We are a day late, but Yesterday, June 26th was the 174th anniversary of the death of Servant of God, Simon Brute. Perhaps one day, this date will be his feast day! He died in Vincennes and was buried on June 28th, in the crypt of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.
Elihu Stout, the Protestant editor of the local newspaper, eulogized Brute with the following words:
The news of his death produced a general and almost unanimous expression of grief amongst our citizens: and well have we cause to lament this event, for to many, very many he was dear; to the one as a friend, to the other as a comforter; to the third as a teacher, or as a literary companion, and to all as a pattern of goodness, morality and pure piety. His character was truly amiable, and his manners so conciliating, that wherever he could not make friends, he was sure not to make enemies, and we can safely affirm, that he died without the latter. 1
Nineteenth century grammar was always flowery and pious when it came to describing religious leaders, however, I have never seen any negative comments about the good bishop. I’ve even heard of statements by people of that time who said that when the Bishop walked through the rain it did not touch him. All that was one way of honoring a very special man, priest, bishop.
John Gilmary Shea (1824-1892), the 19th century church historian, who has been called the “Father of American Catholic History, wrote in one of his many works, A History of the Catholic Church Within the Limits of the United States about Brute in glowing terms. You can read that chapter of his book by Going Here
Last but not least, please say the prayer for the canonization of Bishop Brute, which you find to the left of this article.
- Western Sun and General Advertiser – Vincennes, Indiana – 29 June 1839[↩]
