USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 21
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alter and enlarge the building to its present dimensions and ap- pearance. Steeples were raised on the old round towers, the facade was changed and made more.imposing by the addition of columns and pilasters. A few years ago the interior was decorated and fres- coed. In the center is a fresco of the Transfiguration and around it the four Evangelists, the Holy Family, and scenes illustrating various passages of the Apocalypse. The high altar is composed of various marbles; the reredos, back of the altar, is composed of several columns supporting a cornice, on which are the words, "Ecce panis Angelorum" (Behold the bread, of the angels) ; on the sides of the altar are the stalls of the canons of the cathedral and those of the wardens : to the left is the throne of the archbishop and his attendants; and above the main altar is a fresco by Bum- bracht, representing St. Louis, king of France, presenting the banner of the Cross to the crusaders. The remains of the cele- brated curate Father Antoine (See Sedella, Antonio), and several of his successors in office lie buried under the floor of the vestry in the cathedral. In front of the high altar is the grave of Almon- ester, the founder of the cathedral, marked by a marble slab in the pavement bearing his coat-of-arms together with the record of his life, title and services. The carved letters are still visible, though nearly effaced by the ceaseless tread of several generations. The church has a tenure, so to speak, of every Saturday offering masses for the soul of its founder, and every evening of that day as the sun sets, the sound of the tolling bell recalls him to the minds of the priests of the church and those of the citizens who . remember, if they have ever heard of him.
Catholic Church .- The first white men to visit the region now included within the limits of the State of Louisiana were Catholics. Gayarré, in writing of the expedition of De Soto in the 16th cen- tury, says: "Not unmindful he. the Christian knight, the hater and conqueror of Moorish infidelity, of the souls of his future vas- sals; for 22 ecclesiasties accompanied him to preach the word of God." And the priests forming part of this expedition celebrated in the wilds of Louisiana forests the holy ceremony of the mass more than a century and a half before the first permanent settle- ment was-made upon her soil. The French explorers, Marquette, Joliet and La Salle, were Catholics, and no sooner had the last named laid claim to the Mississippi valley in the name of Catholic France, than the seminary of Quebec. by consent of Bishop St. Vallier of that diocese, sent at least three missionaries to the natives in the territory thus claimed. Father Francis Joliet de Montigny established his mission among the Tensas Indians, where he baptized 85 children the first year, and when Iberville visited this tribe in March. 1700, he found this worthy priest engaged in erecting a chapel. Rev. Anthony Davion. the second missionary, erected his chapel on a hill near the village of the Tonicas and planted a cross near the foot of a large rock which for years afterward was known as "Davion's Rock." The third missionary, Rev. John Francis Buisson de St. Cosme. did not estab-
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lish a mission, but after visiting several localities returned back up the river.
When Iberville founded the settlement at Biloxi in 1699 Father Bordenave, a Catholic priest, was installed as chaplain of the post. The same year the seminary at Quebec sent Fathers Bergier, Bouteville and St. Cosme (a brother of the one sent out the pre- ceding year) as missionaries to the lower Mississippi valley, hence the history of the Catholic church in Louisiana is coeval with that of the state itself. Upon his second voyage (in 1700) Iberville was accompanied by Father Du Ru, a Jesuit missionary, who on Feb. 14, 1700. according to Shea. "erected a cross, offered the holy sacrifice, and blessed a cemetery at Fort Mississippi. 17 leagues from the mouth of the great river." This Father Du Ru made several visits to the neighboring Indian tribes, after which he per- formed his clerical duties at Biloxi and later at Mobile. The Jesuit Father Limoges, who was sent from Quebec to found a mission among the Oumas. reached their village, where he planted a cross, and in March. 1700, began the erection of a chapel for the Oumas and Bayagoulas. At the same time Father Nicholas Foucault, another Jesuit, was sent to establish a mission among the Arkansas Indians. He was killed by the Coreas and Father St. Cosme by the Chetimachas, the latter tragedy occurring near the site of the present city of Donaldsonville, La.
As if by mutual consent. the bishop of Quebec exercised ecclesi- astical authority over the province of Louisiana, and though the settlements about the mouth of the Mississippi were far removed from his episcopal residence, he was thoughtful for the spiritual welfare of this distant portion of his diocese. In 1705 he sent five priests of the foreign missions to Mobile, and on the same vessel came two sisters of the order known as Grey Nuns-the first nuns in Louisiana. In Aug., 1717, the Western Company received its charter from the French government, and clause 53 of this charter was as follows:
"As in the settlement of the countries granted to the said com- pany by these presents. we regard especially the glory of God by procuring the salvation of the inhabitants, Indians, savages and negroes, whom we desire to be instructed in the true religion, the said company shall be obliged to build at its expense churches at the places where it forms settlements; as also to maintain there the necessary number of approved ecclesiastics; either with the rank of parish priests, or such others as shall be suitable. in order to preach the Holy Gospel there, perform Divine service, and ad- minister the sacraments : all under the authority of the Bishop of Quebec, the said colony remaining in his diocese as heretofore : and the parish priests and other ecclesiastics which the company shall maintain there, shall be at his nomination and patronage."
In March. 1717. some five months before this charter was granted. Father Anthony Margil, who had for some time been working as a missionary among the Indians in Texas, reached the Adaves on the Arroyo Hondo, within the limits of the present State of Lou-
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isiana, where he founded the mission of San Miguel de Linares, which he placed in charge of Father Guzman and a lay brother. Learning that the French at Natchitoches were without a priest, Father Margil made the journey on foot from the Adayes mission -a distance of 50 miles-to say mass for them. Ten years later Father Maximin, a Capuchin, was placed in charge of the mission at Natchitoches, where the church has ever since been well repre- sented, the city now being the official center of a diocese. When war was declared between France and Spain in 1718, Father Mar- gil's mission at Adayes was broken up by a French force under St. Denis.
In 1720 Rev. Nicholas Ignatius de Beaubois was selected as superior of the Jesuit missions in Louisiana, with the title of vicar- general. He was born on Oct. 15, 1689, entered the order at the age of 17 years, and prior to his appointment as vicar-general had been working among the Illinois missions. It was through his influence that the Ursulines (q. v.) were brought to Louisiana in 1727. The Western Company, by the ordinance of May 16, 1722, divided Louisiana into three ecclesiastical districts. North of the Ohio and corresponding to it on the west side of the Mississippi was assigned to the Jesuits and the seminaries of foreign missions of Quebec and Paris; the Discalced Carmelites were given the dis- trict between the Mississippi and the Perdido, extending north- ward to the Ohio: and the rest of the province was placed under the jurisdiction of the Capuchins. The last named order first appeared in Louisiana in 1721, and on June 27, 1725, received from the Western Company a formal diploma, which was approved by the king on July 15.
Father Charlevoix arrived at New Orleans in Jan., 1722, and found there "about 100 temporary houses." Up to this time no chapel had been built in the town, religious services being held in one half of a warehouse. These quarters were soon afterward re- quired for commercial purposes and the services were held in a tent until a rude chapel could be erected. This chapel was demol- ished by the hurricane of Sept. 12, 1723, and the faithful were again without a house of worship. About the time that Father Charlevoix came to New Orleans the first school in Louisiana was established by Bienville. It was a school for boys, was located next to the church, and was taught by Father Cecile, a Capuchin priest.
The division of the territory by the ordinance of 1722 entailed considerable hardship on the Jesuits. Their district was far up the river, that including New Orleans was under the dominion of the Capuchins, and as that town was the seaport through which all missionaries from the mother country must enter, the Jesuits asked and obtained permission to have an establishment there. The Western Company agreed to build a residence and chapel for Father Petit, the Jesuit superior, where he might reside perma- nently with one priest to receive the priests of the order as they miglit arrive. By the convention of 1726 the Jesuits were granted
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a tract of land fronting 10 arpents on the Mississippi and extending back the usual depth. This grant is now in the business district of New Orleans, beginning near Common street and extending up the river to the vicinity of Delord street. A few years later a con- troversy arose between the Capuchins and Jesuits over the ques- tion of jurisdiction. The trouble began when the bishop of Quebec appointed Father Baudoin, the Jesuit superior, as vicar-general in Louisiana, which aroused the indignation of the Capuchins, who claimed that it was a violation of the provisions of the ordinance of 1722, and the superior council refused to recognize the authority of Father Baudoin or make any record of his appointment. In 1761 the Jesuit order was placed under the ban; on June 9, 1763, the superior council ordered their banishment from the colony ; their property was confiscated, and they were summoned to appear before the Duke de Choiseul. (See Jesuits.) The expulsion of the Jesuits ended the dispute, and the bishop appointed Father Dagobert, the Capuchin superior, to the office of vicar-general, which position he held for several years after the establishment of the Spanish authority over the province.
Not long after the beginning of the Spanish domination Louisi- ana was detached from the diocese of Quebec and made a part of that of Santiago de Cuba under Bishop Echevarria, who reap- pointed Father Dagobert his vicar-general. In 1772 the bishop sent Father Cirilo, a Spanish Capuchin, to investigate and report upon the state of the church in Louisiana. Father Cirilo made such serious charges against the French Capuchins that again a religious controversy ensued, but fortunately for the welfare of the church it was of short duration, the Spanish government acting as mediator and bringing about a reconciliation without discredit or humiliation to either side. Six more Spanish Capuchins, among whom was Father Antonio de Sedella, arrived in 1789. In 1781 Father Cirilo, who had been acting as vicar-general, was made auxiliary bishop and directed to exercise his functions in Louisiana. The diocese of Santiago de Cuba was divided in 1790, when the southern part of the island was made an archbishopric and the northern portion was united with the Floridas and Louisiana to form the diocese of Havana. This arrangement lasted until April 25, 1793, when Louisiana and the Floridas were organized into a new diocese with Don Luis de Peñalver-y-Cardenas as bishop. He- arrived in New Orleans on July 17, 1795, and entered at once upon his episcopal duties. He continued as bishop until July 20, 1801, when he was appointed archbishop of Guatemala, leaving the affairs of his diocese in the hands of his two canons. Very Rev. Thomas Hasset and Very Rev. Patrick Walsh. Rt. Rev. Francis Porro was appointed to succeed Bishop Peñalver, but he never came to Louisiana, and the diocese was without a bishop until the papal bill of Sept. 1. 1805. which placed it for the time being under the care of Bishop Carroll of Baltimore. Father Hasset died in April, 1804, and Father Walsh in Aug., 1806, and soon after the latter's death Bishop Carroll appointed as vicar . Very Rev.
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Jean Olivier, who remained in charge until in 1813, when Very Rev. Louis W. Dubourg, who had been appointed administrator apostolic the preceding year. arrived in New Orleans.
The period from 1805 to 1820 was marked by the troubles with Father Sedella. Father Walsh. while acting as vicar-general, claimed that Sedella was in unlawful possession of the cathedral and undertook to remove him. The latter refused to obey the order of the vicar-general, and. instead of appealing to the bishop, adopted a revolutionary course, claiming that the cathedral was the property of the Catholic people of New Orleans and appealing directly to them. For this purpose he called a meeting of the parishioners, who elected him parish priest in the face of the vicar-general's
dismissal. On March 27. 1805, Father Walsh designated the Ursulines' chapel as the parish church, with Father Olivier as priest. When the latter was appointed vicar-general he inherited the troubles and in turn handed them down to his successor, Father Dubourg. The dispute was finally settled in the civil courts, which sustained Father Sedella. In 1815 Abbé Dubourg went to Rome to explain the rebellious conduct of Father Sedella to the pope. who appointed Father Dubourg bishop of the diocese. Father Sedella was still defiant, however, and the new bishop asked the Propa- ganda to permit him to remove his residence to St. Louis, which permission was granted and he took up his residence in that city in Jan., 1818. Late in the year 1820 he visited New Orleans and on Christmas day "celebrated pontifically in the cathedral."
On Aug. 13, 1822. Pope Pius VII formed Mississippi and Ala- bama into a vicariate apostolic and appointed as vicar Rev. Joseph Rosati, a native of Sora, Italy, and a member of the order of Lazarists. On March 25, 1824, Father Rosati was consecrated bishop of Tenagre and made coadjutor to Bishop Dubourg. A few months later Bishop Dubourg resigned, leaving his coadjutor to administer the affairs of the diocese. which was divided by the pope on July 18. 1827. when the see of New Orleans was estab- lished with Father Rosati as bishop. He declined the honor, how- ever, and on March 20, 1827, was transferred to the new see of St. Louis as bishop, holding at the same time the position of administrator apostolic of the newly created diocese of New Orleans.
When Bishop Rosati declined the see of New Orleans he recom- mended for the place Rev. Leo Raymond Neckere, who was ap- pointed bishop on Aug. 4, 1829, and consecrated on June 24, 1830. He was a Lazarist, a native of Belgium, and was only 30 years of age at the time of his consecration. His administration lasted only a little over three years, as he died of yellow fever on Sept. 5, 1833. Over two years elapsed before a successor to Bishop Neckere was appointed. During this time the business of the diocese was cared for by Rev. Anthony Blanc and Father Ladaviere. On Nov. 27, 1835, the former was consecrated as the second bishop of New Orleans, the ceremony being performed in the cathedral of that city. Bishop Blanc was a native of France, and at the time
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of his consecration was a little over 43 years old. In 1836 he went to Europe and brought back with him eight Jesuits for the purpose of establishing a college at Grand Coteau.
After the death of Father Sedella in Jan., 1827, the wardens or trustees continued to collect the revenues of the cathedral, and out of the funds thus acquired they paid the ordinary of the diocese such a salary as they pleased. In Jan., 1842, Bishop Blanc de- manded all his episcopal rights as accorded by the laws of the church, but the wardens ignored the demand. The situation was further aggravated when Father Moni, the curate of the cathedral, died and the bishop appointed Abbe Rousillion as his successor. The wardens. claiming the right to select their own pastor, under- took to reject the nomination. Bishop Blanc wrote a pastoral letter, in which he pointed out to the wardens that they were laying themselves liable to censure and even excommunication, but in the interests of peace he withdrew the appointment of Abbe Rousillion and named instead Father Maenhaut, who was accepted by the wardens. In a little while a difference arose between the wardens and Father Maenhaut, and this disagreement increased until the curate abandoned his position and took up his residence with the bishop, who on Nov. 2, 1842, withdrew all the priests from the cathedral, leaving that church without religious service. Through the influence of some prominent Catholic laymen, a peace was patched up and in Jan., 1843, the bishop appointed Father Bach. Again the trouble broke out, but Father Bach held possession until his death the following September, at a time when the bishop was temporarily absent from the diocese. Upon his return he notified the wardens that he would withhold the name of his appointee for the vacancy until he had assurances that the new pastor would be permitted to discharge his duties without opposition. As the wardens would not give the assurances required, the bishop, in a second letter, warned them that if they persisted in their course all connection between them and him must cease. This left the cathedral without a curate, and the wardens resorted to the courts. instituting a suit for damages in the sum of $20.000. Their demand was dismissed in the parish court, and an appeal was immediately taken to the supreme court, which tribunal sustained the opinion of the lower court. Peace was restored.
On April 21. 1844. the second synod of the diocese was convened. In view of the previous troubles with the wardens it was ordered by the synod that no church should be erected until a deed was made to the bishop, and trustees or wardens were prohibited from fixing fees for burial. etc.
Pope Pius IX. on July 19, 1850, made New Orleans an arch- diocese with Bishop Blanc as the first archbishop, and he was in- vested with the pallium on Feb. 16. 1851. In 1852 the Plenary Council met at Baltimore and recommended the division of the diocese of New Orleans. Pursuant to this recommendation. all that portion of the diocese lying north of the 31st parallel was cut off and erected into the diocese of Natchitoches on July 29, 1853, with
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Rt. Rev. Augustus M. Martin as bishop. At the time of its estab- lishment the new diocese had a Catholic population of about 25,000. though it had but seven churches and five priests. Under the labors and influence of Bishop Martin the church experienced a revival of interest, and at the beginning of the Civil war was in an encouraging condition.
Archbishop Blanc died on June 20, 1860, and was succeeded by Rt. Rev. John Mary Odin, bishop of Galveston, who continued as archbishop until his death in France on May 25, 1870. During his administration the Civil war and the era of reconstruction detracted very much from the interest in church work, but Archbishop Odin labored faithfully for the people under his care, and his death was deeply mourned. Some time before his death he had asked for a coadjutor and Rev. Napoleon Joseph Perché had been appointed and assigned to the sce of New Orleans with the right of succes- sion. Accordingly, upon the death of Archbishop Odin he assumed the duties of the high office and was duly consecrated in December following. In 1871 the wardens gave up all control of the cathedral to Archbishop Perché by a lease for ten years, the archbishop to receive all revenues and meet all expenditures. In 1878 the arch- bishop demanded possession of all the property belonging to the cathedral, but as some of this property was involved the demand was not at once complied with, though soon afterward the board of wardens went into liquidation, and the entire property was deeded to the archbishop "for the benefit and use of the Catholic population."
The advanced age of Archbishop Perché, and the fact that.the finances of the see had become involved, made necessary the ap- pointment of a coadjutor. On Oct. 23, 1879, Rt. Rev. Francis X. Leray, bishop of Natchitoches, was appointed coadjutor and apos- tolic administrator of temporal affairs, with the right of succession, and when Archbishop Perché died on Dec. 27, 1883, he became archbishop. After his death Very Rev. Gustav A. Rouxel served as temporary administrator until Aug. 7, 1888, when Rt. Rev. Francis Janssens, bishop of Natchez, was made archbishop. He served until his death in 1897, and on Dec., 1 of that year Rt. Rev. Placide Louis Chapelle became his successor. He died in 1905 and was succeeded by Most Rev. James Hubert Blenk, the present archbishop, who was invested with the pallium in the cathedral in New Orleans on April 24, 1907.
According to Wiltzius' Catholic Directory for 1909, the Catholic population of the see of New Orleans was 525.000; the number of secular priests, 157: priests belonging to religious. orders, 124; churches with resident priests, .130: missions, 85; stations, 35; preparatory seminaries, 1; colleges for boys, 7; number of stu- dents, 1,918; academies for young ladies, 17; students, 3,219; parochial schools. 95; attendance, 14,572; total number of young people under Catholic care, 21,689.
As above stated, the first bishop of the diocese of Natchitoches was Rt. Rev. AAugustus Mary Martin, who was consecrated in the
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St. Louis cathedral at New Orleans by Archbishop Blanc on Dec. 31, 1853. He was a native of Brittany, France, where he was born in 1801; came to America in 1840 at the solicitation of Bishop Hailandiere of Vincennes, Ind. ; visited his native land in 1846, after which he served as priest at various points in Louisiana until his elevation. to the see of Natchitoches. His death occurred on Sept. 29, 1875. During his 22 years as bishop the number of churches in the diocese increased from 7 to 13 regular parishes and nearly 50 chapels and missions; the 5 priests increased to 24, and the one convent at the time the diocese was created had grown to 10. Bishop Martin was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Francis Xavier Leray, who was consecrated on April 22, 1877. After his promotion to the high office of archbishop of New Orleans, he was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Anthony Durier, whose consecration took place on March 19, 1885. He continued to serve as bishop until his death, which occurred on Feb. 28, 1904, and on Nov. 30 of that year the present bishop of the diocese, Rt. Rev. Cornelius Van De Ven, was conse- crated and entered upon his episcopal duties.
According to the Catholic Directory, the Catholic population of this diocese at the close of the year 1908 was 31,431 ; the number of secular priests, 24; priests belonging to religious orders, 8; churches with resident priests, 22; missions, 34; stations, 16; col- leges for boys, +; attendance at these colleges, 335; academies for young ladies, 6; parochial schools, 16; sisters engaged in educa- tional and charitable, work, 102. The directory does not give the number of students in attendance at the young ladies' academies and boarding schools, nor the number of pupils enrolled in the parochial schools. (See also biographical sketches of the several bishops and archbishops.)
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Catholic Societies .- In connection with the benevolent and chari- table work of the Catholic church, or for purposes of mutual pro- tection, numerous societies have been organized at various periods of church history. Among the oldest of these is the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic society, which some writers claim was organized in 1652. Others say it originated in 1651, when Cromwell proclaimed nearly all the native population of the Emer- ald Isle outlawed, placed a price on the head of almost every Cath- olic priest in Ireland, and declared the penalty of death on all those who might have the temerity to attend the services of the Catholic church. It is agreed. however, that the founder of the society was Rory Og O'Moo, and that it was called into existence for the pur- pose of protecting the Irish priests and the Catholic religion. The name first adopted was that of "Defenders," but when the church was emancipated in 1829 the present name was taken and the object of the society stated to be "the advancement of the princi- ples of Irish nationality." Membership is limited to Catholics of Irish extraction. In 1836 the order was introduced into the United States and now numbers in this country about 220.000 members. It has endowed a chapel in the Catholic university of America and disburses about $1.000,000 annually in benefits. In the city of New
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