On this day, June 28, 1877, the Right Rev. Jacques M. Maurice Landes d’Aussac de Saint-Palais, know simply as Bishop St. Palais, died at Saint Mary of the Woods. St. Palais was born at LaSalvetat, France on November 15, 1811 and ordained at Paris on May 28, 1836. He was part of the group of clergy who accompanied Bishop Brute to Indiana in 1836, shortly after his ordination.
St. Palais was the last of the French born bishops on Indiana. More importantly he oversaw tremendous growth as well as the split of the diocese and the establishment of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. He carried on the healing that began under Bishop Bazin after the “problems” that occurred under the leadership of Bishop de la Hailadiere.
You can read an account of his funeral that appeared in the Fort Wayne Sentinel from July 11, 1877 (requires PDF reader). From this reading we can see just how beloved the Bishop was and how one of his most important accomplishements was the establishment of the orphanage at Vincennes.
