit, quo Episcopi, Sacerdotum et monialium castitas falsis accusationibus et turpissimis insinuationibus impetitur. ... Immo vero vel ipsi Protestantes eum contemnunt, parumque illi credunt vel juranti.'

Also See: — The bibliography on this website (under Picot)
ACHR, Pastor at Vincennes, Imprisoned for debt in 1833, 15:16, 26:254; Brown, A History of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods; Kleber, The History of St. Meinrad Archabbey 1854-1954, 22; McAvoy, The Catholic Church in Indiana 1789-1834; Schauinger, Cathedrals in the Wilderness; Trisco, The Holy See and the Nascent Church in the Middle Western United States 1826-1850; USCHS, M9:200; Webb, Catholicity in Kentucky, 349


Faith and Action --   A History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 1821-1996
     by Roger Fortin:
 •  A history of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati was recently reviewed in the Indiana Magazine of History (Vol-99, No.4, December 2003). This book, published in 2002 was written by Roger Fortin, a professor of religion at Xavier University. According to the review, "This book provides a comprehensive study of how Catholicism has been organized and lived in Cincinnati and the surrounding area from the early nineteenth to the end of the twentieth century". As is the case with most diocesan histories, this book's "... scope and focus remain on the institutions and leadership of the church. Official church records, including those of the archdiocese, the correspondence of Cincinnati bishops and archbishops, and the diocesan newspaper 'The Catholic Telegraph' form the backbone of the book's research." I think this would be a valuable addition to any church history library.



Archbishop wants to push for canonization of Simon Brute'
     Buechlein speaks at Old Cathedral in Vincennes:
 •   VINCENNES, Ind. (CNS) -- Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein hopes one day to proclaim to the world the saintly virtue of the first bishop of Vincennes, a man whose wisdom he says is still relevant today. Bishop Simon Guillaume Gabriel Brute de Remur, who was born in France, was named to head the Diocese of Vincennes in 1834, the year Pope Gregory XVI established it. At that time the diocese encompassed the entire state of Indiana and, before Chicago was made a separate diocese in 1843, the eastern part of Illinois. Archbishop Buechlein said Bishop Brute had an extraordinary life that makes him worthy of sainthood and his dream is "someday to find the resources to pursue the process of his canonization." As a child, the young Brute risked his life delivering holy Communion to condemned priests. As a young man he was the top student in a class of 1,100 in medical school. He crossed paths with Napoleon Bonaparte, and later was St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's spiritual director. A member of the Sulpician order, he first came to the United States as a missionary priest in June 1810. He served in the Baltimore Archdiocese -- including Emmitsburg, Md., where he met Mother Seton -- until he was named the bishop of Vincennes.
       †Comment: This is very good news! There has always been a "mystique" surrounding Bishop Brute'. There were stories about how he would walk in the rain through the streets of Vincennes and that no rain would fall on his head. There was talk about opening his crypt in Vincennes to see if his body was corrupted. Then there were people like a former archivist at Mount St. Mary's who had a trunk full of material on Brute' hoping that someone would someday begin his cause. There were writers, like Rev. Richard Shaw who wrote a biography of Bishop John Dubois, the founder of Mount St. Mary's. Shaw is reported to have said that although Elizabeth Seton was certainly a holy woman, she was but a "clinging vine" to Brute and Dubois who should also be canonized.
It is also interesting to note that many people today question "why all these nuns and priests being canonized?" and the answer, I believe, is partly because of the Church's requirements for record keeping etc. There has almost always been a "paper trail" which showed the way in which these people lived their lives. That cannot be said of the average lay Catholic, many of whom should probably be canonized, but there is no "corporate" backing and no paper trail. It is also a very expensive proposition to go through the motions of promoting a cause.
Since this website looks at Indiana Catholic History, and in particular, the Clergy, there is yet another who, in my opinion, should be canonized. That person would be Fr. Benjamin Petit, the young priest who ministered to the Potowatomi Indians when they were forced from their Indiana lands out to the west. Fr. Petit died on his return to Indiana at the age of 29. His story is told in the "Trail of Death" -- (Irving McKee, The Trail of Death - Letters of Benjamin Marie Petit. Indianapolis Indiana Historical Society 1941) Reading Petit's letters reveals his holiness and selflessness. See the next entry (below) for more about Fr. Petit. I hope to post excerpts from his letter on this site.



Benjamin Petit and the "Trail of Death" --   The Potawatomi Indians
     From Indiana to Kansas:
 •  Father Benjamin Marie Petit was given permission to accompany the Potawatomi Indians who were forced off of their land in northern Indiana in 1838. This year there are a few celebrations of that march which came to be known as the "Trail of Death". Here are some links for more information: St. Mary's Mission in Kansas has an article which includes mention of Fr. Petit and the 650 or so people that he accompanied. Chief Menominee and the Trail of Death talks about the Potawatomi chief who bravely resisted the forced removal. Take a look at the Potawatomi homepage here. Finally, here is a map which shows the route of the Trail of Death.



The Jesuit Who Almost Became Bishop --   Nicholas Petit
     Biography from "Catholicity in Kentucky":
 •  This Jesuit priest, who came to the United States from France, but who was born in Haiti, almost became the Bishop of Vincennes. He was the first choice of Bishop Brute', but it was not to be. His superiors chose to recall him and declined to let him serve as coadjutor to Bishop Brute'. You can read more about it here or read more about the source of this information in "Webb's History of Catholicity in Kentucky"Jesuits in Ketucky



Catholic History Repeats Itself? --   Plenary Councils
     The previous Councils in the United States:
 •  There has been a great deal of talk about the American Bishops holding a Plenary Council, the last being held in 1884. At that time, Francis Silas Chatard was Bishop of Vincennes (having arrived in 1878). Take a look at the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia for more information about the Council.



Catholic History --   Recent (and late) Scholarship
     Saving the Heartland: Catholic Missionaries in Rural America:
 •  We noted a review in the current issue of Indiana Magazine of History, of a book entitled Saving the Heartland: Catholic Missionaries in Rural America by Jeffrey D. Martlett. The book deals with Catholic agrarianism and in particular the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. The review was written by Kathleen Cummings, the Associate Director of the Cushwa Center at Notre Dame.

 •  We note with sadness the passing of one of a few internet sites devoted to the study of Catholic History in Indiana. The web site Indiana Catholic Page located at IU/Purdue Fort Wayne is edited by Ralph Violette. Although there has not been a great deal of updating to the site, it is now gone. A companion site, Indiana Catholic Page - History is still up and running for the time being.



Roman Catholics in 19th Century Indiana --   Life in the 1880's
     Indiana History Online:
    Conner Prairie, the historic village north of Indianapolis, where it is perpetually in the 1830's has a site called "History Online". They expanded the site to include "Life in the 1880's" which included this article by Sheryl D. Vanderstel. (the article includes references to the Church's presence prior to the 1880's) The article is well writeen and a valuable addition to Indiana Catholic History. Read it at the Conner Prairie Site



The "Old Cathedral" --   The Basilica of St. Louis
     Serialized History of the "Old Cathedral":
    The Basilica of St. Louis, known at the "Old Cathedral, sits next to the St. Louis Arch, or the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. It is a contrast of the old and the new. The Old Cathdral is the site of the consecration f Bishop Simon Brute', first bishop of Vincennes. The Sunday bulletin of the Old Cathedral has serialized a history of the church. Each week they carry a column which tells a great deal about the history of the Catholic Church, not only in St. Louis, but all in Indiana. The Basilica has an Online presence at http://www.catholic-forum.com/stlouisking/. A short history is also available at http://www.catholic-forum.com/stlouisking/history.html.



Archbishop McNicholas:    Bishop of Indianapolis??
     Biographical Note:
    John T. McNicholas was born in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland on December 15, 1877. He was the youngest of eight children. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1881 to Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended elementary school at the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Chester and St. Joseph's Prepatory College in Philadelphia. At seventeen, McNicholas entered the Dominican Order at St. Rose's Priory in Springfield, Kentucky. He was ordained at St. Joseph's in Somerset, Ohio on October 10, 1901.

McNicholas continued his education after his ordination in Rome at Minerva University. After three years at Minerva he earned a doctorate of Sacred Theology. In 1904, McNicholas returned to Somerset to assume the role of master of novices. He then became the Regent of Studies, and professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law at the Dominican House of Studies, Immaculate Conception College, near The Catholic University of America until 1909. Following this position, McNicholas became the National Director of the Holy Name Society in New York City and the organization's first journal editor (Holy Name Journal). While in New York, he became the pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church and the first prior of the adjoining convent. After eight years in New York, McNicholas was called to Rome to became the socius (assistant) to the Master General of the Dominicans in Rome. He also taught Canon Law and Theology at Angelicum University. Ultimately he was named Master of Theology and granted an honorary office of provincial of Lithuania.

The next year in July of 1918, McNicholas began his career as a Bishop. He was named the Bishop of Duluth, MN. In May of 1925, he was named to the Diocese of Indianapolis. He did not remain there long and was installed as Archbishop of Cincinnati August 1925. McNicholas remained in this position until his death in 1950.

While Archbishop of Cincinnati, McNicholas raised the level of Catholic education at all levels throughout the diocese. He increased the number of schools and strengthened the education of the area. He also participated in several national Catholic Church matters. Specifically, McNicholas played a role in the ecclesiastics faculty of the Catholic University of America from the 1930s until his death in 1950. McNicholas was a part of a committee to investigate differences between faculty and the rector, Rev. James H. Ryan. The problems stemmed from Ryan's attempts starting in the 1920s to reorganize the graduate education. Ryan's efforts to change the organization of the different departments, in this case Theology, caused members of the faculty to question the actions of the Board of Trustees. In particular the case of JJ Rolbiecki and the case of Franz Cöln and Heinrich Schumacher in 1930 and 1931. Rolbiecki had openly questioned the direction of the department and whether the board was by-passing the constitution of the University and was dismissed. McNicholas and the rest of the committee participated in the investigation that eventually saw Rolbiecki reinstated. Cöln and Schumacher's case was related to accusations of impropriety and they were not reinstated. McNicholas continued his connection with CUA as the Chairman of the Episcopal Visiting Committee to examine the ecclesiastical faculties in 1934. He was a part of this committee, the Pontifical Commission of the Sacred Sciences of The Catholic University of America, from 1934 until his death. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University.

McNicholas was the Episcopal Chairman of the Department of Education of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC) from 1930 to 1935 and again from 1942 to 1945. He served as the President General of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) from 1946 to 1950 and held a ten-year chairmanship from 1933 to 1943 of the Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures which later became the National Legion of Decency. McNicholas also held five terms from 1945 to 1950 as chairman of the Administration Board of the NCWC. He was the national chairman of the Catholic Student Mission Crusade and held thirteen year membership on the Episcopal Committee for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

McNicholas died in Cincinnati on April 22, 1950.
Source: (http://libraries.cua.edu/mcnicholasj.html)

Cemetery Inventory:    Saint Raphael at Laurel Indiana
     In 1987 I inventoried the headstones at the Saint Raphael Cemetery cemetery at Laurel Indiana. St. Raphael was the local Catholic Church in Laurel, built around 1869. The parish was later closed and all its records transferred to St. Gabriel parish in nearby Connersville. Click here to view this inventory.



Clippings File:    The following is from the New York Weekly Register and Catholic Diary - January 3, 1835
     VINCENNES -- We have seen a letter form the good and resepctable Doctor Brute, the respected bishop of this new Diocess. He is placed under circustances which reqire all his zeal, fortitude, and confidence in God. He is alone, as regards priests, for no other clergyman resides with him at his Cathedral; his only companion at Vincennes, is a Mr. Ratigan, a candidate for orders, who studies under his superintendence. The other clergymen of the Diocess are, the Rev. Stephen T. Badin, the first priest ordained in the United States by the then Right Rev. Doctor Carroll, Bishop of Baltimore, in 1793. Mr Badin has been, for many years, alone upon the missions of Kentucky; he has served upon many stations in other places of the West and South with great profit, and he has also been over a considerable portion of Europe, and latterly amongst the Catholic Indians, on the borders of the great lakes. He is now at the south bend of the St. Joseph's river, near the frontier line of Michigan, in the northern part of Indiana; Rev. Mr. St. Cyr, is at Chicago, near the southwestern extremity of lake Michigan. Rev. Mr Ferneding, at a German settlement, near the White Water river in the southeastern part of Indiana, not far from Cincinnati; and the Rev. Mr. Lalumiere, a native of the state, who is on the White river, in the southwestern part of Indiana, about 25 miles south of Vincennes. We feel deeply interested in this new Diocess, not only because of its peculiar situation, but also through affectionate respect for its apostolic priests.     From the Catholic Miscellany


Reminiscences of a Pioneer Priest By August Bessonies
    This is a transcription by Ann Mensch who runs the excellent web site devoted to Indiana Catholic History and Genealogy. The transcription comes from Alerding's History of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Vincennes You will find other treasures on this web site as well. Read Fr. Bessonies account here


A History of the Diocese of Vincennes By Fr. Robert Gorman PhD.
    Father Robert Gorman, a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, died on May 7, 1964. At the time of his death he was in the process of consolidating an extensive history of the diocese which he had written, but which was never published. The consolidation is in the process of being scanned and converted to "PDF" format which will allow the reader to see the actual typewritten manuscript, including mistakes, errors and notes.

Keep in mind that this manuscript was written at a time when the clergy were the subject of most church histories. The same is true of this history. Our modern day emphasis on the people as church is a rather new concept. Fr. Gorman, who was for all intents and purposes, the first Archivist of the Diocese, taught at St. Mary of the Woods college. The original manuscript is located in the Archdiocesan Archives in Indianapolis.

This file requires an Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be obtained free by Clicking Here.
I have found that it loads rather slowly, so be patient. Chapter-1 is 24 pages in length.
History of the Diocese - Chapter-1

Ordinations by the Bishop of Vincennes:
Taken from A History of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Vincennes
by Herman J. Alerding [Indianapolis: Carlon and Hollenbeck, 1884]

Ordinand Minor Orders Sub-Deacon Deacon Priest Note
Matthew Ruff -- April 4, 1835 -- -- 1
Benjamin Petit Dec. 16, 1836 Dec. 16, 1836 Sep 28, 1837 Oct. 14, 1837 2
Charles Dumerle -- Dec. 18, 1836 -- -- 3
Anthony Parrett -- Dec. 18, 1836 Dec. 23, 1837 Aug 15, 1838 4
Michael Edgar Shawe -- -- Dec. 18, 1836 Mar 12, 1837 5
Anthony Deydier -- -- -- Mar 25, 1837 6
Julian Benoit -- April 4, 1835 -- -- 7
Vincent Bacquelin -- April 4, 1835 -- -- 8
John Plunkett -- April 4, 1835 -- -- 9
Maurice Berrell -- April 4, 1835 -- -- 10
TOTAL 2 5 4 8 ---

Notes:

 1.)  Bishop Brute', wrote: "... I was happy to send them the Rev. M. Ruff, from Metz, in France, recently ordained, and speaking three languages, French, English and German. Of the latter, there are a good many living there and in the environs. I had ordained Mr. Ruff Sub-deacon and Deacon before my journey to Chicago, and had sent him to the Seminary of St. Louis (St. Mary of the Barrens), to make his retreat, and there he was ordained priest by the excellent prelate, Dr. Rosati" [Alerding, p.146]    Also see: Letter of April 3, 1835 from Bishop Brute to John Timon, CM

2.) There are numerous references to Fr. Petit who died on the Trail of Death. See the Bibliography which is located on this web site The University of Notre Dame Archives has a great deal of material and the original notes that the Trail of Death is based on, are located in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

3.)  Charles Dumerle was apparently released by Bishop Brute' to the Jesuits in Kentucky in 1837. His whereabouts after that time is unknown. [Robert Gorman, in an unpublished history of the Diocese of Vincennes] ; Mention of his departure in Godecker [Godecker, Sister Mary Salesia OSB. "Simon Brute De Remur, First Bishop of Vincennes". St. Meinrad Indiana: St. Meinrad Historical Essays, 1931. p.384]

4.) Anthony Parret, as mentioned above, was ordained on August 15, 1838. He served at the Cathedral in Vincennes and it is known that he was with Brute' at his death on June 26, 1839. Apparently he joined the Jesuits sometime around 1844. He died on September 7, 1853 and is buried in the Jesuit cemetery at Spring Hill College in Mobile Alabama. [Death information according to Catholic Clergy in Indiana by William Stineman (1992)]

5.) Michael Edgar Gordon Shawe (sometimes identified as Michael Edgar Evelyn Shawe) was recruited by Bishop Brute' in France while a student at St. Sulpice. Shawe was sent to Madison by Bishop Brute in 1837, the same year as his ordination. His first baptismal entry was dated July 30, 1837. Shawe had been a member of the British Army. Shawe, like so many others, left the Diocese during the time of Bishop Hailandiere. [Shawe went to Detroit with Bishop Lefevre in 1848, and he died in that city on May 10, 1853. Catholic Almanac for 1854, p. 269.] Sources: Richard H. Elliot, "Soldier-Knight-Missionary, St. Michael Edgar Evelyn Shawe," American Catholic Historical Researches [ACHR], XIV (1897), 50-61. and ACHR, No.15: pp.83, 87, 122, : No.19: pp.163, death of, 14, 61; Bartelme, Simon Brute and the Western Adventure; Brown, The History of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods; Shea, History of the Catholic Church (vol. 3), p.646;

6)  Anthony Deydier was a most interesting individual he was, what we now consider, a late vocation. He was born in France on April 30, 1788. He was 49 years old when Bishop Brute' ordained him in Baltimore on March 25, 1837. He was the first pastor of Evansville. See the Bibliography for more information on Fr. Deydier.

7)  Julian Benoit - Ordained to the priesthood on April 25, 1837 at Emmitsburg Maryland. Died January 26, 1885.

8)  Vincent Bacquelin - Ordained on April 25, 1837 at Emmitsburg Maryland. Died September 2, 1846.

9)  John Plunkett - Ordained at Vincennes on October 14, 1837. He died near Joliet Illinois on March 14, 1840 while on a sick call.

10)  Maurice Pierre Berel was apparently a member of the Society of Eudists According to William Stineman [Catholic Clergy in Indiana (1992)] Berel (or Berrell)died on December 19, 1841 and is buried in New Orleans.