June is always a busy time in the church calendar, what with Ordinations, transfers etc. This week has us remembering the following:
On June 8, 1976, Bishop Chatard, who was the last Bishop of Vincennes and the first Bishop of Indianapolis, was moved from the crypt at the Cathedral in Indianapolis, which he built, to the Calvary Chapel Mausoleum, on the southside of Indianapolis.
On June 10, 1967, Cardinal Joseph Elmer Ritter (who was born Elmer Joseph) died in St. Louis. He was the thrid bishop of Indianapolis and the first Archbishop. In 1946 he was moved to St. Louis. There is an awful lot of information that should be written about him, but for now, we’ll supply a link from the Archives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Of course, St. Louis also holds a special place in our Indiana Catholic history.
Finally, June 11th marks the 202nd anniversary of the ordination of our first bishop, Servant of God, Simon Bruté. There has been some confusion. According to Sister Mary Salesia Godecker, Bruté was ordained on June 10, 1808 at the church of St. Sulpice in Paris. He was ordained by the Right Reverend Andre’, the retired Bishop of Quimper. His first Mass was celebrated at the altar of the Blessed Virgin in the Seminary of St. Sulpice on Trinity Sunday, June 11, 1808. Brutés “Memoirs” by Archbishop Bayley say that he was ordained on the Saturday before Trinity Sunday in 1808. That would mean JUNE 11th, according to a perpetual calendar.
