Benjamin Petit – 1836

I’ve posted many times about the story of Father Benjamin Marie Petit, the young Frenchman who followed Servant of God, Simon Brute to America in order to serve among the missions and, in particular, to serve among the Native Americans in the northern part of the State of Indiana, particularly the Potawatomi Indians.

There is no doubt that Fr. Petit is a Saint. Perhaps not a canonized saint, but a person, nonetheless, who should be emulated and looked to as an example of holiness.

This week marks the anniversary, in 1836, of Fr. Petit’s ordination as a Sub-Deacon (an order no longer conferred) and as Deacon. He is remembered and honored on this day.

Of course, he is known to us for his work, as I mentioned above, among the Potawatomi people. Fr. Petit accompanied them on their”Trail of Death” from Indiana to Kansas, when they were forced off their Indiana lands to reservations in Kansas. It was on his return that Fr. Petit died in St. Louis.

Since the”sub title” of this web site is”Keeping the memory alive of those who have gone before us”, it is also appropriate for us to remember the brave men and women of the Potawatomi nation who suffered as well. There is a group of dedicated people who remember them and every five years they re-create the”Trail of Death”. The last march was in 2013. We highly recommend a visit to one of a number of websites dedicated to the memory of this travesty. The photo above was taken from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.