September has been a busy month and I haven’t been able to post some of the items from the calendar, so here we go:
September 2 – On this day we celebrate the death of Father Vincent Bacquelin in 1846. Father Bacquelin, one of the “original” members of the 1836 voyage from France to Vincennes with Bishop Brute. Father Robert Gorman, in his unpublished history of the Catholic Church in Indiana, said it best:
The missionary district of Father Bacquelin touched that of Father Francois at Logansport in the north and that of Father Shawe at Madison en the south. The diminutive Frenchman, heroic, self-effacing and zealous, may be justly regarded as the founder of the Church in central Indiana. His principal missions were in Shelby, Marion and Bartholomew counties but in the course of time he extended the range of his activities and irregularly attended the Catholics in Johnson, Rush, Fayette and Wayne counties.
After just nine years of dedicated ministry to the Church in Indiana, Father Bacquelin, while on a sick call, was thrown from his horse and dragged to his death. Seems like such a waste. Father Bacquelin is buried at St Vincent’s in Shelby County.
September 7 – On this date in 1918, Bishop Francis Silas Chatard died in Indianapolis. The man who lived in Indianapolis for 20 years as the Bishop of Vincennes. The man who oversaw the entry of the Catholic Church in Indiana into the 20th century. The man who built Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. He suffered a stroke in 1899 and had already named Joseph Chartrand as his coadjutor. Chatard was bishop for 40 years.
September 9 – This day marks the 20th anniversary of the installation of Archbishop Daniel Mark Buechlein, O.S.B. in 1992.
September 12 – Marks the 7th anniversary of the beginning of the “cause” of Servant of God Simon Brute. The story in the Criterion read:
The Cause of Canonization of
Bishop Simon Brute is openedFounder of diocese now may be called “˜Servant of God’
By Brandon A. EvansUnderneath the appearance of paperwork, signatures and seals, a moment of historical significance for the archdiocese occurred this week.
On the morning of Sept. 12, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, along with other officials and the postulator, Andrea Ambrosi of Rome, opened the Cause of Canonization of the Servant of God Simon Brute, the founding bishop the Diocese of Vincennes, which became the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
“œIt’s a historic day because it formally now inaugurates the Cause for the potential canonization of our first bishop,” Archbishop Buechlein said.”It’s a very satisfying thing to be able to refer to him now as the Servant of God Simon Brute.”
The opening session consisted mostly in the taking of oaths on behalf of all those who will be involved in the Cause.
The presence of the postulator is necessary because it is he who will officially advocate on behalf of the Cause.
The next step in the process is for the archdiocese””and members of the historical commission and theological commission of the Cause””to aid Ambrosi in presenting to the Vatican evidence that Bishop Brute led a life of heroic virtue.
