Even though his name has been mentioned in previous posts, I want to pass along some information which I recently discovered about a forgotten, but important figure in the early days of the Diocese of Vincennes.
I am speaking of Father Jean Vabret, a French priest who belonged to the Society of Eudists, the priests who came to Vincennes at the behest of Bishop Simon Brute, to run St. Gabriel College. There must have been a close relationship between Vabret and Brute since it was Vabret who administered last rights to Brute. Not Lalumiere, Corbe or anyone else. It was Vabret who was given control of diocesan property after Brute’s death. Lalumiere was named Administrator.
In his history of the Diocese, Fr. Robert Gorman wrote:
In making his final arrangements he left the diocesan property by will to John Vabret who was to transfer it to his successor. Exclusive of the mass of manuscripts and his library which became the property of the diocese, he had no personal belongings of any value. Lalumiere, who retained his residence in Washington, [Indiana] was made administrator of the diocese until the new bishop arrived and Parrett assumed charge of the Cathedral.
Of course, Vabret and the Eudists had problems with Bishop Hailandiee, even though it was Hailandiere who accompanied Vabret to New Orleans because of his tuberculosis. Once Hailandiere was bishop, I guess any friendship disappeared and the Eudists departed the diocese in 1845. At some point after leaving Vincennes, Vabret returned to France. In 1859, he went to Dominica where the bishop was a Eudist.
We found a web site for the parishes of the Diocese of Roseau in Dominica, and we received the following information about Vabret. You can visit their website
About the end of 1859 Father J. A. Vabret, of the Eudist Order, born in the Diocese of Abby, France, arrived in Dominica and was forthwith appointed parish priest of St Joseph [parish church] in succession to Father Bampart. The appointment, however, was only provisional,”for”, says the Bishop, “I do not intend to leave him there; I want him with me at the Cathedral as soon as possible.” But man proposes so often, and God disposes all the time. After a short illness Fr Fabret breathed forth his last breath in September 1860. “As parish priest of St. Joseph,” writes the Bishop, ”he has done lasting work during his all too short stay.” 1
The Bishop at the time quoted in this extract would be Most Rev. Rene-Marie-Charles Poirier, 3th Bishop of Roseau ( + 1859) and an Eudist himself. He must have held Fr. Vabret in high regard as he wanted to bring him to The Our Lady in Fair Haven Cathedral in the capital town of Dominica, Roseau. 2
Our contact in Dominica visited the church and cemetery in St. Joseph. He said this church had numerous renovations and additions, and the floor was completely tiled over in the early 2000’s. Thus he did not find a gravesite, but he did find a clipping.
https://dloc.com/AA00079447/00238/images
“DIED – Yesterday morning at 1 o’clock the Reverend John Augustis Vabret Priest of the congregation of the Eudists, formerly missionary in the United
States of America, aged 51. The Reverend gentleman was born in the Town La Bruyeres, Department of Tarn Diocese of Alby in the south of France. His remains were this day interred with all the solemnities due to his rank in the Church. 3
We later found that Fr. Vabret was buried under the St. Joseph Altar. Apparently the parish priest plans on having a plaque made, marking Vabret and two other priests who are buried under that altar.
Here is a page from the “Ecclesiastical Bulletin” of the Diocese of Roseau. It is from 1924.4
On 20 October, 1859, Rev. Father Jean Aug. Vabret, of the Eudist Order, born in the Diocese of Alby, France, arrived at Roseau and was forthwith appointed parish priest of St. Joseph in succession to Rev. Father Bompart. The appointment, however. was only provisional; “for”, says the Bishop, “I do not intend to leave him there; I want him with me at the Cathedral as soon as possible.” But” man proposes so often and GOD disposes all the
time”; after a shon illness, Rev. Father Vabret breathed forth his last on the 14th of September, 1860. “As parish priest of St. Joseph,” says the Bishop, “he has done lasting work during his all too short stay.”
- an extract of an unpublished manuscript of Most Rev. James Moris, 6th Bishop of Roseau (+1956), on the history of the Parishes in Dominica.[↩]
- https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpoirierr.html[↩]
- https://ufdc.ufl.edu/aa00079447/00236[↩]
- Information supplied by the Diocese of Roseau – September 2025[↩]
