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SKETCHES 


OF    THE 


LIFE,  TIMES,  AND  CHARACTER 


OF    THE    RT.    REV. 


BENEDICT  JOSEPH  FLAGET, 


FIRST  BISHOP  OF  LOUISVILLE. 


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By  M.'j.  S1\ALDING,  D.  D. 


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BISHOP    OF   LCUI^VJLLF. 
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"  Quasi  sol  refulgens,  sic  ille  refulsitin  templo  Dei. — Eccl'cus,  L.  / .  N 
As  the  sun  when  it  shineth,  so  did  he  shine  in  the  temple  of  God. 


LOUISVILLE,  KY. 

WEBB    &    LEVERING. 

1852. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the 
United  States  District  of  Kentucky,  by 

WEBB  &   LEVERING, 

On  th>,$i£te£*\th  (iavo/'A  in  the 

Year  of  our  Lord,  '$n*e  "Thousand*  Eight  'Hundred  and  Fiftv-two. 


*• 


PRINTED  BY  J.  F.  BREXNAN,  LOUISVILLE.  KY. 


(k  tip 

MOST  REV.  FRANCIS  P.  KENRICK,  D.  D. 

ARCHBISHOP  OF   BALTIMORE, 

AND    TO    THE    OTHER 

MOST  REV.   AND   RIGHT   REV.   ARCHBISHOPS  AND  BISHOPS 

OF 

OUR  HIERARCHY  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES ; 

-        -  <*  "    VI     J  / 

OF   THE   LIFE.    TDJ.ES,  A^D   CHARACTER   OF   ONE, 


•»  . 


WHO    WAS    LOttG    AN-OEXAMENT'OF   THELR    BODY, 

A'JD  A    :.l'OB"EL    CF     <  - 

EVERY  SACERDOTAL  AND  EPISCOPAL  VIRTUE, 

ARE    MOST    RESPECTFULLY    INSCRIBED, 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


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PREFACE. 


If  our  early  missionaries  labored  much,  they  wrote 
but  little.  Their  time  was  too  much  occupied  in  the 
discharge  of  severe  ministerial  duties,  to  allow  them 
much  leisure  for  recording  their  proceedings.  Hence, 
our  early  religious  history  is  involved  in  no  little  ob- 
scurity ;  and  the  inquirer,  who  wishes  to  tracv  the  ori- 
gin and  progress  of  our  various  missions,  has  to  contend 
with  many  difficulties.  Among  these,  the  principal 
is  the  paucity  of  well  ascertained  facts  and  dates. 
Materials  there  are,  indeed,  here  and  there  in  abun- 
dance ;  but  they  are  scattered,  unconnected,  often 
vague  in  their  accounts,  and,  still  more  frequently, 
merely  local,  personal,  or  otherwise  unimportant  in 
their  details. 

A  heavy  labor  is  thus  imposed  on  the  historian,  who 
wishes  to  analyze  and  condense  these  documents,  to 
reconcile  their  various  statements,  and  reduce  them  to 
order ;  and,  above  all,  to  extract  from  them  what  is 
most  useful  and  interesting.  Sometimes,  when  he  fan- 
cies that  he  is  about  to  attain  his  end,  by  falling  on  a 
hidden  treasure,  his  joy  is  suddenly  changed  to  disap- 
pointment, on  discovering  that  some  important  links 
are  wanting  in  the  narrative,  which  he  has  no  clue  for 
finding. 


VI.  PREFACE. 

Yet  the  annals  of  our  Church  should  be  written  some 
dav  or  another;  and  the  longer  the  work  will  be  de- 
layed,  the  more  difficult  will  it  become.  Alread}7  all 
of  our  first  Bishops,  and  all  of  our  earliest  missionary 
priests, — with  a  single  exception. — have  descended  to 
the  tomb.  In  this  condition  of  things,  the  time  seems 
opportune,  for  *'  gathering  up  the  fragments,  lest  they 
be  lost." 

This  is  what  has  been  attempted,  to  a  certain  extent, 
for  our  Western  missions,  in  the  following  Sketches. 
Besides  being  a  willing  labor  of  filial  piety,  they  are 
intended, — not,  indeed,  fullv  to  meet  a  want  which  has 
been  long  felt, — but  to  make  an  essay  in  that  direction. 
The  life  of  Bishop  Flaget  is  identified  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  West  and  South,  for 
a  period  of  more  than  forty  years.  The  first  Bishop 
who  came  to  the  West,  he  labored  here  for  several 
years  alone;  and  he  lived  to  see  eh  >•■  n  rn  w  Dioceses — 
including  an  Apostolic  Vicariate — springing  up  within 
the  limits  of  the  vast  territory,  either  comprised  in  his 
original  Diocese,  or  placed  for  some  time  under  his 
episcopal  supervision.  Two  of  these  became,  before 
his  death,  archbishoprics  ;  nor  was  he  at  all  displeased. 
to  behold  the  glory  of  the  mother-see  thus  paling  be- 
fore that  of  her  younger,  but  more  favored  daughters. 

The  principal  sources,  from  which  the  facts  contained 
in  the  following  pages  have  been  drawn,  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 


P  JK  E  F  A  C  E  .  VII. 

1.  The  personal  Reminiscences  of  the  prelate  him- 
self. These  regard  chiefly  the  earlier  portion  of  his 
life,  up  to  the  time  of  his  consecration.  During  his 
latter  years,  he  frequently  in  conversation  recurred  to 
this  period,  of  which  his  recollections  were  distinct  and 
vivid,  in  every  thing  except  dates.  Copious  notes  of 
these  conversations  were  taken  clown  at  the  time,  with- 
out his  knowledge,  by  his  private  Secretary,  Rev.  P.  J. 
Lavialle  ;  and  the  author  has  availed  himself  of  the 
incidents  and  details  contained  therein. 

2.  His  own  manuscript  Journal,  commenced  in 
1812,  and  continued  till  1834 ;  with  an  additional 
separate  account  of  his  visit  to  Rome  in  1836.  This 
Journal,  though  it  deals  in  general  with  local  details  and 
accounts  of  personal  movements,  contains  many  inter- 
esting incidents  and  important  facts ;  but  it  is  chiefly 
valuable,  as  fixing  the  dates  of  several  occurrences,  oth. 
erwise  involved  in  doubt.  It  is  written  in  French,  in 
a  pleasing  and  animated  style  ;  and  it  abounds  in  pious 
remarks  and  reflections,  which,  of  course,  were  not  in- 
tended for  publication. 

3.  His  extensive  and  voluminous  Correspondence; 
containing  chiefly  the  Letters  written  to  him  by  differ- 
ent persons  in  Europe  and  America,  with  a  few  copies 
of  important  ones,  written  by  himself  to  Rome,  and  to 
some  distinguished  personages.  Nearly  three  thousand 
of  these  Letters  have  been  examined.  Every  one  ac- 
quainted with  such  researches,  will  understand  how 
difficult  and  laborious  is  the  process  of  gleaning  a  few 


VIII.  P  K  E  F  A  C  E  . 

importaut  facts  from  a  huge  mass  of  correspondence, 
running  through  more  than  forty  years,  most  of  which 
is  taken  up  with  details  of  merely  transient  interest. 
Yet,  with  the  valuable  assistance  and  patient  labor  of 
the  Rev.  C.  J.  Boeswald,  the  author  has  been  enabled 
to  gather  from  this  correspondence  several  facts  of  suf- 
ficient interest  to  deserve  preservation.  To  the  same 
ecclesiastic  he  is  also  indebted  for  an  able  analysis  of 
the  Bishop's  Journal,  composed  of  thirty-four  small 
manuscript  volumes. 

4.  The  French  Life  of  the  holy  prelate,  written  by 
the  Abbe  Desgeorge,  his  traveling  companion  during 
his  last  visit  to  Europe.  This  wrork,  though  beautifully 
written,  is  necessarily  meagre,  and  occasionally  inex- 
act in  what  regards  some  minor  details  of  the  Bishop's 
life  and  administration  in  America.  The  accom- 
plished writer  made  the  most,  however,  of  the  scanty 
materials  he  had  at  hand ;  and  his  work  has  been 
found  valuable,  chiefly  as  containing  copious  extracts 
from  letters  written  by  the  prelate  to  members  of  his 
family,  and  to  other  persons  in  France.  Appended  to 
these  Sketches  will  be  found  a  translation  from  the 
Second  Part  of  the  French  Life,  devoted  to  a  portrait- 
ure of  the  spirit  and  virtues  of  the  Bishop  ; — those  por- 
tions only  having  been  selected  lor  republication, 
which  contained  interesting  incidents  and  anecdotes  of 
his  foreign  travel,  or  a  striking  estimate  of  his  charac- 
ter, founded  on  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  him  for 
eighteen  months. 


PREFACE.  IX. 

5.  The  author  has  also  to  return  his  thanks  to  the 
Archbishops  of  Baltimore,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  and 
New  Orleans,  and  to  the  Bishop  of  Pittsburgh,  for 
the  communication  of  documents  or  valuable  informa- 
tion on  the  early  history  of  their  respective  Dioceses. 
The  details  regarding  the  early  religious  history  of 
Vincennes  were  kindly  furnished,  from  the  ancient 
parish  Registers,  by  the  Rev.  E.  Audran,  Pastor  of  the 
Cathedral  of  St.  Francis  Xavier ;  while  for  the  facts 
connected  with  the  early  missions  lying  along  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Mississippi,  the  author  has  derived  valua- 
ble assistance  from  the  researches  of  the  Rev.  Edmond 
Saulnier,  Chancellor  of  the  Archdiocese  of  St.  Louis. 

It  is  a  task  of  some  difficulty,  and  of  no  little  delicacy, 
to  treat  properly  of  persons  and  events  so  near  our  own 
times  ;  and  it  is  quite  possible,  that  the  author  of  these 
imperfect  Sketches  has  often  said  either  too  much  or 
too  little ;  and  that,  in  such  a  multiplicity  of  details, 
he  has  fallen  into  some  inaccuracies.  The  only  merit 
he  can  claim,  is  to  have  bestowed  some  labor  on  sup- 
plying an  acknowledged  want;  and  if  his  attempt 
should  have  the  effect  of  stimulating  some  one  better 
qualified  and  gifted  with  more  leisure,  to  devote  him- 
self more  successfully  to  the  work  of  rescuing  our  early 
religious  history  from  obscurity,  his  humble  efforts  will 
not  have  been  made  wholly  in  vain. 

Louisville,  Ky.        \ 
Easter  Monday,  1852A 


C  O.N  LENTS. 


■»**• 


PAGES. 

DEDICATION,    . iii. 

PREFACE, v-x. 

CHAPTER  I. 

HIS  CHILDHOOD,  YOUTH,  ORDINATION,  AND  FIRST 
YEARS  OF  PRIESTHOOD.     1763—1792,     ....      17-26 

His  Birth — Parentage — Brothers  and  Aunt — Words  of  his  dying 
Mother — Love  for  Orphans — Incident  of  Childhood — Presenti- 
ment— Vocation  to  the  Ministry — Confirmation — Bishop  De 
Bonald — He  joins  the  Sulpicians — Solitude  of  Issy — He  is  at 
Nantes,  and  at  Angers — French  Revolution — His  calmness 
amidst  its  Horrors — Retirement  at  Billom. 

CHAPTER   II. 

THE  YEARS  OF  HIS  PRIESTHOOD  IN  AMERICA— At 

Vincennes.     1792—1795, 27-46 

French  revolution — Exiled  French  clergy  in  England  and  Amer- 
ica— Monsieur  Flaget  sails  for  America — Sent  to  Vincennes — 
Delay  in  Pittsburgh — General  Wayne — Incidents — Journey  to 
Louisville  and  Vincennes — State  of  Religion  there — His  labors — 
Small-pox. — Improvements  in  agriculture  and  manufactures — 
Early  religious  history  of  Vincennes — He  is  recalled  to  Balti- 
more— Goes  by  New  Orleans — Arrival  in  Baltimore. 

CHAPTER  III. 
THE  YEARS  OF  HIS  PRIESTHOOD  IN  AMERICA— At 

Georgetown — in  Havana — At  Baltimore.     1796 — 1808,  47-57 

College  at  Georgetown — College  Life — George  Washington — M. 
Flaget  is  sent  to  Havana — -Difficulties — Yellow  Fever — A  Foster 
Mother — M.  Calvo — Obstacles  removed — Great  rejoicing — Re- 
mains in  Havana — Louis  Philippe — Contemplates  a  Foreign 
Tour — Returns  to  Baltimore  —  College  duties  —  Attends  con- 
victs— Distress  about  friends — The  higher  ways  of  perfection — 
Wishes  to  become  a  Trappist. 


Xn.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

HE  IS  APPOINTED  BISHOP  OF  BARDSTOWN.     1808— 

1811, 58-96 

Increase  of  Catholics — Bishop  Carroll — New  Sees — Four  new 
Bishops  appointed — M.  Flaget  named  Bishop  of  Bardstown — He 
refuses — Interview  with  Bishop  Carroll — Correspondence — Goes 
to  Fraii'- — -M.  Emery — Obliged  to  accept — Singular  present — 
Embarks  for  America — Incident  on  voyage — Consecrated — Apos- 
tolical poverty — Sets  out  for  his  Diocese — Journey  from  Louis- 
ville to  Bardstown  —  Ceremonial  of  his  Inauguration  at  St. 
Stephen's — Early  Missions  of  Kentucky  recapitulated. 

CHAPTER  V. 

FIRST   THREE   YEARS   OF  HIS   EPISCOPACY— JOUR- 
NEY TO  BALTIMORE.     1811—1814.. 97-114 

Extent  of  his  Diocese — Fewness  of  priests — First  priest  ordained 
in  the  West — Statistic. — His  episcopal  palace — Retreats  and  cler- 
ical conferences — Subjects  of  uneasiness — Resources  for  comfort 
and  strength — His  seminary — Father  David — Zeal  of  semina- 
rians—  Thomas  Howard  —  Prospects  of  the  seminary — Severe 
missionary  labors — Visitations  and  privations — Journey  to  Bal- 
timore — Visits  the  Northern  portion  of  his  Dioces* — And  passes 
through  Ohio — Incidents  of  travel — His  impression  of  Balti- 
more— Returns. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

JOURNEY  TO  VINCENNES  AND  ST.  LOUIS— MISSION- 
ARY DUTIES.     1814—1816, 115-147 

Petition  from  Catholics  of  Vincennes — Governor  Harrison — Spir- 
itual destitution — Religious  history  of  Vincennes  from  1795  to 
1814 — M.  Rivet — Indian  missions — The  pro;; lug  chief- — M.  Oli- 
vier— Early  history  of  Kaskaskias  and  other  French  settle- 
ments— Succession  of  priests  therein — Bishop  Flaget  visits  Vin- 
cennes— Cahokias — St.  Louis — Florissant — St.  Charles — Kaskas- 
kias— St.  Genevieve — And  Prairie  du  Rocher — Sets  out  on  his 
return — Again  in  Vincennes — Painful  rumor  and  ludicrous  inci- 
dent— Returns  to  Kentucky — Severe  missionary  labor. — M.  Ner- 
inckx  departs  for  Europe — An  inward  voice — Discussion  with 
nreacher  Tapscott — Two  tributes  to  Archbishop  Carroll. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

DIOCESE     OF     NEW    ORLEANS— BISHOP     FLAGETs 

TWO  JOURNEYS  TO  ST.  LOUIS.     1M7— LSI*,     .     148-176 

Early  missionaries  in  the  South — De  Soto's  expedition — The  battle 
of  Mavilla — The  "dry  Mass*' — France  and  Spain — Founding  of 


CONTENTS.  XIII. 

New  Orleans — One  of  the  first  martyrs— Jesuit  missions  among 
the  Yazoos,  Arkansas,  Alihamons,  and  Choctaws — The  Post  of 
Arkansas — Massacre  by  the  Natchez — Death  of  missionaries — 
Thrilling  adventures  and  narrow  escape — The  fate  of  the  Nat- 
chez— Ursuline  nuns  in  New  Orleans — Orphans — Hospital — In- 
dian chief's  opinion  of  the  nuns — Results  of  the  missions — See 
of  New  Orleans — Its  first  Bishop — The  second  Bishop — History 
of  the  see — M.  Dubourg  appointed  administrator — Religious  Sta- 
tistics of  Louisiana — Proposed  new  see  at  St.  Louis,  and  trans- 
lation of  Bishop  Flaget — How  the  plan  was  delayed — Bishop 
Flaget's  second  journey  to  St.  Louis — Preparing  the  way — Suc- 
cess— Liberal  donation — A  curious  scene — Disagreeable  travel — 
Adanseuse — Arrival  of  Bishop  Dubourg — Joyful  meeting — The 
steamboat  Piqua — A  Noah's  ark— Solemn  installation  of  Bishop 
Dubourg — Return  to  Kentucky. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

JOURNEY  TO  THE  LAKES  AND  TO  CANADA.     1818— 
1819, 177-205 

Bishop  Dubourg's  kindness — Early  religious  history  of  Canada — 
A  golden  maxim — The  first  missionary — First  martyrs — The 
apostle  of  the  Hurons — Glance  at  the  Jesuit  missions  of  the 
North — Trouble  in  Detroit — The  Bishop  departs — Journey 
through  Ohio — Indians — River  Raisin — Detroit— Governor  Cass 
and  General  Macomb — A  solemn  reconciliation — Falls  of  Niag- 
ara— Montreal— Quebec— The  village  of  the  Algonquins — The 
great  Indian  treaty  of  St.  Mary's— Colonel  Johnson— The  Bishop 
sick  with  fever — Missionary  labors  at  Detroit  and  river  Raisin — 
Returns  homeward — Swearing  boatmen — Pittsburgh — Its  early 
religious  history — Cincinnati — Early  missions  of  Ohio — Recep- 
tion at  home. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

COADJUTOR— CATHEDRAL— SEMINARY— CONSECRA- 
TION OF  BISHOP  FENAVICK.     1819—1822,     .     .    206—231 

Scruples  of  conscience — How  solved — Father  David — His  charac- 
ter—Presented for  the  bishopric  of  Philadelphia — Escapes  the 
nomination — Appointed  Coadjutor — His  objections  to  accep- 
ting— The  Cathedral — Laying  corner-stone,  and  solemn  dedica- 
tion— Consecration  of  Bishop  David — The  seminary  removed — 
Impressions  of  a  clerical  traveler — Arrival  of  a  Propagandist — 
Correspondence  concerning  Bishops  for  Cincinnati  and  Detroit — 
Father  Fenwick  appointed  Bishop  of  Cincinnati,  and  consecra- 


XIV.  CONTENTS. 

ted — llis  labors  in  Ohio  Messed — Condition  of  his  Diocese — Jli- 
zeal,  and  death — Bishop  Flaget's  love  for  his  priests — Rev.  Mr. 
A  hell— Rev.  M.  Hosten— Rev.  M.  Derigaud. 

CHAPTER  X. 

VISITATIONS— ADMINISTRATION— NEW  BISHOPRICS, 

1819^-1826, 232—255 

Pastoral  solicitude — In  ccelo  quies — Journey  to  Yincennes-^- Amu- 
sing incident — Visit  to  Tennessee- — Religious  statistics — Preach- 
er  Yardiman  —  Protestant  liberality  —  Dressing  a  preacher — 
Another  journey  to  Yincennes— Administration — Clerical  re- 
treats and  conferences — Loving  the  laws  of  the  Church — Matri- 
monial dispensations — Public  penance — Two  anecdotes — Recon- 
ciling enmities — Management  of  temporals — Two  visits  by 
Bishop  Dubourg — Correspondence  on  new  bishopries- — At  St. 
Louis  and  Pittsburgh — Dr.  Gallitzin — New  Archbishopric  in  the 
West — Bishops  of  Boston  and  of  New  Yor — kBishop  Dubourg 
leaves  America — His  character— The  Propagation  of  the  Faith — • 
Inijlesi. 

CHAPTER  XL 

THE  JUBILEE  OF   1825-7— THE  CHOLERA— NEW  CO- 
ADJUTOR.   1826—1834, 256-285 

Why  this  Jubilee  was  solemn  —  Conferences — Discomfiture  of 
Sneed — Effects  of  Jubilee — Bishop  Flaget  consecrates  Archbish- 
Whitfield,  and  goes  to  the  first  Provincial  Council — His  meeting 
with  Bishop  England — Charles  Carroll  of  Carrolton — The  Bishop 
in  Court — His  speech  on  the  occasion — Offers  his  resignation — 
Consecration  of  Bishop  Kenrick — Bishop  England  in  Kentucky — 
Bishop  Flaget's  eloquence — He  is  sad — How  consoled — Arrival 
of  the  Jesuits — Meets  Bishop  Rosati  at  Yincennes — Goes  to  St. 
Louis — His  resignation  accepted — Excitement  in  Kentucky — He 
is  reinstated — The  Cholera — His  devotedness — He  is  seized  with 
the  malady — His  new  Coadjutor  consecrated — Consecration  of 
Bishops  Purcell,  Rese,  Brute,  Miles,  and  De  Neckere — Anecdote 
of  Bishop  England. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

HIS    RELIGIOUS    AND     CHARITABLE     ESTABLISH- 
MENTS.    1812—1835, 286-304 

The  tree  and  its  fruits — A  rapid  sketch — Dominican  convent — 
And  college  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas — The  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic 
— Loretto  Society — Its  statistics — The  Bishop's  testimony — Sis- 


CONTENTS.  XV. 

terhood  of  Charity — Its  origin,  objects,  and  subsequent  condition 
— A  consoling  feature— The  Brotherhood— Mount  Casino- 
Bishop  Flaget's  anticipations— How  frustrated— The  election  of 
a  Guardian — Schools  to  be  every  where  established — Letter  from 
the  Propaganda — Remarks  on  Christian  education — St.  Joseph's 
College— Its  rise  and  history— The  Rev.  G.  A.  M.  Elder— St. 
Mary's  College— The  Rev.  fm.  Byrne— The  theological  and 
the  preparatory  Seminary — A  forged  Letter— Statistics  of  the 
Diocesan  establishments  in  1825 — Recapitulation — Consolation 
at  the  hour  of  death. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

HIS    JOURNEY    TO    EUROPE   AND   RETURN.     1835— 

1839> 305-328 

Journey  to  Europe  long  contemplated— Gallicanism — Ruse  of 
Bishop  David — Taking  French  leave,  and  sailing  for  Europe — 
He  is  at  Nantes  and  Angers— Visits  Rome— Affecting  interview 
with  Gregory  XVI. — Is  charged  with  a  mission  in  Franca — Vis- 
its the  Austrian  Emperor  and  Metternich — Family  of  Charles 
X.  —Louis  Philippe — Travels  in  France  and  Sardinia — Charles 
Albert — Duke  de  Montmorency — Count  de  Maistre — Makes  the 
tour  of  forty-six  French  Dioceses — Reputation  for  sanctity — 
Wonderful  cures — Documentary  evidence — Fruits  of  his  labors — 
Consults  the  Pontiff— The  answer  of  Rome— Resolves  to  re 
turn — Bids  a  final  adieu  to  France— Goes  to  die  "among  his 
own." 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE    LAST    YEARS    OF    HIS    EPISCOPACY.      1839— 
1849> 329-346 

He  makes  the  tour  of  his  establishments,  and  visits  his  Diocese — 
Travels  six  hundred  miles  on  horseback — How  he  spent  his  in- 
tervals of  leisure— Anecdote  of  Bishop  David— The  death  of  the 
latter— His  character— Translation  of  the  see  to  Louisville- 
Reasons  for  and  against  the  change— He  regrets  to  leave  Bards- 
town— Arrival  of  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd— How  this  colonv 
was  obtained— Nature  and  objects  of  the  Institute— Health  of 
his  Coadjutor  impaired — The  Coadjutor  visits  France,  and  re- 
signs—His present  retreat— The  Bishop  left  desolate— The  third 
Coadjutor  is  consecrated— The  Nunc  Dimittis— -The  Jesuits  re- 
enter the  Diocese,  and  take  St.  Joseph's  college — New  college  in 
Louisville— Arrival  of  the  Trappists— Character  of  their  institu- 
tion— Corner-stone  of  the  new  Cathedral  laid. 


XVI.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 
HIS  DEATH  AND  CHARACTER, 347-364 

Finishing  his  course — The  day  of  eternity — The  setting  sun — His 
preparation  for  death — An  incident — His  estimate  of  life — Fail- 
ing of  faculties — What  privation  gave  hi^m  most  concern — Ver- 
tigo— The  Head  of  Christ — Forgetting  every  thing — His  favorite 
expressions  and  ejaculations — Symptoms  of  approaching  death — 
He  receives  the  last  sacraments — Affecting  scene — He  "sleeps 
in  the  Lord" — His  funeral — Description  of  an  eye-witness — 
Brief  sketch  of  his  character — The  book  of  nature — Parable  of 
the  hen  and  chickens — Conclusion. 


APPENDIX. 

THE  CHARACTER  AND  SPIRIT  OF  BISHOP  FLAGET. 
Th^anslation, 367-405 

I.  His  Spirit  of  Prayer,        367 

II.  His  Habitual  Peace  of  Mind, 373 

III.  His  Humility, 377 

IV.  The  Manner  in  which  he  received  the  Honors  paid  him,  380 
V.  His  Kindness  and  Gentleness, 384 

VI.  His  Firmness, 387 

VII.  His  Conformity  to  the  Will  of  God, 390 

VIII.   His  Filial  Obedience  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  .     .     .     .394 

IX.  His  Mortification, 397 

X.  His  Patience  in  the  time  of  Sickness, 400 

XI.  His  Love  for  his  Diocese, 402 

XII.  Postcript, 406 


*'/ 


SKETCHES 

OF   THE 

LIFE,  TIMES   AND   CHARACTER 

OP 

BISHOP  FLAGET, 


CHAPTER    I. 


HIS    CHILDHOOD,    YOUTH,    ORDINATION,    AND    FIRST    YEARS    OF 

PRIESTHOOD. 


176  3  —  17  9  2. 


His  Birth — Parentage — Brothers  and  Aunt — Words  of  his  dying 
Mother — Love  for  Orphans — Incident  of  Childhood — Presenti- 
ment— Vocation  to  the  Ministry — Confirmation — Bishop  De 
Bonald— Hu  joins  the  Sulpicians— Solitude  of  Issy — He  is  at 
Nantes,  and  at  Angers — French  Revolution — His  cahnnesB 
amidst  its  Horrors — Retirement  at  Billom. 

One  of  the  most  striking  evidences  going  to  prove 
the  divine  origin  and  character  of  the  Catholic  Church 
is  founded  on  the  fact,  that,  in  every  age  of  her  event- 
ful history,  God  has  been  pleased  to  raise  up  men,  who 
were  indued  with  the  Spirit  which  animated  the  first 
Apostles,  and  who  brought  forth  similar  fruits  of  holi- 
ness. Looking  over  the  pages  of  ecclesiastical  history, 
we  cannot  fail  to  remark  constant  and  palpable  proofs 
of  this  ever  watchful  Providence,  directing  all  things 

9 


18  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE    AND 

strongly,  yet  sweetly,  to  the  great  purpose  for  which 
Christ  died  on  the  cross, — the  salvation  of  men.  New 
confessors  of  the  faith,  new  doctors,  and  new  apostles 
spring  up  at  the  very  periods,  when  their  respective 
services  are  most  required  by  the  emergency ;  — ■ 
whether  for  the  strengthening  of  the  faithful,  the  con- 
futation  of  innovators  and  infidels,  or  the  bringing  of 
new  sheep  into  the  One  Sheepfold  of  the  One  Shepherd. 

Among  the  apostolic  men  whom  God  has  raised  up 
during  these  latter  times,  few  have  been  more  distin- 
guished for  virtue,  long  continued  labors  for  the  glory 
of  God,  and  usefulness  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  than 
the  subject  of  these  Sketches.  He  shines  forth  con- 
spicuous among  the  band  of  devoted  missionaries,  who 
have  "spent  and  been  spent,"  in  laying  the  foundations 
of  the  Catholic  Church  in  North  America. 

Bishop  Flaget  was  born  on  the  night  of  November  7, 
1763,  in  the  small  town  of  Contournat,  lying  in  the  com- 
mune  of  St.  Julien,  not  far  from  Billom,  in  Auvergne, 
France.  His  parents  were  honest  cultivators  of  the  soil- 
in  humble  circumstances,  but  of  respectable  family,  and 
distinguished  for  their  sincere  and  unaffected  piety.  His 
father  died  before  his  birth,  and  his  bereaved  mother 
was  sustained  in  her  heavf  affliction  by  a  strong  faith 
in  God's  holy  providence.  At  the  birth  of  her  son, 
some  one  present  having  exclaimed,  that  "  he  was  a 
child  of  benediction"  he  was  called  Benedict,* — a 
name  not  uncommon  in  the  family. 

*  " Monseigneur  Flaget,  eveque  de  Bardstown  et  Louisville; — sa 
Vie,  son  Esprit,  et  ses  Vertus:  par  le  pretre  qui  accompagnait  le 
Prelat  pendant  les  voyages  qu'il  fit  en  Europe  pour  l'oeuvre  de  la 
Propagation  de  la  Foi.     A  Paris.     1851/' — p.  4.     The  name  which 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  19 

His  father  had  been  twice  married;  two  daughters 
had  been  born  to  him  in  the  first,  and  three  sons  in  the 
second  marriage.  Of  the  latter,  our  Benedict  was  the 
youngest.  His  two  elder  brothers  lived,  like  himself, 
to  a  very  advanced  age.  The  oldest  became  a  priest, 
was  a  confessor  of  the  faith  during  the  stormy  times  of 
the  French  revolution,  and  died  parish  priest  of  Bil- 
lom, — which  office  he  filled  during  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life, — at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  universally 
esteemed  and  beloved.  The  second  became  a  notary 
public ;  and,  after  having  amassed  a  considerable  for- 
tune, died  in  his  eighty-eighth  year.  The  youngest 
was  destined  to  become  an  apostle  in  a  far  distant  land. 

When  the  little  Benedict  was  but  two  years  old,*  his 
pious  mother  departed  this  life.  While  on  her  death 
bed,  an  aunt  of  her  children  stood  by,  bathed  in  tears ; 
and,  holding  the  youngest  in  her  arms,  she  lamented 
that  one  so  tender  was  so  soon  to  be  left  a  desolate 
orphan.  The  mother,  raising  her  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
pouring  forth  a  fervent  prayer,  calmly  exclaimed:  "Be 
not  solicitous ;  God  will  take  care  of  the  child !  "f     She 

the  child  bore  in  the  Patois  of  the  country  was  Benuet — a  corrup- 
tion of  the  French  Benoit. 

In  quoting  this  work  hereafter,  we  shall  simply  refer  to  it  as  the 
'  'French  Life." 

*  Reminiscences  of  his  own  Life,  by  Bishop  Flaget;  written  down, 
as  he  narrated  the  facts,  by  his  secretary,  Rev.  P.  J.  Lavialle.  The 
author  of  the  French  Life  says,  that  he  was  in  his  fourth  year  at  his 
mother's  death.  We  follow  the  account  of  the  sainted  Bishop  him- 
self, whose  recollections  of  the  earlier  period  of  his  life  were  distinct 
and  vivid.  Unless  where  another  source  is  indicated,  most  of  the 
incidents  in  his  youth  are  taken  from  these  "Reminiscences." 

f  Reminiscences,  &c. 


20  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE   AND 

*oon  afterwards  tranquilly  breathed  her  last ;  and  God 
heard  her  prayer ! 

The  faithful  aunt  now  became  the  mother  of  the 
young  orphans ;  and  she  devoted  the  remainder  of  her 
life  to  rearing  them  up  in  the  love  and  fear  of  God.  In 
this  she  was  assisted  by  a  brother  of  the  deceased  father, 
the  Abbe  Benedict  Flaget,  canon  of  the  collegiate 
church  of  Billom.*  He  received  the  aunt  and  her 
adopted  children  into  his  house,  and  lent  efficient  aid 
in  raising  and  educating  them ; — with  what  success, 
their  subsequent  lives  clearly  proved. 

Having  thus  become  an  orphan  himself  at  so  early  a 
period  of  his  life,  the  subject  of  these  Sketches  ever 
afterwards  cherished  sentiments  of  the  most  livelv 
sympathy  for  those  left  by  Providence  in  a  similar  con- 
dition. It  was  the  object  dearest  to  his  heart  to  provide 
for  their  temporal  and  spiritual  comfort.  He  often 
spoke  most  feelingly  on  the  subject,  in  the  latter  years 
of  his  life ;  and  nothing  was  more  grateful  to  his  feel- 
ings,  than  to  see  assembled  around  him  those  little  ones, 
for  whom  he  had  been  able  to  provide  a  shelter  in 
establishments  erected  under  his  auspices. 

He  never  forgot  the  good  aunt,  who  had  taken  the 
place  of  his  mother.  In  a  letter  to  one  of  his  brothers, 
written  nine  years  after  his  arrival  in  America,  he 
speaks  of  her  in  the  following  terms: 

"  My  heart  bounds  at  the  very  remembrance  of  my 
aunt.  If  she  be  yet  living, — and  I  hope  that  God  has 
preserved  her  life  till  now, — I  cast  myself  on  her  neck, 
I  water  it  with  my  tears ;  words  fail  me  to  express  to 
her  my  gratitude.     *     *     The  idea  that  she  is  with 

*  French  Life — p.  4. 


CHAKACTEE   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  21 

you  and  your  virtuous  wife,  assures  me  as  to  her  well- 
being.  *  *  *  Now  that  the  Americans  have 
free  intercourse  with  the  French,  please  see  some  banker 
at  Clermont,  who  has  business  transactions  with  a  mer- 
chant at  Bordeaux  or  Havre,  in  order  that  I  may  be 
able  to  contribute  something  to  the  comfort  of  this  good 
aunt.  I  would  despoil  myself  to  clothe  her,  I  would 
deprive  myself  of  nourishment  to  feed  her ;  and  I  would 
thus  be  doing  only  what  she  has  done  a  thousand  times 
for  me.  I  think  I  do  not  natter  myself  on  this  point ; 
my  heart  is  not  ungrateful ;  it  seeks  but  the  occasion  to 
manifest  its  gratitude."* 

From  the  reminiscences  of  the  Prelate  in  his  old  age, 
it  would  appear  that  this  aunt  had  not  spoiled  him  by 
over  indulgence.  She  often  corrected  the  waywardness 
of  his  childhood;  and  she  was  very  strict,  and  some- 
times even  rigid  in  her  discipline.  She  was  always 
kind;  but,  at  the  same  time,  she  exacted  the  most 
punctual  obedience  to  her  commands. 

On  one  occasion,  when  he  had  left  the  house  without 
her  permission,  and  had  thereby  caused  her  much  soli- 
citude for  his  safety,  she  sent  him  supperless  to  bed, 
and  in  a  dark  room.  The  afflicted  child,  while  sobbing 
in  his  little  apartment,  fancied  that  he  beheld  an  appa- 
rition of  his  deceased  mother,  who,  with  a  calm,  but 
sorrowful  countenance,  bade  him  be  of  good  cheer. 
The  aunt,  alarmed  by  his  outcry,  soon  came  to  his 
relief;  and  on  hearing  his  account  of  the  apparition, 
she  relented,  took  him  kindly  in  her  arms,  and  remitted 
his  punishment.     He  remembered,  also,  that  she  took 

*  Letter,  May  18,  180L     French  Life— pp,  8,  9. 


22  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE   AND 

care  to  have  the  holy  sacrifice  offered  up  for  the  repose 
of  his  mothers  soul. 

At  a  verv  early  age,  the  young  Benedict  was  sent  to 
the  college  of  Billom.  At  the  age  of  seven,  he  was 
already  so  far  advanced  as  to  be  placed  in  the  grammar 
class.  In  this  college  he  continued  his  studies  until  he 
had  completed  his  classical  course. 

During  his  childhood,  he  seems  to  have  had  some 
presentiment  of  the  life  to  which  God  afterwards  called 
him;  for  he  was  often  heard  to  say,  that  "he  would  go 
far,  very  far  from  home,  and  that  they  would  see  him 


no  more."* 


Having  conceived,  from  his  most  tender  years,  an 
ardent  wish  to  devote  himself  to  the  service  of  God  in 
the  holy  ministry,  and  having  taken  all  the  precautions, 
dictated  by  Christian  prudence,  to  be  enabled  to  decide 
wisely  in  a  matter  of  so  much  importance,  he  at  length 
determined  to  embrace  the  ecclesiastical  state.  In  order 
to  enjoy  greater  facilities  for  pursuing  the  course  of 
studies  required  for  this  sublime  vocation,  at  the  age  of 
about  seventeen  he  was  sent  to  the  episcopal  city  of 
Clermont.  Here  he  made  his  course  of  philosophy, 
and  attended  the  class  of  theology  for  two  years,  in  the 
university ;  boarding,  in  the  meantime,  with  two  young 
men  of  wealth,  towards  whom  he  discharged  the  office 
of  private  tutor,  in  consideration  of  their  defraying  his 
expenses. 

It  was  here,  also,  that  he  had  the  happiness  of  receiv- 
ing the  sacrament  of  confirmation  from  the  hands  of 
Monseigneur  De  Bonald,  Bishop  of  Clermont,  whose 
age  and  infirmities    had    not  permitted    him  to   visit 

*  French  Life — p.  5. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  23 

Billom.  He  was,  at  the  time,  in  his  eighteenth  yearr 
Having  long  cherished  a  tender  devotion  towards  St. 
Joseph,  the  special  patron  of  youth,  and  especially  of 
orphans,  he  took  his  name  in  confirmation.  He  re- 
ceived the  sacrament  with  sentiments  of  the  most  lively 
faith,  and  with  those  emotions  of  tender  piety  for  which 
he  was  always  distinguished.  He  was  thereby  greatly 
strengthened  in  his  purpose  of  devoting  his  whole  life 
to  the  service  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  his  neighbor. 
The  Sulpicians,  so  celebrated  for  their  ability  in 
training  up  youth  for  the  ecclesiastical  state,  were 
then  conducting  in  Clermont  a  seminary  for  the 
higher  clerical  studies.  The  young  candidate  for  the 
ministry  was  forcibly  struck  by  the  learning,  piety, 
and  strict  observance  of  this  body  of  priests;  and  he 
determined  to  place  himself  under  their  direction.  He 
accordingly  entered  their  seminary,  having  obtained  a 
free   scholarship   established   by  Bishop  De  Bonald.* 

*  He  subsequently  returned  thanks  .for  this  favor,  in  a  graceful 
letter  written  tc  the  famous  philosopher  De  Bonald,  Peer  of  France, 
the  Bishop's  relative,  who  had  presented  him  with  a  copy  of  his 
works:  "Through  the  aid  of  the  burses  established  at  the  Seminary 
of  Clermont  by  Monseigneur  De  Bonald,  one  of  which  I  obtained 
after  the  requisite  examination,  I  made  my  seminary  course  under 
-the  eyes  of  that  illustrious  prelate.  It  was  he  who  initiated  me 
into  the  sanctuary;  from  him  I  received  sub-deaconship ;  and  by 
his  permission  I  entered  the  Society  of  the  Sulpicians.  Finally,  in 
.1792,  the  time  at  which  Monsieur  Emery  charged  me  with  the 
mission  to  the  United  States,  I  had  the  unspeakable  pleasure  of  re- 
ceiving at  Paris  the  blessing  of  that  holy  and  wise  prelate ;  who  fold- 
ing me  in  his  arms,  conjured  me,  in  presence  of  heaven,  to  go  as  an 
apostle  to  the  country  to  which  I  had  been  called ;  in  order  to  estab- 
lish therein  that  faith,  which  was  tottering,  or  rather  seemed  lost,  in 
sFrance.  These  words  sank  deeply  into  my  heart;  and  I  have  never 
forgotten  them."— Letter,  May  19,  1829. 


24  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE    AND 

Under  the  enlightened  guidance  of  this  venerable  pre- 
late, he  pursued  his  ecclesiastical  studies  with  great 
confidence ;  and  without  his  advice  he  took  no  impor- 
tant step. 

He  was  so  much  pleased  by  the  manner  of  life  fol- 
lowed by  his  new  instructors,  that,  with  the  permission 
of  Bishop  De  Bonald,  he  resolved  to  apply  for  admis- 
sion into  their  congregation.  They  likewise  had  con- 
ceived a  high  opinion  of  his  piety  and  other  good 
qualities ;  and  his  application  was  favorably  received. 
He  became  a  member  of  their  congregation  on  the  1st 
of  November,  1783  ;*  when  he  had  almost  completed 
his  twentieth  year.  He  now  continued  his  studies  with 
renewed  ardor,  and  daily  advanced  in  the  path  of  per- 
fection. Obedience,  to  which  he  had  been  trained  from 
his  infancy,  had  become  a  settled  habit  with  him ;  and 
it  now  cost  him  comparatively  but  little,  no  matter  how 
painful  to  nature  the  object  of  the  command. 

At  the  canonical  age,  he  received  the  holy  order  of 
sub-deaconship ;  and  thereby  bound  himself  irrevocably 
to  the  service  of  the  Church  at  her  holy  altars. 

Having  remained  for  nearly  two  years  under  the  in- 
struction of  the  Sulpicians  at  Clermont,  and  completed 
the  course  taught  in  that  seminary,  and  not  having  as 
yet  reached  the  age  required  for  the  priesthood,  he  was 
sent  to  the  solitude  of  Issy,  near  Paris,  to  prepare  him- 
self for  ordination.  Here  he  remained  about  three 
years;  continuing  his  studies,  and  grounding  himself 
more  and  more  in  the  sublime  principles  and  difficult 
practices  of  the  spiritual  life. 

These  were,  perhaps,  the  happiest  years  of  his  life. 

*  Sulpician  Register.     For  a  copy  of  this  valuable  document,  \re 
are  indebted  to  the  present  Archbishop  of  Baltimore.. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  25 

He  always  viewed  religious  solitude  as  "a  paradise 
upon  earth  ";  and  he  never  tired  of  being  near  the  holy 
altar,  and  paying  his  homage  to  Jesus,  reposing  thereon 
in  the  sacrament  of  His  love.  The  office  of  sacristan, 
with  which  he  was  charged,  afforded  him  the  opportu- 
nity he  so  much  coveted ;  and  it  was  here  that  he  grew 
up,  under  the  shadow  of  the  altar,  in  that  tender  and 
abiding  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  which, 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  his  long  life,  he  always 
so  warmly  cherished  and  so  constantly  practised. 

The  Rev.  Gabriel  Richard,  afterwards  for  so  many 
years  an  American  missionary,  stationed  chiefly  at 
Detroit,  was  then  superior  of  the  seminary  at  Issy; 
and  here  both  these  distinguished  ecclesiastics  imbibed 
in  solitude  that  spirit  of  prayer  and  fortitude,  which 
fitted  them  to  become  apostles  in  the  new  world. 

After  his  promotion  to  the  priesthood  at  Issy, 
Monsieur  Flaget  was  sent  by  his  superiors  to  the 
seminary  of  Nantes ;  where  he  was  for  two  years  pro- 
fessor of  dogmatic  theology.  He  here  also  filled,  for 
a  time,  the  office  of  procurator,  during  the  illness  of 
the  incumbent. 

The  professor  of  moral  theology  in  the  Seminary  of 
Nantes  having  been  appointed  superior  of  that  of 
Angers,  asked  that  Monsieur  Flaget,  for  whom  he 
had  conceived  a  special  friendship,  might  be  permitted 
to  accompany  him  to  the  latter  city,  as  professor  of 
dogma.  The  request  was.  granted.  In  a  few  months, 
however,  the  storm  of  the  French  revolution  broke  out 
with  fury  in  that  portion  of  France ;  and  the  seminary 
of  Angers  was  closed.  The  professors  sought  shelter  in 
private  families,  or  wherever  they  were  most  safe  against 


26  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE    AND 

the  rage  of  the  infuriated  Jacobins,  who  thirsted  for  the 
blood  of  every  priest  of  God. 

In  this  sad  emergency,  Monsieur  Flaget  applied 
for  counsel  to  Monsieur  Emery,  the  superior  ■  gene- 
ral of  the  society,  and  under  his  advice,  he  retired  for 
a  time  to  the  bosom  of  his  family  at  Billom.  This 
occurred  in  the  year  1791,  when  he  was  in  the  twenty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age. 

While  all  was  confusion  and  bloodshed  around  him, 
strong  in  faith  and  in  hope,  he  possessed  his  soul  in 
peace.  His  heart  was  indeed  torn  with  anguish  by  the 
news  of  desecrated  temples,  of  violated  altars,  of  priests 
massacred  while  faithfully  ministering  to  God,  and  of 
holy  virgins  immolated  in  the  cloister ;  but  his  confi- 
dence that  God  would  protect  His  Church  never  for  a 
moment  faltered.  He  infused  much  of  his  own  serenity 
amidst  the  storm  into  the  minds  of  others.  Better  days 
were  coming. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  27 


CHAPTER    II. 


THE  YEARS  OF  HIS  PRIESTHOOD  IN  AMERICA. 


AT  VINCENNES. 


1792—  1795. 


French  revolution — Exiled  French  clergy  in  England  and  Amer- 
ica— Monsieur  Flaget  sails  for  America — Sent  to  Vincennes — 
Delay  in  Pittsburgh — General  Wayne — Incidents — Journey  to 
Louisville  and  Vincennes — State  of  Religion  there — His  labors — 
:Small-pox — Improvements  in  agriculture  and  manufactures — 
Early  religious  history  of  Vincennes — He  is  recalled  to  Balti- 
more— Goes  by  New  Orleans — Arrival  in  Baltimore. 

The  storm  which  spreads  devastation  in  its  course,  is 
controlled  by  Providence  for  purposes  of  good.  It  scat- 
ters far  and  wide  the  seed,  and  thus  causes  to  spring  up 
goodly  plants,  yielding  abundant  fruit  in  distant  lands ; 
which,  but  for  its  wild  agency,  would  have  remained 
deprived  of  this  resource  for  beauty  and  usefulness. 
So  was  it  with  the  tempest  of  the  French  revolution. 
It  scattered  the  good  seed  of  the  Gospel  into  remote 
regions,  where  it  took  root  and  fructified  "for  the  heal- 
ing of  the  nations."  The  zealous  and  exemplary  clergy 
of  France,  persecuted  and  hunted  down  at  home  by  the 
enemies  of  all  social  order,  and  of  its  only  solid  basis — 
Religion, — followed  the  evangelical  counsel,  and  fled 
abroad   into   distant   countries;   where,  though   many 


28  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE    AND 

privations  awaited  them,  they  might  at  least  hope  to 
labor  in  peace  for  the  salvation  of  men. 

Thus  the  loss  of  France  became  the  gain  of  other 
lands  less  favored  with  Religion.  England  and  the 
United  States,  in  particular,  felt  the  beneficial  effects 
of  this  partial  dispersion  of  the  French  clergy.  The 
exemplary  piety,  the  patient  endurance,  the  high-toned 
politeness,  and  the  unalterable  meekness  of  the  French 
priests  who  sought  shelter  in  England,  could  not  fail  to 
excite  the  admiration,  and  win  the  esteem  even  of  the 
prejudiced  and  proud  British  Protestants.  There  is 
little  room  to  doubt,  that  the  religious  change  which 
has  since  taken  place  in  the  English  Protestant  mind, 
had  its  commencement  in  the  favorable  impression 
made  by  the  exemplary  lives  of  the  exiled  French 
clergy;  whose  prayers  also,  no  doubt,  drew  down  a 
blessing  on  their  kind  entertainers. 

In  the  United  States  we  are  still  more  largely  in  debt 
to  the  zeal  of  those  devoted  men.  Examples  proving 
this  are  numerous  and  familiar ;  one  of  the  most  illus- 
trious is  the  subject  of  the  present  Sketches. 

In  his  retirement  at  Billom,  M.  Flaget  earnestly 
implored  the  divine  light  for  his  guidance  under 
the  difficult  circumstances  in  which  he  found  himself 
placed.  The  horrors  of  the  revolution  continued  with 
unabating  fury,  and  he  saw  no  prospect  of  his  being 
soon  able  to  devote  himself  usefully  to  the  holy  minis- 
trv  in  his  native  land.  In  this  difficult v,  the  inward 
voice  which  he  had  thought  he  heard  in  his  early  child- 
hood, warning  him  that  he  was  to  go  far  away  from 
home,  again  echoed  through  his  heart ;  and  he  decided 
to  offer  himself  for  the  missions  of  the  United  States. 
There  the  harvest  was  indeed  great,  and  the  laborer.^ 


CHARACTER   OF  BlSHO?   FLAGFT.  20 

few.  Bishop  Carroll  had  lately  been  consecrated ;  and 
while  his  jurisdiction  extended  over  all  the  States,  the 
number  of  his  priests  was  lamentably  small,  and  entire- 
ly inadequate  to  the  wants  of  so  vast  a  mission. 

That  he  might  not,  however,  act  with  precipitation 
in  a  matter  of  so  much  importance,  he  went  to  Paris  to 
consult  his  superior,  M.  Emery.  Under  his  direc- 
tion, he  made  a  spiritual  retreat,  and  to  him  he  laid 
open  the  inmost  recesses  of  his  heart  in  a  general 
confession.  The  result  was,  that  M.  Emery  advised 
him  to  carry  out  the  intention  he  had  conceived; 
and  accordingly,  he  lost  no  time  in  preparing  for  his 
departure  for  his  distant  mission.* 

For  this  purpose,  he  repaired  to  Bordeaux;  from 
which  port  he  sailed  for  Philadelphia  in  January,  1792. 
His  traveling  companions  were,  the  Rev.  MM.  Chicois- 
neau,f  David,  and  Badin  ;  the  first  named,  lately  supe- 
rior of  the  Snlpician  seminary  of  Orleans ;  the  second, 
a  Sulpician  priest,  like  himself,  and  his  intimate  friend ; 
the  third,  a  secular  and  sub-deacon,  of  the  diocese  of 
Orleans.  The  two  last  became  subsequently  for  many 
years  his  missionary  associates  in  Kentucky. 

The  missionaries  reached  Philadelphia  on  the  28th, 
and  Baltimore  on  the  29thJ  of  March.  Here  they 
were  delighted  to  find  that  a  colony  of  French  Sulpi- 

*  It  would  appear  also,  from  hints  thrown  out  in  the  subsequent 
correspondence  of  the  Bishop,  that  M.  Emery  advised  his 
going  to  America  with  a  special  view  to  his  taking  the  mission 
of  Vincennes. 

f  Sulpician  Register, 

X  Idem.     The  French  Life  states  that  they  arrived  on  the  28th. 


30  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE    AND 

cians  had  arrived  six  months  before,  and  that  many  of 
them  were  old  friends. 

On  the  day  after  their  arrival,  they  went  in  a  body 
to  pay  their  respects  to  Bishop  Carroll ;  but  they  met 
this  venerable  prelate  already  on  his  way  to  render 
them  the  first  visit.  Apologizing  for  their  tardiness, 
they  were  placed  completely  at  their  ease  by  the  grace- 
ful reply  of  the  Bishop :  "  Gentlemen,  you  have  traveled 
fifteen  hundred  leagues  to  see  me  ;  and  surely  it  was  as 
little  as  I  could  do  to  walk  a  few  squares  to  see  you !  " 

M.  Flaget  remained  in  Baltimore  but  two  months. 
Having  unreservedly  offered  his  services  to  Bishop 
Carroll,  he  cheerfully  accepted  from  the  latter  the 
distant  mission  of  Vincennes ;  where  there  was  a  con- 
siderable number  of  French  settlers,  who  had  been 
long  deprived  of  the  services  of  a  clergyman. 

He  accordingly  set  out  on  his  journey  in  the  month 
of  May,  in  a  wagon  destined  for  Pittsburgh.  He 
traveled  alone,*  with  the  conductor  of  the  wagon; 
whose  good  will  and  friendship  he  won,  though  as  yet 
he  knew  but  a  few  words  of  English.  In  Pittsburgh 
he  was  detained  for  nearly  six  months,  in  consequence 
of  the  low  stage  of  water  in  the  Ohio.  He  carried  with 
him  letters  of  introduction  from  Bishop  Carroll  to  Gen. 

*  The  French  Life  of  Bishop  Flaget,  as  well  as  the  Sulpician 
Register,  states  that  he  was  accompanied  in  his  journey  by  M. 
Levadoux.  This  is  incompatible  with  his  own  Reminiscen- 
ces, which  are  explicit  and  detailed  on  this  point.  He  met 
MM.  Levadoux  and  Richard  only  on  his  arrival  at  Louisville. 
They  probably  left  Baltimore  somewhat  later;  at  least  they  did  not 
travel  in  his  company,  else  he  would  have  mentioned  the  circum- 
stance in  one  of  his  numerous  conversations  on  the  subject  of  this 
journey. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  31 

Wayne,  who  was  stationed  at  that  point,  preparing  for 
his  great  expedition  against  the  Indians  of  the  North 
West.  The  General  received  him  with  kindness,  and 
offered  him  every  attention  and  aid  in  his  power. 

During  his  detention  in  Pittsburgh,  M.  Flaget 
was  not  idle.  He  boarded  in  the  family  of  a  French 
Huguenot  married  to  an  American  Protestant  lady, 
by  whom  he  was  kindly  and  hospitably  entertained. 
He  said  Mass  every  morning  in  their  house;  and 
during  the  day  he  devoted  himself  to  the  instruction 
of  the  few  French  inhabitants  and  Catholic  soldiers. 

The  small-pox  having  broken  out  in  the  place,  he 
was  indefatigable  in  his  attentions  to  those  stricken 
with  the  loathsome  disease.  Forgetful  of  his  own  im- 
minent danger,  he  generously  devoted  himself  for 
their  bodily  and  spiritual  comfort.  His  zeal  brought 
with  it  a  blessing,  and  his  heart  was  much  consoled  by 
these  first  fruits  of  his  ministry  in  America. 

An  incident  occurred  while  he  was  in  Pittsburgh, 
which  presented  an  occasion  for  the  exercise  of  his 
charity  and  zeal.  General  Wayne,  though  a  humane 
man,  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian.  Four  soldiers  had 
deserted ;  and  on  being  apprehended,  they  were  prompt- 
ly condemned  to  death  by  a  court  martial.  Two  of 
them  were  Irish  or  American  Catholics,  one  was 
a  Protestant,  and  the  fourth  a  French  infidel.  M. 
Flaget  visited  them  in  prison ;  and  though  but  little 
acquainted  with  English,  he  had  the  happiness  to 
receive  the  Protestant  into  the  Church,  and  to  admin- 
ister the  sacraments  to  the  two  Catholics.  They  were 
in  the  most  happy  dispositions;  and  he  mingled  his 
tears  of  joy  with  theirs  of  repentance.     The  French- 


32  SKETCHES   OP   THE   LIFE   AttD 

man   proved   obdurate;    and  the  zealous  priest  could 
make  no  impression  on  his  heart. 

He  accompanied  the  convicts  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion ;  but  his  tender  heart  would  not  permit'  him  to 
hear  the  fatal  shot,  by  which  they  would  be  launched 
into  eternity.  So  much  was  he  moved,  that  on  his 
hasty  departure  from  the  spot,  he  fell  into  a  swoon ; 
and  on  recovering,  he  found  himself  lying  in  a  ravine 
by  the  way-side.  Several  hours  had  already  elapsed 
since  the  execution ;  and  the  whole  appeared  to  him 
like  a  dream.  The  Frenchman  was  pardoned  by  Gen- 
eral Wavne,  the  moment  before  the  order  to  fire, 
out  of  regard  for  the  feelings  of  M.  Flaget;  who  had 
exhibited  the  most  poignant  grief  that  his  unhappy 
countryman  was  so  totally  unprepared  to  die. 

In  November,  he  left  Pittsburgh  in  a  flat-boat  bound 
for  Louisville,  which  place  he  reached  towards  the  end 
of  the  month.  Cincinnati  was  then  a  mere  fort;  and 
there  were  but  three  or  four  cabins  in  Louisville.  Here 
he  had  the  happiness  to  meet  with  his  old  friends, 
Rev.  MM.  Levadoux  and  Richard,  on  their  way  to 
Kaskaskias  and  Prairie  du  Rocher.  At  the  foot  of  a 
tree  with  wide  spreading  branches,  he  made  his 
confession  to  M.  Levadoux;  his  heart  was  filled  with 
lively  emotion ;  for  he  knew  not  how  long  it  might 
be  before  he  would  have  another  opportunity  to  receive 
the  grace  of  the  holy  sacrament  of  penance. 

In  Louisville,  he  stopped  at  the  cabin  of  a  French 
settler,  who  owned  a  hundred  acres  of  land  at  the 
mouth  of  Beargrass  creek,  embracing  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  present  city.  His  host,  who  had  no  heirs, 
pressed  him  to  take  up  his  abode  permanently  at  his 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  33 

bouse,  promising  to  convey  to  him  all  his  property, 
in  case  of  compliance.  But  the  disinterested  mission- 
ary told  him  at  once  that  he  was  a  child  of  obedience, 
and  that  he  must  repair  promptly  to  the  station  to 
which  he  had  been  sent  by  his  superiors.  This  pro- 
perty is  now  worth  probably  more  than  a  million  of 
dollars ! 

General  Wayne  had  commended  him  to  the  kind 
attention  of  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  then 
commanded  a  garrison  on  Corn  Island,  near  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio.  Colonel  Clark  armed  a  bateau,  and  ac- 
companied him  to  Yincennes,  showing  him  every  atten- 
tion on  the  way,  and  causing  him  at  night  to  sleep 
under  his  own  tent.  So  great  was  the  friendship  he 
then  conceived  for  the  humble  missionary,  that  he  ever 
afterwards  spoke  of  him  in  terms  of  the  highest  praise, 
and  exhibited  every  readiness  to  serve  him. 

M.  Flaget  arrived  at  Vincennes  a  few  days  before 
Christmas,  1792.*  He  found  the  church  in  a  sadly 
dilapidated  state.  It  was  a  very  poor  log  building, 
open  to  the  weather,  neglected,  and  almost  totter- 
ing. The  altar  was  a  temporary  structure,  of  boards 
badly  put  together.  He  immediately  set  to  work,  to 
repair  the  church,  and  especially  to  refit  and  decorate, 
to  the  best  of  his  power,  the  wretched  altar,  for  the 
coming  festival. 

The  congregation  was,  if  possible,  in  a  still  more 
miserable  condition  than  the  church.  Out  of  nearly 
seven  hundred  souls  of  whom  it  was  composed,  the 
missionary  was  able,  with  all  his  zealous  efforts,  to  in- 

*  The  precise  day  of  his  arrival,  as  appears  from  the  Church 
Registers  of  Vincennes,  was  December  21st. 


34  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AJSTD 


duce  only  twelve  to  approach  the  holy  communion, 
during  the  Christmas  festivities !  His  heart  was  filled 
with  anguish  at  the  spiritual  desolation  which  brooded 
over  the  place. 

Yet  he  reposed  his  trust  in  God,  and  yielded  not,  for 
a  moment,  to  discouragement.  He  determined  to  enter 
at  once  upon  the  work  of  reformation,  in  the  same  way 
that  St.  Francis  Xavier  had  adopted  among  the  degen- 
erate Portugese  at  Goa ; — by  seeking  to  reach  the  hearts 
of  the  parents  through  those  of  the  children.  He 
accordingly  opened  a  school  for  the  latter,  in  which 
they  were  taught,  along  with  the  rudiments  of  learn- 
ing, the  principles  of  the  catechism  and  the  prayers  of 
the  Church.  He  also  formed  a  class  of  singing,  and 
those  of  the  children  who  had  the  best  voices  were  ex- 
ercised in  chanting  French  canticles. 

His  success  was  complete.  The  children  became 
warmly  devoted  to  their  new  teacher;  they  entered 
with  relish  into  all  his  plans ;  they  were  seen  hanging 
round  him,  as  a  father  whom  they  loved.  They  sang 
the  canticles,  not  only  in  the  school  and  in  the  church, 
but  also  while  laboring  in  the  fields.  Some  of  the  more 
pious  and  promising  among  them  were  also  instructed 
to  serve  Mass ;  and  the  service  of  the  altar  was  ren- 
dered imposing  by  a  number  of  these  pious  youths, 
arrayed  in  white  within  the  Sanctuary.  The  hearts  of 
the  parents  were  moved  at  the  spectacle.  The  most 
obdurate  among  them  determined  not  to  be  outdone  by 
their  own  children.  They  came  to  confession  in  great 
numbers;  and  the  congregation  soon  wore  a  new  ap- 
pearance. 

The  pious  pastor  was  consoled  by  the  reflection,  that 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  35 

if  but  twelve  adults  could  be  found  at  Yincennes  who 
were  willing  to  approach  the  holy  communion  on  his 
first  arrival,  he  could  say  with  truth, — as  St.  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus  had  said  under  similar  circumstances  of 
his  episcopal  city  of  Neo-Csesarea, — that  at  his  depar- 
ture, there  was  probably  not  more  than  that  number  of 
persons  who  were  not  pious  communicants ! 

The  inhabitants  of  Yincennes  had  lived  so  long 
among  the  Indians,  with  whom  many  of  them  had  in- 
termarried, that  they  had  contracted  many  of  their 
savage  habits.  Like  them,  they  were  erratic  and  im- 
provident, living  chiefly  by  the  chase,  and  purchasing 
their  clothing  and  other  necessaries  with  peltries  at  the 
different  trading  stations. 

M.  Flaget  employed  every  effort  to  improve  their 
social  condition,  and  to  teach  them  the  useful  indus- 
trial arts.  He  encouraged  agriculture  and  domestic 
manufactures.  He  had  looms  made,  and  purchased 
a  house  with  lands  adjoining,  with  a  view  therein  to 
train  up  youth  to  the  different  trades.  His  success 
might  have  been  complete,  had  he  not  been  recalled  to 
Baltimore,  before  he  had  time  fully  to  carry  out  his 
plans. 

As  it  was,  he  succeeded  in  awakening  the  attention 
of  the  inhabitants  to  these  important  improvements. 
He  was  at  the  same  time  pastor,  father,  judge,  and 
counsellor  of  these  poor  people.  They  applied  to  him 
in  every  difficulty  and  distress.  He  received  nothing 
from  them  for  his  services.  On  the  contrary,  he  ex- 
hausted his  own  slender  resources,  and  even  distributed 
the  greater  portion  of  his  linen,  in  order  to  provide  for 
the  comfort  of  the  poor  and  the  sick. 


36  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Having,  with  all  his  occupations,  considerable  leisure 
time  on  his  hands,  he  employed  it  in  revising  his  theo- 
logical studies.  He  was  never  idle,  but  was  always 
engaged  either  in  prayer,  study,  or  missionary  duties. 
Prayer  and  spiritual  reading  were  his  chief  resources 
for  comfort  and  strength,  in  the  lonely  situation  in 
which  Providence  had  placed  him. 

During  his  stay  at  Yincennes,  the  small-pox  appeared 
in  a  malignant  form  among  the  inhabitants  and  the 
neighboring  Indian  tribes ;  and  it  raged  at  intervals  for 
a  year.  He  waited  upon  the  afflicted  with  his  usual 
tender  devotedness,  and  forgetfulness  of  self.  He  vis- 
ited the  Miamis  and  other  Indians  of  the  vicinity, 
among  whom  the  disease  was  most  fatal.  He  had  the 
happiness  to  baptize  many  on  their  death-bed ;  eight  or 
nine  among  the  Miamis  alone. 

So  much  was  his  heart  moved  bv  the  forlorn  condi- 
tion  of  these  savages,  that  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Carroll, 
offering  his  services  as  a  missionary  among  them; 
adding,  however,  as  a  condition,  that  he  should  have 
an  associate  in  the  mission,  of  whom  he  might  take 
counsel,  and  to  whom  he  could  go  to  confession ; — for 
he  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  being  alone  in  the 
wilderness  without  the  consolations  of  the  sacrament 
of  penance. 

In  this  respect  he  had  already  suffered  much.  The 
nearest  priest  was  stationed  at  Kaskaskias,  or  Prairie 
du  Rocher;  and  the  intervening  wilderness  swarmed 
with  savages,  some  of  whom  were  hostile.  Whenever 
he  went  to  confession,  which  was  but  once,  or  at  most 
twice  a  year,  he  was  compelled  to  cross  this  wilderness 
with  an  armed  escort.     Even  with  this  necessary  pre- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  37 

caution,  the  journey  was  fraught  with  danger,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  incident. 

Two  Indians  were  arraigned  before  the  court  at  Kas- 
kaskias  for  the  murder  of  a  white  man.  They  pleaded, 
in  evidence  of  their  innocence,  that  they  and  their  tribe 
might  easily  have  slain  the  uBlackgown':  with  his 
young  men,  but  that  they  had  spared  his  life,  and  let 
him  pass  unhurt  through  their  territory. 

On  being  subsequently  interrogated  by  a  friend,  as 
to  the  chief  sources  of  his  consolation  and  strength, 
while  alone  in  Yincennes,  he  smilingly  answered,  with 
characteristic  simplicity:  "Two  things  sustained  me  at 
that  time:  first,  the  visits  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
which  every  day  consoled  me  and  recruited  my  strength ; 
and  second,  the  memory  of  M.  Emery;  for  I  thought 
often  within  myself, — what  would  M.  Emery  think  if  I 
should  do  any  thing  foolish  ?  "*  His  reverence  for  his 
superior  rendered  what  might  seem  at  first  sight  a 
human  motive  of  conduct,  really  a  divine  one  in  his 
eyes. 

Before  following  farther  the  missionary  career  of 
M.  Flaget,  it  may  be  well  to  pause,  and  glance 
rapidly  at  the  early  history  of  Yincennes,  up  to  the 
time  of  his  arrival  there  in  1792.  As  this  subject 
must  be  interesting  to  the  Catholic  reader,  and  as  it  is 
not  inappropriate  to  the  object  of  these  Sketches,  we 
may  be  permitted  to  enter  into  some  details,  derived 
from  the  Registers  of  the  ancient  parish  of  Yincennes ; 
one  of  the  oldest  in  the  West.f 

*  French  Life — p.  13. 

f  We  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  E.  Aubran,  the  present  pastor  of 
St.   Xavier's   Cathedral,  Yincennes,  for  a  condensed  summary  of 


38  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AITO 

At  what  precise  date  Catholic  missionaries  first  vis- 
ited Indiana,  is  involved  in  some  uncertainty ;  as  is  also 
the  time  when  the  French  Post  of  Yincennes  was  first 
established.  The  late  Bishop  Brute  was  of  opinion, 
that  the  famous  discussion  which  took  place,  some  time 
before  the  year  1712,  between  the  Jesuit  missionary 
Mermet  and  the  Indian  medicine-man,  occurred  at,  or 
near  the  present  site  of  Yincennes.*     Father  Mermet 

facts  extracted  by  him  principally  from  those  venerable  records, 
many  of  which. are  now  defaced  by  time,  and  scarcely  legible.  We 
shall  make  a  free  use  of  this  valuable  communication. 

*  We  subjoin  the  entire  passage  from  the  Lettres  Edifiantes. 
Vol.  6 — p.  333,  &c: — 

"The  French  had  established  a  fort  on  the  river  Ouabaehe;  they 
asked  for  a  missionary,  and  the  Father  Mermet  was  sent  to  them. 
This  Father  thought  he  should  also  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the 
Mascoutens,  who  had  formed  a  settlement  on  the  banks  of  the  same 
river :  a  tribe  of  Indians  who  understood  the  Illinois  language,  but 
whose  extreme  attachment  to  the  superstitions  of  their  medicine- 
men rendered  them  exceedingly  indisposed  to  listen  to  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  missionary. 

"The  course  which  Father  Mermet  took,  was  to  confound  in  their 
presence  one  of  their  medicine-men,  who  worshiped  the  buffalo  as 
his  grand  Manitou.  After  having  insensibly  led  him  to  confess  that 
it  was  not  by  any  means  the  buffalo  which  he  worshiped,  but  a 
Manitou  of  the  buffalo,  which  is  under  the  earth,  which  animates 
all  the  buffaloes,  and  which  gives  life  to  all  their  sick;  he  asked 
him  whether  the  other  beasts,  as  the  bears,  for  example,  which  hie 
comrades  worshiped,  were  not  equally  animated  by  a  Manitou. 
which  is  under  the  earth?  'Certainly/  replied  the  medicine-man. 
'But  if  this  be  so/  said  the  missionary,  'then  men  aught  also  to 
have  a  Manitou  which  animates  them.'  'Nothing  can  be  more  cer- 
tain/ said  the  medicine-man.  'That  is  sufficient  for  me/  replied 
the  missionary,  'to  convict  you  of  having  but  little  reason  on  your 
side ;  for  if  man  who  is  on  the  earth  be  the  master  of  all  the  ani- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  39 

accompanied  the  Sieur  TucTiereau,  a  Canadian  officer, 
who  wished  to  establish  a  military  post  at  or  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio  or  Wabash ;  or,  as  the  name  of  the 
latter  is  written  in  the  Letters  of  the  early  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries, the  Ouabache*  The  supposed  founder  of 
Post  Vincennes,  from  whom  at  least  the  place  took  its 
name,  was  Francis  Morgan  de  Vinsennes,  supposed 
by  Bishop  Hailandiere  to  have  been  of  Irish  extraction. 
Some  descendants  of  his  family  are  believed  to  be  liv- 
ing to  the  present  day  at  St.  Malo  in  Brittany,  France. 
He  was  commandant  of  a  small  French  fort  on  the 
Wabash,  and  was  killed  in  1736,  in  an  expedition 
against  the  Chickasaw  Indians,  which  he  had  under- 
taken in  company  with  M.  D'Artaguiette,  of  the  French 
settlements  in  the  Illinois  country. 

A  Jesuit  missionary,  F.  Senat,  accompanied  this  un- 
fortunate expedition.  When  those  who  survived  the 
murderous  engagement  with  the  savages  fled  with  pre- 
cipitation, this  devoted  priest  remained  behind,  to 
solace  and  assist  the  wounded.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Chickasaws,  and  burned  to  death  at  the  stake, 

male — if  he  kills  them,  if  he  eats  them,  then  it  is  necessary  that  the 
Man  if  on  which  animates  the  men  should  also  be  the  master  of  all 
the  other  Manitous.  Where  is  then  your  wisdom,  that  you  do  not 
invoke  him  that  is  the  master  of  all  the  others?'  This  reasoning 
disconcerted  the  medicine-man,  but  this  was  the  onl}'  effect  which 
it  produced;  for  they  were  not  less  attached  than  before  to  their 
ridiculous  superstitions." — Letter  of  F.  Marest,  dated  Caskaskias, 
November  19,  1712. 

*  From  the  old  French  maps,  some  of  which  are  still  preserved 
in  the  library  of  the  Cathedral  at  Vincennes,  it  appears  that  the 
Ohio  was  called  the  Wabash:  the  former  river  had  not  probably 
been  fully  explored  at  that  time. 


40  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

with  all  the  atrocities  of  savage  vengeance,  praying  for 
his  executioners  to  the  last  breath.  The  retreat  of  the 
French  was  conducted  with  extraordinary  skill  and 
bravery  by  M.  Voisin,  a  young  officer  only  sixteen 
years  of  age.* 

The  church  records  of  Yincennes  open  April  21, 
1749.  They  begin  simply  and  absolutely,  without  title 
page  or  introduction,  with  a  certificate  of  marriage 
between  Julien  Trattier,  of  Montreal,  Canada,  and 
Josette  Marie,  the  daughter  of  a  Frenchman  and  an 
Indian  woman.  This  record  is  written  on  a  detached 
sheet,  afterwards  appended  to  the  Register  by  the  resi- 
dent clergyman,  with  the  proper  certificate  of  its  genu- 
ineness. The  only  baptisms  recorded  during  this  year 
are  those  of  two  Indian  adults. 

The  residing  priest,  a.  Jesuit,  was  then  F.  Sebastian 
Louis  Meurin  ;  who,  the  Register  states,  performed  also 
the  functions  of  the  civil  court. f  There  was,  even  at 
that  early  period,  a  rude  church  or  chapel ;  and.  the 
young  woman,  whose  marriage  is  the  first  recorded  in 
the  Register,  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  adjoining,  in 
December,  1750: — her  grave  is  under  the  present 
cathedral. 

From  the  appearance  of  the  Registers,  it  would  seem 
that  all  the  marriages,  baptisms,  and  burials,  were  not 
recorded ;  but  it  is  evident  that  the-  population  of  the 
place  was  then  very  small.  All  the  certificates,  except 
those  of  deaths,  are  signed  by  M.  de  St.  Ange, 
Lieutenant    of    marine,    commandant    for    the    King 


*  Charlevoix.     Vol.— p.  iv  297.     Edit.  L2. 
f  Faisant  Us  fonctions  curiales,. 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  41 

at  Post  Yincennes.  The  last  official  act  of  F.  Meurin 
was  the  burial  of  the  wife  of  a  corporal  in  the  garrison, 
March  17,  1753. 

He  was  succeeded  by  another  Jesuit,  F.  Louis  Yivier, 
whose  first  act  is  a  marriage  recorded  May  20,  1753. 
On  the  21th  of  November  following,  he  buried  Pierre 
Leonardy,  lieutenant  of  the  garrison.  His  last  record 
is  dated  August  28th,  1756.  The  number  of  baptisms 
and  marriages  is  still  very  small,  but  steadily  increas- 
ing. Half  of  these  is  of  red,  or  Indian  slaves,  be- 
longing to  the  commandant,  to  discharged  soldiers,  and 
to  the  handful  of  inhabitants,  most  of  whom  were 
Canadians. 

The  next  priest  was  the  Jesuit  F.  Julien  Devernay, 
who  remained  at  the  Post  till  1763.  His  last  official 
act  is  dated  October  24th,  of  that  year.  About  this 
time  the  Jesuit  society  was  driven  from  France;  and 
he  was  the  last  missionary  of  the  order  stationed  on  the 
Wabash. 

From  a  record  preserved  at  Yincennes,  it  appears 
that  there  was,  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,, 
another  Jesuit  post  and  French  missionary  station 
higher  up  the  Wabash,  called  Fort  Ouiatenon,  near 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Lafayette.  The  mission- 
ary resident  here  was  F.  Dujaunay ;  and  the  name  of 
the  commandant,  Marchand  de  Ligneris,  Knight,* 
Captain  of  infantry,  &c.  There  was  also  a  Jesuit  mis- 
sion still  farther  north,  on  the  St.  Joseph's  river,  near 
the  present  site  of  Southbend ;  and  a  Jesuit  Father  was 
interred  there. 

Several  years   elapsed   after   the   departure   of  the 

*  Ecuyei\ 


42  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Jesuits,  before  another  priest  visited  Vincennes.  Pri- 
vate baptism  was  given  meantime  by  a  layman,  Etienne 
Philibert,  notary  public,  who  duly  registered  the  names. 

In  February,  1770,  M.  Gibault,  Yicar  General 
of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec  for  Illinois  and  the  ad- 
joining countries,  made  a  visit  to  Vincennes.  He 
renewed  many  marriages  contracted  before  witnesses 
in  the  absence  of  a  priest,  and  supplied  the  baptismal 
ceremonies  over  the  children  who  had  already  received 
lay  baptism.  He  remained  until  March  19th,  when  he 
returned  to  Kaskaskias,  his  usual  place  of  residence. 
He  continued  for  several  years  to  pay  occasional  visits 
to  this  Post,  where  he  remained  generally  for  some 
weeks  or  a  month.  But  the  duties  of  this  indefatigable 
missionary  were  too  numerous  and  laborious  for  any 
one  man ;  he  was,  for  a  long  time,  the  only  priest  in 
Illinois  and  Indiana.  His  zeal  and  energy  were  admi- 
rable, and  his  labors  almost  surpassing  belief. 

He  also  did  much  to  conciliate  the  minds  of  the 
French  settlers  on  the  Mississippi  and  the  Wabash  to- 
wards the  American  government,  then  struggling  for 
independence.  Thus  we  find  that,  in  July,  1778,  he 
spent  two  weeks  at  Vincennes,  and  exerted  himself 
successfully  in  inducing  the  French  inhabitants  to 
declare  in  favor  of  the  United  States  against  Great 
Britain.  The  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  American  gov- 
ernment was  administered  by  him  in  the  church  with 
the  utmost  solemnity.  The  inhabitants  entered  with 
zeal  into  his  plans,  which  proved  of  great  service  to  the 
American  cause.* 

His  course  was  the  more  deserving  of  our  commen- 

*  See  on  this  subject  Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.     Vol.  i. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  43 

dation,  from  the  fact  that,  being  from  Canada,  he  was 
a  subject  of  England,  and  risked  much  in  adopting  so 
decided  a  position.  The  Indian  tribes  he  also  contri- 
buted greatly  to  conciliate  and  render  friendly  to  the 
Americans.  There  is  no  doubt,  that  the  efforts  of  this 
good  priest  saved  the  effusion  of  much  blood,  and  facil- 
itated our  conquests  in  the  North-west. 

Yincennes  was  already  looked  upon  as  an  important 
post,  and  the  town  was  thriving.  Peace  and  mutual 
confidence  prevailed  between  the  inhabitants  and  the 
numerous  Indian  tribes  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  a  remark- 
able fact,  highly  creditable  to  the  French  settlers,  and 
indicative  of  the  humanizing  influence  of  the  Catholic 
Religion,  that  during  the  period  of  which  we  are  speak- 
ing, there  is  not  found,  among  the  numerous  deaths 
recorded,  a  single  instance  of  a  murder  committed  by 
an  Indian ;  nor  is  there  in  the  Registers  any  intimation 
of  hostile  feelings  entertained  by  even  one  of  the  tribes 
against  the  whites. 

What  happened  in  that  vicinity  a  few  years  after  the 
conquest  of  the  place  by  the  Americans,  presents,  un- 
fortunately, a  picture  strongly  contrasting  with  the 
above ; — violence  and  murders  became  but  too  common 
occurrences  on  both  sides. 

It  does  not  appear,  that  any  great  number  of  the 
Indians  residing  along  the  Wabash  embraced  the  Chris- 
tian  faith.  The  Jesuit  missionaries  were  withdrawn, 
ere  they  were  able  to  make  a  very  deep  or  general  im- 
pression; and  from  their  Letters  it  would  seem  that 
these  Indians  were  not  so  well  disposed  towards  Chris- 
tianity as  the  Illinois,  and  other  tribes  bordering  on  the 
Mississippi.  Still,  many  of  them  became  Christians, 
especially  when  sick. 


44  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Not  long  after  M.  Gibault  had  administered  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  American  government  at 
Vincennes,  Governor  Hamilton,  with  a  small  party  of 
troops  from  Detroit,  took  possession  of  the  town,  in  the 
name  of  the  King  of  England.  Colonel  George  Rogers 
Clark,  in  the  ensuing  February,  1779,  inarched  a  small 
body  of  troops  from  Kaskaskias,  and  retook  the  place, 
February  27th.  Several  French  inhabitants  of  Kas- 
kaskias volunteered  and  joined  this  expedition;  and 
on  the  day  before  their  departure  from  the  town, 
M.  Gibault  had  harangued  and  blessed  the  heroic 
little  band. 

In  July,  1779,  M.  Gibault  again  visited  Vincen- 
nes, and  remained  there  thr.ee  weeks,  discharging  the 
usual  missionary  duties.  Five  years  now  elapsed 
without  a  visit  from  a  priest;  when  at  length  M. 
Gibault  reappears  in  1784,  accompanied  by  another 
priest,  Rev.  M.  Payet.  Both  these  missionaries  set 
zealously  to  work  as  usual,  supplying  baptismal  cere- 
monies over  infants  privately  baptized  by  the  notary 
Philibert,  revalidating  marriages,  and  administering 
the  sacraments. 

In  May,  1785,  M.  Gibault  came  again  to  Vincen- 
nes, to  continue  there  as  resident  pastor.  From 
this  date  several  English  names  appear  on  the  Regis- 
ters, and  the  Catholic  population  increased  rapidly.  In 
1781,  there  had  been  40  baptisms,  by  Philibert;  in 
1788,  there  were  53  baptisms  by  M.  Gibault.  In 
July,  1786,  for  the  first  time,  a  man  was  buried  who 
had  been  killed  by  the  Indians.  Indian  or  red  slaves 
are  still  occasionally  mentioned  in  the  Registers. 

On  the  11th  day  of  October,  1789,  the  good  M. 
Gibault  finally  left  Vincennes,  having  been  probably 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  45 

recalled  to  Canada  by  the  Bishop  of  Quebec.  A  lay- 
man, Pierre  Mallet,  appointed  for  this  purpose  by 
M.  Gibault,  now  acted  as  "guardian  of  the  church"; 
until  the  arrival  of  M.  Flaget,  in  1792.  The  people 
assembled  on  Sundays  in  the  church,  and  the  "  guar- 
dian ':  read  the  Mass  prayers,  after  which  the  gospel 
of  the  day  was  read  or  chanted,  and  the  bans  of 
matrimony  were  published.  Those  who  wished  to 
contract  marriage  did  so  in  church,  in  presence  of 
witnesses,    of    whom    Mallet   was    always   one.      The 

7  t/ 

records  mention  during  this  period  a  casual  visit  to  the 
town  by  a  priest  from  New  Madrid. 

From  the  above  details,  which  if  somewhat  tedious, 
are  still  well  worth  preserving,  we  may  infer  how 
difficult  was  the  charge  imposed  on  M.  Flaget, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Yincennes,  and  how  much  need 
there  was  of  a  priest  in  that  place.  His  labors  were  so 
exhausting  in  serving  those  sick  with  the  small-pox 
and  in  other  ministerial  duties,  that  he  himself  fell 
very  ill  in  October,  1793 ;  but  his  vigorous  constitution 
soon  brought  him  safely  through.  In  that  year  there 
were  no  less  than  seventy-six  deaths  among  his  parish- 
ioners. 

M.  Flaget  remained  nearly  two  years  and  a  half 
at  Yincennes,  when  he  was  suddenly  recalled  to 
Baltimore  by  his  superiors,  much  to  the  regret  of 
Bishop  Carroll.*  The  people  of  Yincennes  were  devo- 
tedly attached  to  him ;  and  to  spare  their  feelings,  he 
took  his  departure  as  though  he  were  going  on  one  of 
his  usual  visits  to  Kaskaskias.     It  was  only  on  the  re- 

*  "  Me  admodum  invito," — says  Bishop  Carroll  in  a  Letter  to  the 
Cardinal  Prefect  of  Propaganda,  dated  June  17,  1807. 


4:6  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


turn  of  his  escort,  that  the  people  learned  his  final 
departure.  He  left  Yincennes  towards  the  end  of 
April,  1795.* 

At  Kaskaskias,  he  embarked  on  the  Mississippi,  and 
descended  to  ISew  Orleans.  Here  he  was  hospitably 
received  by  the  superior  of  the  Capuchin  convent, 
where  he  lodged  during  his  stay.  He  took  the  first 
vessel  bound  ibr  the  Korth,  and  reached  Baltimore  in 
the  fall  of  1795-t 

Here  he  met  his  old  friends  and  associates,  and  re- 
joiced to  be  again  in  the  bosom  of  civilization,  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  aids  and  consolations  of  Keligion. 

:"  His  last  official  act  in  Yincennes  was  a  baptism,  recorded  April 
23d,  as  appears  from  the  Eegisters  of  the  parish.  In  his  old  age, 
he  was  under  the  impression  that  he  remained  in  this  place  about 
three  years.  He  probably  confounded  the  date  of  his  return  to 
Baltimore  with  that  of  his  departure  from  Vincennes. 

f  The  French  Life  says  he  was  recalled  to  Baltimore  in  1794,  (p. 
15 ) :  but  this  is  inaccurate  by  one  year,  as  will  appear  from  the 
facts  stated  in  the  text.  Both  the  Sulpician  Register  and  Bishop 
Flaget's  Reminiscences  agree  in  the  statement,  that  he  was  absent 
about  three  years  at  Vincennes,  where  he  arrived  towards  the  end 
of  1792. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET,  47 


CHAPTEK    III. 


THE   YEARS   OF   HIS   PRIESTHOOD   IN   AMERICA. 

AT  GEORGETOWN IN  HAVANA AT  BALTIMORE. 


1796  —  1808 


College  at  Georgetown — College  Life — George  Washington — M. 
Flaget  is  sent  to  Havana — Difficulties — Yellow  Fever — A  Foster 
Mother — M.  Calvo — Obstacles  removed — Great  rejoicing — Re- 
mains in  Havana — Louis  Philippe — Contemplates  a  Foreign 
Tour — Returns  to  Baltimore — = College  duties — Attends  con- 
victs— Distress  about  friends— The  higher  ways  of  perfection — 
Wishes  to  become  a  Trappist. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Baltimore,  M.  Flaget 
was  sent  to  the  college  of  Georgetown,  of  which  his 
friend  M.  Dubourg  was  then  President.  The  college 
was  under  the  immediate  jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Car- 
roll, who  intended  to  deliver  it  up  to  the  society 
of  the  Jesuits,  so  soon  as  they  might  be  able  to 
assume  the  charge.  The  principal  professors  were 
already  Jesuits,  who,  during  the  period  of  the  suppres- 
sion of  their  Society,  observed  their  rules  privately,  so 
far  as  circumstances  allowed,  without  a  regular  organi- 
zation. 

M.  Flaget  remained  about  three  years  in  George- 
town college,  discharging  the  difficult  office  of  chief 
disciplinarian,  and  teaching  Geography  and  French. 
He    blended   firmness   with   his   characteristic  sweet- 


48  SKETCHES   OF  THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

uess,  while  controlling  the  waywardness  of  the  youth 
under  his  charge.  They  both  loved  and  feared  him. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  compelled  to  punish  with 
severity  one  of  the  students ;  who  meeting  him  many 
years  afterwards,  threw  himself  into  his  arms,  and  with 
tears  implored  pardon  for  the  fault  committed,  and 
thanked  him  for  the  correction  administered. 

The  students  were  much  attached  to  him;  and  his 
chief  desire  was  to  form  their  minds  to  Christian 
knowledge,  and  their  hearts  to  the  love  and  practice 
of  virtue.  He  attended  them  in  their  vacations,  and. 
participated  in  their  innocent  amusements.  Among 
his  pupils  there  was  one  to  whom  he  was  most  ten- 
derly attached,  on  account  of  the  talents  and  applica- 
tion, combined  with  openness  and  solid  piety,  which 
he  remarked  in  him;  this  was  Benedict  I.  Fenwick, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Boston. 

While  living  at  Georgetown  college,  he  had  twice 
the  pleasure  of  seeing,  and  shaking  by  the  hand, 
George  Washington,  then  President  of  the  United 
States.  The  first  occasion  was,  when  he  accompanied 
the  faculty  of  the  college  to  pay  a  visit  of  compliment 
to  the  Father  of  his  country ;  the  second,  when  Wash- 
ington himself  returned  the  visit  at  the  college.  On 
both  occasions  he  shared,  to  the  full,  in  the  general 
admiration  awakened  in  all  by  the  dignity  and  benig- 
nity of  the  first  President ;  and  this  favorable  impres- 
sion remained  lively  on  his  mind  to  the  close  of  his 
mortal  career.  Nearly  fifty  years  after  the  death  of 
that  truly  great  man,  he  continued  to  speak  of  him 
with  praise. 

The   Jesuits   having   become   sufficiently   strong   to 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET,  49 

take  the  entire  administration  of  the  college  in  George- 
town, the  Sulpicians  were  withdrawn ;  and  M.  Flaget 
was  sent  by  his  superiors  to  Havana.  The  Rev.  M. 
Babade,  a  Sulpician,  having  previously  visited  the 
Island,  had  produced  so  favorable  an  impression,  that  a 
number  of  the  principal  inhabitants  sent  to  Baltimore 
an  earnest  petition  for  a  colony  of  the  Society,  to  found 
there  a  college.  M.  Dubourg  was,  in  consequence,  sent 
on  to  examine  the  ground ;  and  he  was  soon  followed  bv 
M .  Flaget,  who  left  Baltimore  in  November,  1798.*  The 
captain  of  the  vessel  on  which  he  sailed  was  so  much 
pleased  with  him,  that  he  gave  him  a  free  passage. 

But  when  the  three  Sulpicians  were  preparing  to 
open  their  college  in  Havana,  under  apparently  favor- 
able auspices,  unforeseen  difficulties  were  suddenly  inter- 
posed, which  frustrated  their  purpose.  The  Archbishop 
was  old  and  blind,  and  the  administration  was  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  two  Yicars  General,  who  were  brothers. 
These  unfortunately  yielded  to  a  feeling  of  national 
jealousy,  and  informed  the  Sulpicians,  that,  as  they 
were  foreigners,  they  could  not  be  permitted  even  to 
say  Mass  in  Havana!  The  result  was,  that  MM. 
Dubourg  and  Babade  determined  to  return  without 
delay  to  Baltimore.  M.  Flaget  was  unable  to  join 
them;    for  he  was  unexpectedly  stricken  down    with 

*  The  Sulpician  Register  says  that  he  sailed  from  Baltimore  for 
Havana,  in  November,  1797.  But  this  date  does  not  seem  to  tally 
with  the  time  of  his  stay  at  Georgetown  college,  nor  with  that  of 
his  residence  on  the  Island.  He  remained  here  about  three  years, 
and  returned  to  Baltimore  late  in  1801.  This  appears  from  his  own 
Reminiscences,  and  especially  from  his  Correspondence  with  his 
family  in  France.  See  French  Life — p.  18. 
4 


50  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AST) 

the   yellow   fever,   and   was   soon   lying  at   the   point 
of  death. 

In  this  emergency,  he  was  not  forgotten  nor  neglec- 
ted. His  sufferings,  and  the  hardships  endured  by 
himself  and  associates,  awakened  a  lively  sympathy  iu 
Havana.  An  aged  lady  of  high  rank  undertook  to  be 
his  nurse,  providing  him  abundantly  with  new  linen 
and  every  'thing  that  was  necessary  for  his  comfort, 
She  went  farther;  she  adopted  him  as  her  son,  and 
discharged  towards  him  all  the  tender  offices  of  a 
mother. 

On  his  recovery,  a  wealthy  and  generous  Spaniard,— 
Don  Nicholas  Calvo, — took  him  to  his  house,  and 
begged  him  to  live  in  his  family,  and  take  charge  of 
the  education  of  an  only  son.  M.  Flaget's  heart 
was  moved  by  all  this  kindness ;  but  he  replied, 
that  he  could  do  nothing  without  the  permission  of  his 
superiors,  to  whom  he  would  write  on  the  subject. 

Upon  one  condition,  however,  he  strongly  insisted, 
as  a  necessary  preliminary  to  his  stay  in  the  Island: — 
that  if  within  three  months  he  could  not  receive  per- 
mission to  celebrate  the  holy  sacrifice,  his  position 
would  become  wholly  unbearable,  and  he  should  be 
compelled  to  take  his  departure  for  Baltimore.  The 
answer  from  his  superiors  was  favorable;  and  mean- 
time, M.  Calvo  was  using  every  possible  effort  to 
obtain  the  requisite  permission.  All  his  exertions 
were  fruitless ;  the  two  Vicars  were  inflexible  in 
their  refusal.  He  began  to  lose  hope;  when,  a  few 
days  before  the  expiration  of  the  three  months,  the  aged 
Archishop  died,  and  the  administration  fell  into  the 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  51 

hands  of  the  Chapter,  composed  of  the  canons  of  the 
Cathedral. 

Don  Nicholas  Calvo  now  lost  no  time  in  waiting 
on  the  Dean  of  the  Chapter,  accompanied  by  his 
Reverend  friend.  No  sooner  had  M.  Flaget  made 
known  his  application,  than  the  Dean  replied:  "Yes, 
Senor  Abbate !  I  grant  you  those  faculties ;  and  I  re- 
joice that  the  first  act  of  my  administration  is  one  of 
justice!''  The  two  former  Yicars  General  were  sit- 
ting, at  the  time,  by  the  side  of  the  Dean;  and  as 
Bishop  Flaget  long  afterwards  playfully  remarked : 
"  It  was  a  lesson  for  them !  "  * 

The  rumor  of  his  restoration  soon  spread  through 
the  city,  and  it  diffused  universal  joy.  His  foster 
mother,  assisted  by  other  ladies,  had  an  altar  in  the 
church  of  the  Capuchins  magnificently  adorned  for 
his  use  on  the  morrow ;  and  a  large  concourse,  as  on  a 
festival,  assisted  devoutly  at  his  first  Mass  in  Havana. 
Previously,  he  had  heard  Mass  every  morning  in  this 
church,  receiving  frequently  the  holy  communion. 
The  superior  of  the  convent  attached  to  it,  was  the 
same  person  who  had  entertained  him  so  hospitably 
in  New  Orleans,  while  he  was  on  his  way  from  Yin- 
cennes  to  Baltimore. 

All  obstacles  to  his  remaining  on  the  Island  having 
been  thus  removed,  he  devoted  himself  with  zeal  to 
the  education  of  M.  Calvo 's  son.  Many  others  applied 
to  engage  his  services  for  their  children  also ;  but  he 
firmly  declined,  alleging  that,  though  M.  Calvo  might 
consent  to  the  arrangement,  the  mission    which  obe- 

*  These  details  are  derived  from  the  Reminiscences  of  the  Bishop 
himself. 


52  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

dience  had  assigned  him  was  confined  to  the  instruc- 
tion of  his  (M.  Calvo's)  son,  whose  studies  might 
suffer,  should  a  portion  of  his  time  be  devoted  to 
other  pupils. 

He  had  commenced  the  study  of  the  Spanish  lan- 
>ma°;e  on  his  voyage  to  Havana ;  he  now  soon  became 
so  proficient  in  it,  as  to  be  able  to  converse  fluently 
with  the  natives.  He  remained,  however,  in  his  be- 
loved retirement,  and  visited  no  one,  except  occasion- 
ally the  family  of  the  good  lady  who  had  adopted  him, 
and  who  had  been  so  kind  to  him  in  his  illness. 

During  his  sojourn  in  Havana,  he  became  acquain- 
ted with  Louis  Philippe  and  his  two  brothers,  then  in 
exile  from  France.  When  they  were  about  to  leave 
the  Island  for  the  United  States,*  the  inhabitants, 
sympathizing  with  their  misfortunes,  made  up  a  large 
sum  of  money, t  and  appointed  M.  Flaget  to  present  it 
in  their  name  to  the  illustrious  exiles.  This  office  was 
most  grateful  to  his  feelings,  and  he  discharged  it  with 
his  usual  tact  and  grace.  This  act  was  remembered 
long  afterwards,  when  Louis  Philippe  was  King  of  the 
French,  and  he  Bishop  of  Barclstown. 

His  pupil,  meantime,  made  rapid  progress ;  and  the 
parents  became  daily  more  and  more  attached  to  the 
preceptor.  They  offered  him  a  splendid  plantation,  if 
he  would  remain  with  them  permanently  on  the  Island ; 

*  The  departure  of  the  exiles  from  Havana  was  owing,  Bishop 
Flaget  afterwards  thought,  to  certain  diplomatic  representations 
made  by  Napoleon  to  the  Spanish  Court. 

f  The  sum,  as  stated  by  him  in  his  Reminiscences,  was  about 
$14,000: — possibly  it  was  that  number  of  francs,  or  something 
over  $2,700. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  53 

but  he  declined,  saying  that  he  did  not  belong  to  him- 
self. They  then  proposed  to  settle  on  him  an  annuity 
of  one  thousand  dollars ;  and  desired  him  to  accom- 
pany their  son  in  a  tour  through  Europe.  He  was  at 
first  much  pleased  with  this  proposal;  for  he  had 
always  cherished  a  wish  to  visit  the  different  capitals 
of  Christendom.  On  the  other  hand,  he  feared  the 
distraction  of  spirit  usually  attendant  on  traveling, 
and  bethought  himself  of  the  maxim  laid  down  by 
Thomas  A  Kempis :  "  Those  who  travel  much  are 
rarely  sanctified, — as  often  as  I  have  been  among  men, 
I  have  returned  less  a  man."  He  wisely  resolved  to 
leave  all  to  the  decision  of  his  superiors. 

The  question  was,  however,  soon  solved  by  a  calam- 
ity, which  suddenly  deprived  him  of  his  dear  friend. 
M.  Calvo  died  in  May,  1801;  and  his  afflicted  widow 
could  not  think  of  parting  with  her  only  son,  in  her 
desolate  condition.  The  European  tour  was  conse- 
quently abandoned;  and  M.  Flaget  thought  seriously 
of  returning  to  Baltimore.  While  awaiting  an  answer 
to  a  letter  he  had  written  to  his  superiors  on  the  sub- 
ject, he  labored  to  console  the  widow,  and  to  advance 
still  more  the  studies  of  the  son.  The  death  of  M. 
Calvo  greatly  afflicted  his  sensitive  heart.  He  thus 
speaks  of  it  in  a  Letter  to  France : 

"Providence,  the  designs  of  which  I  cannot  too 
much  admire,  has  again  interposed  to  fill  my  days  with 
bitterness.  The  death  of  my  own  father  could  not  have 
caused  me  greater  grief;  I  have  shed  a  torrent  of  tears ; 
I  have  fallen  into  a  state  of  extreme  languor,  so  far  as 
to  cause  apprehensions  for  my  health.     *     *     *     He 


54  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

lived  but  forty-two  years;  but,  in  my  opinion,  these 
were  worth  an  age."  * 

Having  received  letters  from  Baltimore  advising  his 
speedy  return,  he  at  once  set  about  his  preparations  for 
departure.  He  persuaded  the  mother  that  her  son 
would  advance  more  rapidly  in  the  college  of  Balti- 
more, than  by  studying  alone,  and  she  willingly  per- 
mitted him  to  accompany  his  beloved  preceptor  to  that 
city.  Twenty-two  other  youths  were  also  entrusted  to 
his  care,  to  be  placed  in  that  college. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1801, f  he  rejoined  his 
old  friends  in  the  seminary  of  Baltimore.  He  handed 
to  his  superior  the  large  sum  of  money,  which  he  had 
been  compelled  to  accept,  as  some  compensation  for  his 
services ;  retaining  nothing  for  himself. 

His  heart  was  filled  with  joy  at  beholding  himself 
once  more  in  a  religions  communitv ;  where  he  could 
breathe  freely  the  pure  air  of  solitude,  and  where  every 
exercise  and  duty  had  its  allotted  time  and  place.  He 
felt  like  a  weary  mariner  returning  to  port. 

His  time  was  divided  between  prayer,  study,  his 
duties  in  college,  and  the  exercise  of  the  holy  ministry. 
He  was  ready  for  every  call,  and  he  sought  to  sanctify 
all  his  actions  by  referring  them  to  God.  Thus  he 
tranquilly  passed  the  eight  years  of  his  life,  interve- 
uing  between  his  return  from  Havana  in  1801,  and  his 
journey  to  France  in  1809. 

*  Letter,  May  28.  1801.     French  Life— p.  18. 

f  The  Sulpieian  Register  has  1800— the  dates  of  his  Letters 
written  from  Havana  prove  that  it  should  be  1801.  He  remained 
on  the  Island  about  six  months  after  the  death  of  M.  Calvo,  which 
took  place  in  May,  1801.  His  departure  was  therefore  some  time 
in  the  November  followino-. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  55 

During  this  period  he  was  called  upon,  more  than 
once,  to  visit  and  prepare  those  who  were  condemned 
to  death.  Though  the  office  was  a  very  painful  one  to 
his  feelings,  yet  he  discharged  it  with  cheerfulness, 
whenever  directed  to  do  so  by  his  superiors.  Having 
been  often,  during  the  previous  years  of  his  ministry, 
placed  under  the  necessity  of  preparing  convicts  for 
their  last  end,  it  was  believed  that  his  experience  fitted 
him  for  this  duty;*  while  his  mildness,  unction,  and 
tenderness  of  heart,  were  well  calculated  to  make  a 
deep  impression  on  the  most  obdurate. 

His  own  heart  was  feeling  and  exquisitively  sensi- 
tive; and  though  his  mind  was  firmly  anchored  in 
obedience,  and  he  willingly  engaged  in  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  assigned  him  by  Providence,  yet  he  occa- 
sionally suffered  greatly  from  melancholy.  Europe 
was  then  passing  through  the  startling  vicissitudes  of 
Napoleon's  administration,  and  communication  with 
his  friends  in  France  was  very  precarious.  At  one 
time,  solicitude  for  his  distant  brothers  and  friends, 
from  whom  he  had  received  no  intelligence  for  many 
months,  caused  him  to  fall  into  a  slow  nervous  fever, 
from  which  he  suffered  for  eight  weeks.  On  receiving 
favorable  intelligence  from  them,  a  little  later,  his  sad- 
ness gave  place  to  joy,  and  his  fever  disappeared.  In 
his  answer,  he  said  : 

"  You  see  that  my  dark  melancholy  has  disappeared, 
to  give  place  to  my  natural  gaiety ;  but  if  I  am  gay  at 
the  distance  of  fifteen  hundred  leagues,  what  would  I 
be,  were  I  by  your  side?     In   truth,   I  might  be  in 


*  He  assigns  these  reasons  himself  in  a  Letter  to  his  brother  in 
France,  December  1,  1808.     French  Life — p.  22. 


56  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

danger  of  falling  into  dissipation,  and  becoming  to  you 
a  subject  of  scandal.  Let  us,  then,  remain  as  we  are, 
until  the  designs  of  Providence  will  be  more  fully 
explained  on  the  subject.  I  shall  never  interpose  any 
obstacle  to  my  re-union  with  a  family  which  I  love  as  I 
do  myself;  but  I  would  never  dare  take  upon  myself 
to  ask  it,  for  fear  I  might  be  doing  my  own  will,  rather 
than  that  of  God."  * 

Three  years  later,  he  wrote  to  his  brother,  the  curater 
on  the  same  subject — his  return  to  France,  strongly 
urged  on  him  by  some  of  his  friends: 

"It  is  very  difficult  to  uproot  a  tree  which  has  been 
for  seventeen  years  in  a  good  soil.  Let  this  be  said,  en 
jpassant,  my  dear  brother,  in  order  that  we  may  both 
accustom  ourselves  to  the  thought  of  never  more  seeing 
each  other  in  this  lower  world.  My  heart  is  very 
heavy  in  making  you  such  an  adieu ;  but  it  is  as  well 
to  make  it  to-day  as  to-morrow.  The  sorrow  would  be 
always  the  same;  and  the  sacrifice  once  made,  we 
would  labor  seriously,  both  of  us,  to  be  re-united,  as- 
soon  as  possible,  in  the  bosom  of  God."  f 

These  thoughts  of  his  relatives  in  France  did  not,, 
however,  interfere  with  his  progress  in  the  interior  life. 
He  became  daily  more  and  more  disengaged  frorn  flesh 
and  blood.  That  beloved  solitude,  which  he  had  tasted 
at  Issy,  had  lost  none  of  its  charms  for  him.  He  even. 
panted  after  a  higher  perfection  than  that  which  seemed 
attainable  in  his  present  manner  of  life.  When  the 
Trappists  arrived  in  Baltimore,  in  August,  1804,  he 
thought  it  a  stroke  of  Providence  in  his  behalf.     After. 

*  Letter,  September  3,  1805.     French  Life — p.  24. 
f  Letter,  December  1,  1808.     Idem — p.  25. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET,  57 

some  reflection,  he  applied  to  their  superior,  Rev. 
Father  Urban  Guillet,  for  admission  into  that  most 
rigorous  order.  His  petition  was  favorably  received, 
and  he  was  happy  in  the  thought  of  burying  himself 
in  silence  and  solitude. 

But  unforeseen  obstacles  arose,  and  his  entrance 
into  the  order  was  postponed.  God  had  other  views- 
on  His  servant. 


58  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


CHAPTER    IV. 


HE   IS    APPOINTED    BISHOP    OF    BARDSTOWN. 


1808  —  1811. 


Increase  of  Catholics — Bishop  Carroll — New  Sees — Four  new 
Bishops  appointed — M.  Flaget  named  Bishop  of  Bardstown — He 
refuses — Interview  with  Bishop  Carroll — Correspondence — Goes 
to  France — M.  Emery — Obliged  to  accept — Singular  present — 
Embarks  for  America — Incident  on  voyage — Consecrated — Apos- 
tolical poverty — Sets  out  for  his  Diocese — Journey  from  Louis- 
ville to  Bardstown  —  Ceremonial  of  his  Inauguration  at  St. 
Stephen's — Early  Missions  of  Kentucky  recapitulated. 

The  population  and  resources  of  the  United  States 
were  rapidly  increasing  every  year.  Europe  was  pour- 
ing her  tide  of  emigration  into  this  promising  portion 
of  the  new  world,  which,  under  the  influence  of  free 
institutions,  bade  fair  to  advance  continually  in  pros- 
perity. The  Catholic  population,  through  immigration 
and  other  causes,  was  also  constantly  augmenting. 

Meantime,  the  awful  burden  of  the  episcopacy, 
which  he  had  borne  alone  for  seventeen  years,  weighed 
heavily  on  the  shoulders  of  the  venerable  Bishop  Car- 
roll, whose  advanced  age  and  increasing  infirmities 
required  solace  and  assistance.  His  Diocese  embraced 
the  whole  territory  of  the  United  States.*     The  num- 

*  It  was  bounded  by  Louisiana  and  the  Mississippi  river  on  the 
South  and  West.     The  Archbishop  of  Havana,  at  the  time  of  Bishop 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  59 

ber  of  his  clergy  was  also  lamentably  small,  and  totally 
insufficient  for  the  growing  wants  of  so  vast  a  mission. 

Under  these  circumstances,  Bishop  Carroll  thought 
seriously  of  applying  to  the  Holy  See  for  the  erection 
of  new  bishoprics,  which  would  relieve  him  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  charge,  become  much  too  weighty  for  one 
man.  He  accordingly  determined  to  recommend  the 
erection  of  four  new  episcopal  sees,  to  be  located  at 
Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Bardstown. 

While  he  was  revolving  these  thoughts  in  his  mind, 
and  thinking  of  the  most  suitable  subjects  to  be  presented 
for  each  of  the  contemplated  sees,  M.  Badin,  who  had 
been  already  laboring  with  indefatigable  zeal  for  fifteen 
years  in  Kentucky,  arrived  in  Baltimore,  in  the  spring 
of  1807.  He  had  undertaken  this  journey,  chiefly  to 
lay  before  Bishop  Carroll  a  statement  concerning  the 
condition  and  prospects  of  his  extensive  mission.  He 
corifirmed  the  Bishop's  purpose  of  proposing  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  bishopric  in  the  West,  and  recommended 
M.  Flaget,  as  the  one  best  suited  for  the  new  see  of 
Bardstown.  The  latter  had  already  been  a  missionary 
in  the  West ;  and  his  piety,  zeal,  and  robust  constitu- 
tion,— to  say  nothing  of  his  other  qualities, — eminent- 
ly qualified  him  for  the  place. 

Bishop  Carroll  received  favorably  the  suggestion  of 
M.  Badin.  On  the  17th  of  June,  1807,  he  accordingly 
wrote  to  the  Cardinal  Prefect  of  Propaganda,  recom- 
mending M.  Flaget  in  the  following  terms: 

"  For  several  years  he  was  stationed  at  a  place  called 
Post  Vineennes,  lying  between  the  waters  of  the  Ohio 


Carroll's  appointment,  held  jurisdiction  over  Upper  and  Lower 
Louisiana,  as  ordinary,  until  the  erection  of  the  See  of  New  Or- 
leans, in  1793, 


60  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE.    TIMES    AND 


and  the  Lakes  of  Canada;  where,  with  the  greatest 
industry  and  the  most  hearty  good  will  of  all.  he 
labored  in  promoting  piety,  until,  to  my  great  regret. 
he  was  recalled  to  fill  some  office  in  this  seminary. 
He  is  at  least  forty  years  of  age;  of  a  tender  piety  to- 
wards God;  of  most  bland  manners;  and  if  not  pro- 
foundly, at  least  sufficiently  imbued  with  theological 
knowledge."* 

The  recommendation  of  Bishop  Carroll  was  adopted 
by  the  Holv  See.  "While  Baltimore  was  made  an  arch- 
bishopric;  the  four  new  sees  were  erected;  and  M. 
Flaget  was  appointed  first  Bishop  of  Bardstown.  His 
jurisdiction  extended  over  all  the  vast  territory  of  the 
West  and  North-west ;  lying  between  the  Lakes  on  the 
North,  and  the  35th  degree  of  north  latitude  on  the 
South  ;  and  stretching  from  the  Atlantic  States  on  the 
East  to  the  Mississippi  river  on  the  West.f 

*  "Per  plures  annos  stationeni  habuit  in  loco,  Post  Vvncennes, 
inter  fluvios  Ohio  et  lacus  Canadenses  interject<>.  ubi  summa  indus- 
tria,  et  propensissinia  omnium  benevolentia  sese  in  fovenda  pietate 
exercuit.  donee,  me  admodum  invito,  ad  munus  quoddam  in  hocce 
seminario  perficiendum  revocatus  fuerit.  iEtatem  habet  ad  minus 
40  annorum :  tenera  in  Deum  pietate ;  blandissiinis  moribus ;  et  si 
non   profunde,    saltern   sufficienter  doctrina  theologica  inibutus.'' 

We  are  indebted  for  this  extract  to  the  present  Archbishop  of 
Baltimore. 

f  We  have  not  been  able  to  find  the  Bulls  of  Bishop  Flaget. 
From  certain  passages  in  his  reports  to  the  Holy  See.  drawn  up  in 
1816  and  in  1830.  we  would  infer  that  the  see  of  Bardstown.  strict- 
ly speaking,  comprised  only  the  two  States  of  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee: and  that  the  new  Bishop  held  jurisdiction  over  the  remain- 
ing territory,  as  administrator  or  vicar  apostolic,  only  until  the 
establishment  of  other  sees  therein.  Whenever,  therefore,  in  the 
sequel,  we  speak  of  his  vast  Diocese,  the  term  is  to  be  understood 
with  this  qualification. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  61 

The  Bulls  of  Bishop  Flaget  were  dated  April  8, 
1808 ;  and  they  reached  Baltimore  in  September  of  the 
same  year;  having  been  transmitted,  owing  to  the 
troubled  state  of  Europe,  through  the  papal  Nuncio  at 
Lisbon.  The  newly  elected  prelate  was  at  Emmitts- 
burgh,  when  the  documents  arrived.  On  receiving 
information  of  the  event,  he  was  so  much  surprised, 
that  he  could  scarcely  credit  the  intelligence.  Rumor 
had  fixed  the  appointment  on  his  intimate  friend,  M. 
David.  He  hastened  to  Baltimore,  in  order  to  have 
his  solicitude  relieved.  But  the  first  person  he  met, 
on  the  steps  of  the  seminary,  was  M.  David;  who, 
embracing  him,  confirmed  the  news,  congratulated  him 
on  the  appointment,  and,  with  tears,  offered  his  services 
for  the  new  mission.  "They  told  me,"  said  the  good 
man,  "that  I  was  to  be  the  Bishop  of  Bardstown.  I 
did  not  believe  it ;  but  I  determined  that,  should  this 
happen,  I  would  invite  you  to  accompany  me : — now, 
the  case  being  happily  reversed,  I  tender  to  you  my 
services  without  reserve."  Bishop  Flaget  was  much 
affected ;  he  warmly  thanked  his  friend,  and  accepted 
his  services,  in  the  event  that  it  should  please  God  not 
"to  suffer  this  chalice  to  pass  away  from  him." 

Entering  into  his  own  heart,  and  sincerely  believing 
that  he  possessed  not  the  good  qualities  for  which  his 
friends  gave  him  credit,  he  became  persuaded  that  it 
was  his  duty  to  use  every  possible  effort  to  shake  off  a 
responsibility,  which  he  felt  to  be  entirely  above  his 
strength.  He  pleaded,  chiefly,  that  in  consequence  of 
his  constant  employment  in  colleges  and  on  the  mis- 
sions, he  had  not  enjoyed  leisure  to  become  sufficiently 
grounded  in  theological  knowledge.     His  reluctance  to 


62  SKETCHES   OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


J 


accept  the  episcopacy  did  not  spring  from  the  mere 
nolo  ejpiscqpare ;  but  from  the  dictates  of  a  timid  con- 
science, and  of  a  deeply  rooted  humility. 

He  implored  his  brother  Sulpicians  to  come  to  his 
assistance,  in  this  emergency.  They  took  some  days  to 
consider;  and  after  having  made  a  novena,  to  recom- 
mend the  important  affair  to  God,  they  united  in  advi- 
sing him  not  to  accept.  A  delegation  from  the  college 
with  the  superior,  M.  Nagot,  at  their  head,  accordingly 
called  on  Archbishop  Carroll,  to  lay  before  him,  in  the 
strongest  possible  light,  the  reasons  upon  which  their 
advice  was  based. 

The  firm  prelate  was  not,  however,  shaken,  either  by 
the  unwillingness  of  the  Bishop  elect,  or  by  the  advice 
of  his  brethren.  uWhat,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "you 
have  prayed !  Think  you,  then,  that  before  proposing 
your  brother  I  did  not  pray,  and  that  the  Cardinals 
who  surrounded  the  Holy  Father,  and  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  himself,  did  not  pray  ?  Well,  I  tell  you  plain- 
ly, that  M.  Flaget  must  accept."* 

This  decided  stand  taken  by  the  new  Archbishop  did 
not,  however,  overcome  his  reluctance  to  accept.  In  a 
letter  to  his  brother,  the  curate,  written  some  months 
after,  he  simply  says :  "  It  is  a  Sulpician  who  has  been 
appointed  Bishop  of  Bardstown ; — but  he  has  refused."! 
Even  in  August,  of  the  ensuing  year,  he  had  not  only 
not  accepted,  but  he  had  persuaded  himself  that  he 
had  been,  or  would  soon  be  entirely  relieved  of  the 
burden. 

Having  referred  the  whole  matter  to  his  superior,  M. 

*  See  French  Life— pp.  28,  29. 

t  Letter  to  brother,  December  1,  1808.— Ibid. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  63 

Emery, — proposing  only  as  a  necessary  condition  for 
his  acceptance,  under  any  event,  that  three  or  four  Sul- 
pician  priests  should  be  given  him  as  associates, — and 
having  received  no  answer  to  this  letter,  he  concluded 
that  M.  Emery,  not  being  able  to  comply  with  the  con- 
dition, had  declined  to  interfere  in  a  matter  of  such 
delicacy.  The  news  of  his  appointment  had  made  him 
ill;  but  now  that  he  regarded  himself  as  relieved  from 
the  heavy  burden,  he  breathed  freely, — ■"  the  first  time 
for  a  year."* 

"  Who  would  have  ever  been  able  to  guess,"  he  adds, 
"  forty  years  ago,  that  my  name  would  one  day  resound 
in  the  ears  of  the  cardinals  in  consistory,  and  that  his 
Holiness  would  have  given  himself  the  trouble  to  send 
me  Bulls  %  In  truth,  all  this  appears  to  me  so  marvel- 
ous, that  whilst  I  write  it,  I  almost  think  I  am  dream- 
ing.'^ 

His  first  thought  had  been  to  go  immediately  to 
France  to  cast  himself  in  the  arms  of  M.  Emerv,  and 
to  implore  him  to  avert  the  storm ;  but  the  opposition 
of  the  President  of  the  college,  M.  Dubourg,  who 
feared  to  lose  him  entirely,  had  frustrated  this  purpose.J 
Now,  however,  not  having  heard  from  M.  Emery,  and 
new  apprehensions  arising,  he  could  bear  the  suspense 
no  longer;  and,  with  the  consent  of  his  brethren,  he 
departed  for  France,  late  in  the  year  1809. 

But  what  was  his  surprise  and  sorrow,  when  on  see- 
ing M.  Emery,  the  first  words  he  heard  Irom  the  lips 
of  the  stern  superior  were:    "My  Lord,  you  should 

*  Letter  to  brother,  December  1,  1808,     French  Life — pp,  28,  29. 
t  Ibid. 
X  Ibid. 


64  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

have  been  already  in  your  Diocese!  The  Pope  has 
given  you  an  express  order  to  accept;  I  can,  if  you 
wish,  show  you  his  commands." 

No  resource  being  now  left  him,  he  resolved  at  once 
to  accept ;  and  henceforward,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  he 
considered  himself  as  belonging  wholly  to  the  Diocese 
of  Bardstown.  Having  received  from  M.  Emery  the 
assurance,  that  his  acceptance  would  not  break  the 
long  cherished  bonds  which  connected  him  with  the 
Sulpician  congregation,  and  that  the  usual  three 
Masses  would  be  said  by  all  its  members  for  his  repose 
after  death,  he  now  fully  resigned  himself  to  the  holy 
will  of  God,  and  placed  himself  unreservedly  in  His 
hands. 

After  a  brief  visit  to  his  family  and  friends  at  Bil- 
lom,  he  went  to  Saint  Flour,  with  a  view  to  procure 
laborers  for  the  new  vineyard  committed  to  his  care. 
The  superior  of  the  seminary  in  that  city  was  M.  Leva- 
doux,  his  old  friend  and  associate  in  the  missions  of 
the  West,  well  acquainted  with  the  wants  of  his  new 
Diocese.  His  application  was  successful.  With  the 
aid  of  M.  Levadoux,  he  obtained  a  band  of  zealous 
missionary  recruits ;  and  he  hastened  his  preparations 
to  depart  with  them  for  America. 

Many  of  his  friends  strongly  urged  him  to  be  conse- 
crated in  France,  that  they  might  have  the  happiness 
to  witness  the  ceremony: — "No,  no,"  said  the  prelate: 
"Archbishop  Carroll  has  taken  the  responsibility  of 
procuring  my  appointment,  and  he  alone  shall  finish 
the  work  which  he  has  begun." 

On  visiting  M.  Emery  to  take  his  leave,  he  received 
from  the  hands  of  the  latter  a  singular  parting  pres- 


% 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  65 

ent, — a  box  of  needles,  and  a  French  book  on  cookery ! 
With  admirable  sang  froid,  the  superior  observed,  on 
handing  him  the  articles:  "  These  needles,  my  Lord, 
may  be  of  great  service  to  you  in  the  midst  of  your 
savages ;  and  as  I  greatly  mistrust  their  manner  of 
cooking,  take  also  this  book."* 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1810,  he  embarked  from  Bor- 
deaux, accompanied  by  the  Rev.  M.  Brute,  M.  Chabrat, 
sub-deacon,  and  MM.  Deydier,  Derigaud,  Romeuf,  and 
another  young  man,  a  deacon,  who  afterwards  joined 
the  Jesuits  at  Georgetown.  The  vessel  on  which  thev 
sailed  was  twice  overhauled  and  detained  by  English 
frigates,  and  was  even  in  danger  of  being  carried  into 
an  British  port ;  but  Providence  averted  this  calamity. 
Napoleon  having  promulgated  his  continental  system, 
the  English  government  claimed  the  right  of  visiting 
every  vessel  trading  with  France.  After  a  long  and 
tedious  voyage  of  nearly  three  months,  he  arrived  safe- 
ly in  Baltimore,  some  time  early  in  the  Julyf  following. 

As  an  immediate  preparation  for  his  consecration,  he 
made,  in  the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  a  retreat  of  forty 
days,  in  imitation  of  Christ's  Retreat  in  the  wilderness ; 
during  which  precious  period  of  grace,  he  imbibed 
much  of  that  apostolic  spirit,  which  he  manifested  so 
conspicuously  throughout  the  forty  years  of  his  epis- 
copacy. On  the  4th  of  November,  the  feast  of  St. 
Charles  Borromeo,  to  whom  he  had  always  cherished  a 
particular  devotion,  he  was  consecrated  by  Archbishop 


*  French  Life — p.  34, 

j  This  date  of  his  arrival  in  Baltimore  is  given  by  M.  David  in  a 
letter  to  a  friend  in  France,  dated  November  20,  1817. 

5 


6$  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Carroll  in  the  Cathedral  of  Baltimore.  The  assistant 
prelates  were  the  lately  consecrated  first  Bishops  of 
Boston  and  Philadelphia,  Doctors  Cheverus  and  Egan.* 
The  Bishop  of  Boston  preached  an  affecting  and  elo- 
quent sermon.  The  venerable  Archbishop  of  Balti- 
more could  not  restrain  his  tears  at  the  touching 
spectacle  presented  to  his  view  on  this  solemn  occasion. 

Ten  days  after  his  consecration,  the  Archbishop  con- 
vened the  three  new  Bishops,  and  held  with  them 
several  conferences,  in  which  many  important  points 
of  discipline  were  agreed  on  and  settled  by  mutual 
consent.  It  was  not,  however,  deemed  advisable  to 
hold  a  Provincial  Council,  until  the  Bishops  would 
become  better  acquainted  with  the  condition  and  wants 
of  their  respective  Dioceses.  We  will  here  give  the 
Preamble,  or  first  of  the  resolutions  thus  provisorially 
adopted ; — the  most  important  of  the  acts  themselves 
have  been  published  in  our  collection  of  the  Provincial 
Synods,  made  by  authority  of  the  Bishops. 

"It  appears  to  the  Archbishop  and  Bishops  now 
assembled,  that  the  holding  of  a  Provincial  Council 
will  be  more  advantageous  at  a  future  period,  when 
the  situation  and  wants  of  the  different  Dioceses  will 
be  more  exactly  known.  This  Provincial  Council  will 
be  held,  at  farthest,  within  two  years  from  the  first  of 
November,  1^10;  and  in  the  meantime,  the  Arch- 
bishop and  Bishops  will  now  consider  together  such 
matters  as  appear  to  them  most  urgent;  and  they 
recommend    an    uniform   practice   in    regard  to  their 

V;  Dr.  Connolly,  a  Dominican,  had  been  consecrated  in  Europe 
first  Bishop  of  New  York;  but  he  died  at  Naples,  on  the  eve  of  his 
intended  departure  to  take  possession  of  his  see. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  67 

decisions,    until   the   holding   of   the   said    Provincial 
Council."* 

The  new  Bishop  now  ardently  desired  to  repair  im- 
mediately to  the  theatre  of  his  future  labors ;  but 
insuperable  difficulties  arose,  which  delayed  his  depar- 
ture till  the  following  spring.  The  principal  obstacle 
was  his  truly  apostolic  poverty ;  he  had  not  wherewith 
to  defray  the  necessary  expenses  of  his  journey. 

He  corresponded  on  the  subject  with  M.  Badin,  now 
his  Vicar  General  in  Kentucky ;  and  the  latter  opened 
a  subscription,  with  a  view  to  raise  the  requisite  sum. 
But  the  poverty  of  the  Catholics,  most  of  whom  were 
new  settlers,  subsequently  induced  him  to  suspend  the 
collection.  The  Bishop  approved  of  this  proceeding ; 
for  he  was  aware  of  the  destitution  of  his  new  flock, 
and  he  wished  to  do  nothing  to  alienate  their  affections. 

He  wrote  to  M.  Badin:  "May  the  will  of  God  be 
done !  I  would  prefer  a  thousand  times  to  walk,  than 
create  the  slightest  murmur."  And  again :  "  Be 
pleased  to  take  notice,  that  we  are  seven  or  eight  per- 
sons, and  have  but  one  horse  among  us.  I  intend  to 
let  M.  David,  as  being  the  slowest  of  foot,  have  the 
use  of  this  horse ;  I  and  my  other  companions  will 
perform  the  journey  on  foot,  with  the  greatest  pleasure, 
and  without  the  slightest  reluctance.  This  manner  of 
pilgrimage  will  be  more  to  my  taste ;  and  unless  I  am 
greatly  deceived,  it  will  not  derogate  from  my  dignity." 
I,  however,  leave  everything  to  your  prudence. "f 

*  From  an  old  copy  of  the  Acts,  in  an  English  translation; 
dated  November  15,  1810;  found  among  the  papers  of  Bishop 
Flaget. 

f  Taken  from  M.  Badin' s  "Statement  of  the  Missions  of  Ken- 


§8  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 


While  he  was  placed  in  these  difficulties,  a  number 
of  generous  friends  in  Baltimore  came  to  his  relief,  by 
contributing  the  necessary  amount.  We  will  here  let 
him  speak  for  himself;  laying  before  our  readers  an 
extract  from  a  Letter  to  the  directors  of  the  Associa- 
tion for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  in  France : 

"  To  give  you  a  clear  idea  of  the  bishoprics  of  the 
United  States,  I  propose  to  lay  before  you  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  condition  in  which  I  found  myself,  after 
the  Holy  See,  on  the  representation  of  Bishop  Carroll, 
had  nominated  me  to  the  bishopric  of  Bardstown.  I 
was  compelled  to  accept  the  appointment,  whether  I 
would  or  not;  I  had  not  a  cent  at  my  disposal;  the 
Pope  and  the  Cardinals,  who  were  dispersed  by  the 
revolution,  were  not  able  to  make  me  the  slightest 
present ;  and  Archbishop  Carroll,  though  he  had  been 
Bishop  for  more  than  sixteen  (twenty)  years,  was  still 
poorer  than  myself;  for  he  had  debts,  and  I  owed  no- 
thing. Nevertheless,  my  consecration  took  place  on 
the  4th  of  November,  1810 ;  but  for  want  of  money  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  the  journey,  I  could  not  under- 
take it.  It  was  only  six  months  afterwards,  that, 
through  a  subscription  made  by  my  friends  in  Balti- 
more, I  was  enabled  to  reach  Bardstown,  my  episcopal 
see."* 

At  length,  on  the  11th  of  May,  1811,  the  Bishop 
and  his  suite  left  Baltimore  for  the  West.  They  trav- 
eled over  the  mountains  to  Pittsburgh;  whence  they 

tucky,"  published  in  Paris  in  1822 — p.  37,  seq.  An  English  trans- 
lation of  this  correspondence  was  published  in  the  U.  S.  Catholic 
Miscellany;  December  1,  1824. 

*  Annales  de  la  Propagation,  &c.     Vol.  iii — p.  189. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  69 

embarked  on  the  22d  in  a  flat-boat,  chartered  specially 
for  the  purpose.*  They  were  thirteen  days  in  descend- 
ing the  Ohio  river  to  Louisville,  where  they  arrived  on 
the  4th  of  June. 

A  Canadian  priest — M.  Savine — had  joined  them; 
and  on  the  boat,  all  the  exercises  were  conducted  as  in 
a  regularly  organized  seminary.  Though  "  M.  David's 
health  was  in  as  bad  a  condition  as  the  Bishop's 
funds, "f — it  having  been  greatly  shattered  on  the  mis- 
sions of  Maryland, — yet  he  presided  over  all  the  spir- 
itual exercises,  the  order  of  which  had  been  previously 
fixed  by  the  Bishop. 

uThe  boat  on  which  we  descended  the  Ohio  became 
the  cradle  of  our  seminary,  and  of  the  church  of  Ken- 
tucky. Our  cabin  was,  at  the  same  time,  chapel, 
dormitory,  study  room  and  refectory.  An  altar  was 
erected  on  the  boxes,  and  ornamented  so  far  as  circum- 
stances would  allow.  The  Bishop  prescribed  a  regula- 
tion which  fixed  all  the  exercises,  and  in  which  each 
had  its  proper  time.     On  Sunday,  after  prayer,  every 

*  At  Pittsburgh,  the  Bishop  met  with  Father  Edward  Fenwick, 
of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic,  who  was  returning  from  Mainland 
with  his  nephew,  X.  D.  Young,  and  some  others  of  the  order. 
Father  Fenwick  had  already  considerable  experience  in  traveling, 
and  lie  was  well  acquainted  with  the  West.  He  offered  his  services 
to  accompany  the  Bishop  in  the  boat:  while  his  young  companions 
conducted  the  horses  of  the  prelate  and  his  suite  by  land  through 
Ohio.  In  the  descent  of  the  river,  Father  Fenwick  acted  as  pur- 
veyor and  general  superintendent.  This  information  is  derived 
from  the  Eev.  N.  D.  Young,  0.  S.  D. 

f  Letter  of  M.  David  to  a  friend  in  France,  dated  November  20, 
1817,  and  published  in  the  "Journal  de  Marseilles,"  &c,  October 
17,  1818, 


70  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES   AKD 

one  went  to  confession ;  then  the  priests  said  Mass,  and 
the  others  went  to  communion.  After  an  agreeable 
navigation  of  thirteen  days,  we  arrived  at  Louisville, 
next  at  Bardstown,  and  finally  at  the  residence  of  the 
Vicar  General."* 

At  Louisville,  the  Bishop  met  the  good  M.  Nerinckx, 
who  had  come  to  welcome  him  in  the  name  of  the 
clergy,  and  to  escort  him  to  Bardstown  and  St.  Steph- 
en's. 

We  cannot  better  relate  his  journey  to  Bardstown, 
or  describe  his  sentiments  in  taking  possession  of  his 
see,  than  in  his  own  words,  contained  in  a  Letter, — -half 
playful  and  half  serious, — written  to  his  brother  in 
France,  a  few  days  afterwards : 

"  While  we  were  there,  (in  Louisville,)  the  faithful 
of  my  episcopal  city  put  themselves  in  motion  to  re- 
ceive me  in  a  manner  conformable  to  my  dignity. 
They  despatched  for  my  use  a  fine  equipage  drawn  by 
two  horses  ;  and  a  son  of  one  among  the  principal 
inhabitants  considered  himself  honored  in  being  the 
driver.  Horses  were  furnished  to  all  those  who  accom- 
panied me,  and  four  wagons  transported  our  baggage. 

"It  was  then,  for  the  first  time,  that  I  saw  the  bright 
side  of  the  episcopacy,  and  that  I  began  to  feel  its 
dangers.  Nevertheless,  God  be  thanked,  if  some 
movements  of  vanity  glided  into  my  heart,  they  had 
not  a  long  time  to  fix  their  abode  therein.  The  roads 
were  so  detestable,  that,  in  spite  of  my  beautiful 
chargers  and    my  excellent  driver,   I  was  obliged  to 

*  Letter  of  M.  David  to  a  friend  in  France,  dated  November  20, 
1817." — sup.  tit. 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  71 

perform  part  of  the  journey  on  foot;  and  I  should 
have  so  traveled  the  entire  way,  had  not  one  of  my 
young  seminarians  dismounted  and  presented  me  his 
horse.     *■    *  •  * 

w  The  next  day,  the  sun  was  not  yet  risen  when  we 
were  already  on  our  journey.  The  roads  were  much 
better ;  I  entered  the  carriage  with  two  of  my  suite.  I 
was  not  the  more  exalted  {fier)  for  all  this  ;  the  idea 
that  I  was  henceforward  to  speak,  to  write,  and  to  act 
as  Bishop,  cast  me  into  a  profound  sadness.  How 
many  sighs  did  I  not  breathe  forth  while  traversing 
the  four  or  five  remaining  leagues  of  our  journey ! 

"  At  the  distance  of  a  half  league  (a  mile  and  a 
half)  from  town,  an  ecclesiastic  of  my  Diocese,  accom- 
panied by  the  principal  inhabitants,  came  out  to  meet 
me.  So  soon  as  they  had  perceived  us,  they  dismoun- 
ted to  receive  my  benediction.  I  gave  it  to  them,  but 
with  how  trembling  a  hand,  and  with  what  heaviness 
of  heart !  Mutual  compliments  were  now  exchanged, 
and  then  we  all  together  proceeded  towards  the  town. 
This  cortege,  though  simple  and  modest  in  itself,  is 
something  very  new  and  extraordinary  in  this  country. 
It  was  the  first  time  a  Bishop  was  ever  seen  in  these 
parts  {deserts) ;  and  it  was  I,  the  very  last  of  the  last 
tribe,  who  was  to  have  this  honor ! 

"In  entering  the  town,  I  devoted  myself  to  all  the 
guardian  angels  who  reside  therein,  and  I  prayed  to 
God,  with  all  my  heart,  to  make  me  die  a  thousand 
times,  should  I  not  become  an  instrument  of  His  glory 
in  this  new  Diocese.  O,  my  dear  brother,  have  com- 
passion on  me,  overloaded  with  so  heavy  a  burden,  and 


72  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


pray   fervently   to   God    that  He  would  vouchsafe  to 
lighten  it."* 

The  Bishop  entered  Bardstown, — where  there  was  as 
yet  no  church, — on  the  9th  of  June;  and  he  jeached 
St.  Stephen's,  the  residence  of  M.  Badin,  on  the  11th. 
Here  he  was  met  by  the  clergy  of  his  Diocese,  and  was 
greeted  by  a  large  concourse  of  his  people,,  anxious  to 
see  their  Bishop.  The  ceremony  of  his  installation  is 
thus  described  by  M.  Badin  : 

uThe  Bishop  there  found  the  faithful  kneeling  on 
the  grass,  and  singing  canticles  in  English :  the  coun- 
try women  were  nearly  all  dressed  in  white,  and  many 
of  them  were  still  fasting,  though  it  was  then  four 
o'clock  in  the  evening ;  they  having  entertained  a  hope 
to  be  able  on  that  dav  to  assist  at  his  Mass,  and  to  re- 
ceive  the  holv  communion  from  his  hands.  An  altar 
had  been  prepared  at  the  entrance  of  the  first  court,, 
under  a  bower  composed  of  four  small  trees  which 
overshadowed  it  with  their  foliage.  Here  the  Bishop 
put  on  his  pontifical  robes.  After  the  aspersion  of  the 
holy  water,  he  was  conducted  to  the  chapel  in  proces- 
sion, with  the  singing  of  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin ;  and  the  whole  function  closed  with  the  pray- 
ers and  ceremonies  prescribed  for  the  occasion  in  the 
Roman  Pontifical. "f 

Under  circumstances  so  simple,  yet  so  touching,  did. 
the  first  Bishop  of  the  West  enter  into  formal  posses- 
sion of  his  see.  % 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  a  summary  sketch  of 

■'  Letter,  July  2;  1811.     French  Life — p.  41,  sec^. 
f  "Statement  of  M.  Badin" — sup.  cit.. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  73 

the   early  Catholic  missions   of  Kentucky,   up  to  the 
period  of  the  Bishop's  arrival. 

The  first  missionary  who  came  to  Kentucky  was  the 
Rev.  Father  Whelan,  an  Irish  Franciscan,  who  had 
served  as  chaplain  in  the  French  navy  sent  out  to  our 
assistance  during  the  war  of  the  revolution.  After  the 
close  of  the  struggle,  he  remained  in  America,  and 
was  employed  in  different  missions.  It  is  believed  that 
he  was  sent  out  to  Western  Pennsylvania,  and  stationed 
for  some  time  at  Sugar  creek.*  When  he  was  selected 
for  the  distant  mission  of  Kentucky,  he  was  living  with 
the  Jesuits  at  New  Town,  Marvland. 

Father  Whelan  was  appointed  missionary  to  our 
State  by  the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll,  then  Vicar  General 
of  the  London  Vicar  Apostolic,  in  the  spring  of  1787. 
He  traveled  to  Kentucky  with  a  colony  of  Catholics 
from  Maryland.  Before  his  departure,  it  was  reported 
to  Dr.  Carroll  that  there  were  already  in  Kentucky 
about  fifty  Catholic  families,  who  had  been  for  several 
years  deprived  of  all  pastoral  aid  and  consolation. 
The  tide  of  emigration  was  then  setting  rapidly  to- 
wards this  new  territory,  in  what  was  then  the  far 
West;  and  the  number  of  Catholics  was  yearly  in- 
creasing. The  latter  were  almost  entirely  from  Mary- 
land. 

While  watching  over  the  infant  missions  of  Ken- 
tucky, Father  Whelan  had  to  contend  against  many 
difficulties.  He  found  that  many  abuses  had  crept  in 
among  the  Catholics,  in  consequence  of  their  long  con- 
tinued spiritual  destitution  amidst  the  waving  forests. 
With   zeal    and   energy  he   sought  to  extirpate  these 


* 


This  fact  was  furnished  by  the  Bishop  of  Pittsburgh. 


74  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

scandals,  and  to  bring  his  flock  to  the  knowledge  and 
practice  of  their  Religion.  He  was  only  partially  suc- 
cessful in  his  efforts.  He  remained  not  quite  three 
years  on  this  mission,  enduring  many  privations.  He 
had  not  the  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  erect  a  single 
church  or  chapel.  Having  encountered  much  opposi- 
tion from  the  Protestants,  and  having  unhappily  met 
with  difficulties  on  the  part  of  a  portion  of  his  own 
flock,  he  returned  to  Maryland  in  the  spring  of  1790. 
He  was  afterwards  engaged  on  the  missions  of  Mary- 
land, chiefly  on  the  Eastern  Shore;  anc^/he  seems  to 
have  died  there  about  the  year  1805  or  1806. 

The  next  priest  wTho  came  to  our  State  was  the  Rev. 
William  de  Rohan,  born  in  France,  of  Irish  parentage, 
and  a  reputed  doctor  of  the  Sorbonne.  He  arrived  in 
Kentuckv  in  the  summer  of  1790  ;  and  he  was  of  con- 
siderable  assistance  to  the  Catholics,  until  the  arrival 
of  Father  Badin  in  1793.  He  passed  the  last  years  of 
his  life  at  St.  Thomas'  seminary,  and  died  piously  there, 
about  the  year  1832. 

The  Rev.  Father  Badin,  as  we  have  seen,  had  come 
to  America  in  the  same  ship  which  bore  to  our  shores 
the  Rev.  MM.  Flaget  and  David.  He  reached  Balti- 
more in  the  spring  of  1792.  Being  only  a  sub-deacon, 
he  entered  the  seminary,  and  continued  his  studies 
with  zeal  and  success.  He  was  ordained  by  Bishop 
Carroll,  in  the  old  cathedral  of  St.  Peter's,  on  the  25th 
of  May,  1793.  He  was  the  first  priest  ever  ordained 
in  the  United  States  y  and  he  was  destined  to  be  the 
real  founder  of  our  missions  in  Kentucky. 

Appointed,  soon  after  his  ordination,  to  this  difficult 
and  remote  missionary  district,  he  accepted  the  post 


n 

CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  75 

tendered  him  by  Bishop  Carroll,  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling indeed,  but  still  with  courage  and  cheerful  confi- 
dence in  God.  He  was  accompanied  to  the  West  by 
the  Rev.  M.  Barrieres,  an  older  clergyman,  likewise 
from  France,  who  had  been  named  Vicar  General  by 
Bishop  Carroll. 

"  The  two  missionaries  left  Baltimore  on  the  6th  of 
September,  1793,  and  traveled,  like  the  Apostles,  on 
foot  to  Pittsburgh,  over  bad  roads,  and  a  rugged  wil- 
derness country.  On  the  3d  of  November,  they  em- 
barked on  a  flat-boat,  which  was  descending  the  Ohio 
in  company  with  six  others.  These  boats  were  all  well 
armed,  for  fear  of  an  attack  from  the  Indians.  About 
that  time,  however,  General  Wayne  was  preparing  his 
great  expedition  against  them ;  and  they  had  enough 
to  do  to  defend  their  own  wigwams,  without  prowling 
about  near  the  frontier  settlements. 

"  The  boats  were  seven  days  in  going  down  to  Galli- 
polis;  and  between  this  place  and  Pittsburgh,  the 
travelers  saw  but  two  small  towns — Wheeling  and 
Marietta.  The  two  priests  remained  for  three  days  at 
Gallipolis,  the  inhabitants  of  which  place  were  French 
Catholics,  who  had  been  long  without  a  pastor.  They 
heartily  welcomed  the  missionaries,  who,  during  their 
brief  stay,  sang  High  Mass  in  the  garrison,  and  bap- 
tized forty  children.  The  good  French  colonists  were 
delighted ;  and  shed  tears  on  their  departure.  They 
were  but  a  remnant  of  a  large  French  colony  of  about 
7,000,  who  had  emigrated  to  America  four  or  five 
years  previously.  A  French  land  company  had  pur- 
chased for  them  a  large  territory  on  the  Scioto  river; 
but  the  title  to  these  lands  proved  defective :  the  colo- 


SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

nists  were  defrauded,  and  many  of  them  returned  in 
disgust  to  France,  bitterly  inveighing  against  Yankee 
shrewdness  in  bargaining. 

"  The  two  missionaries  landed  at  Limestone,  or  Mays- 
ville,  where  there  were  at  that  time  about'  twenty 
families.  They  proceeded  on  foot  to  Lexington,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  sixty-five  miles.  They  passed  the  first 
night  in  an  open  mill,  six  miles  from  Limestone,  lodg- 
ing on  the  mill-bags,  without  any  covering,  during  a 
cold  night,  late  in  November.  On  the  next  day.  they 
passed  the  battle-ground  of  the  Blue  Licks,  where  M. 
Barrieres  picked  up  the  skull  of  one  of  those  who  had 
fallen  there  eleven  years  before.  He  carried  it  with 
him,  and  retained  it  as  a  relic  of  the  disastrous  battle, 
and  as  a  memento  of  death.  On  the  first  Sunday  of 
Advent.  M.  Badin  said  Mass,  for  the  first  time  in  Ken- 
tueky,  at  Lexington,  in  the  house  of  Dennis  M'Carthy, 
an  Irish  Catholic,  who  acted  as  clerk  in  the  commercial 
house  of  Colonel  Mojland,  brother  of  the  then  Bishop 
of  Cork. 

"  The  missionaries  had  with  them  but  one  chalice  ; 
and  after  having  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  M. 
Badin  traveled  sixteen  miles  to  the  Catholic  settlement 
in  Scott  county,  where  M.  Barrieres  said  Ma>>  on  the 
same  day.  Preparations  were  then  in  progress  to  erect 
in  this  place  a  frame  church.  M.  Badin  remained  in 
Scott  county  for  about  eighteen  months,  occasionally 
visiting  the  other  Catholic  settlements  in  Kentucky; 
M.  Barrieres  proceeded  immediately  to  take  charge  of 
the  Catholic  families  in  the  vicinity  nf  Bardstowh. 

"  The  difficulties  of  the  times,  and  the  rude  state  of 
society  in  the  infant  colonies,  soon  determined  M.  Bar- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOJP   FLAGET.  7T 

rieres  to  leave  the  country.  His  habits  had  been 
already  formed,  and  he  thought  that  he  could  not  adapt 
himself  to  the  new  state  of  things  in  the  wilderness. 
Accordingly,  about  four  months  after  his  arrival  in 
Kentucky,  he  left  the  State.  In  April,  1794,  he  de- 
parted from  Louisville,  in  a  pirogue  for  New  Orleans, 
which,  with  all  Louisiana  and  Missouri,  was  then  in 
possession  of  the  Spaniards. 

"  The  Spanish  government  was  at  that  time  appre- 
hending an  attack  on  Louisiana  from  the  French 
Republic;  and  M.  Barrieres,  being  a  Frenchman,  was 
arrested  and  detained  for  some  time  at  New  Madrid. 
He  immediately  wrote  to  Baron  Carondolet,  the  Span- 
ish Governor  of  Louisiana,  representing  the  objects  of 
his  visit:  and  the  Baron  soon  liberated  him,  and  per- 
mitted him  to  proceed,  without  farther  molestation,  to 
Xew  Orleans.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  this  city,  he 
went  to  Attakapas,  where  he  labored  zealously  in  the 
missions  for  nearly  twenty  years.  In  181-i,  he  sailed 
for  Bordeaux,  where  he  died  eight  days  after  his  arri- 
val. About  twenty-three  years  before,  he  had  escaped 
from  a  prison  of  this  city,  and  from  the  death  which 
probably  awaited  him  at  the  hands  of  the  French 
Jacobins ;  and  he  had  sailed  from  this  port  for  Amer- 
ica: and  now  he  returned  to  the  same  place,  but  to 
breathe  his  last. 

"M.  Badin  was  now  left  alone  in  the  heart  of  the 
wilderness.  Keenly  as  he  felt  the  desolation  of  heart 
which  this  state  of  isolation  brought  with  it,  he  yet 
reposed  his  whole  trust  in  God,  who  abundantly  con- 
soled him  in  all  his  tribulations.  He  remained  alone 
for  nearly  three  years,  and  was  at  one  time  twenty-one 


78  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

months  without  an  opportunity  of  going  to  confes- 
sion. He  had  to  form  the  new  congregations,  to  erect 
churches  at  suitable  places,  and  to  attend  to  the  spirit- 
ual wants  of  the  Catholic  settlements  scattered  over 
Kentucky  ;  and  he  had  to  do  all  this  alone,  and  with- 
out  any  advice  or  assistance.  Well  might  he  exclaim: 
'Oh!  how  much  anguish  of  heart,  how  many  sighs, 
and  how  many  tears,  grow  out  of  a  condition  so  deso- 
late!'  Still  he  was  not  cast  down,  notwithstanding  all 
his  perplexities. 

"His  mind  was  also  soothed  by  the  cheering  voice 
of  friendship.  The  nearest  Catholic  priest  was  M. 
Rivet,  who  was  stationed  at  Post  Vincennes  in  1795, 
shortly  after  the  departure  from  that  station  of  the 
illustrious  missionary  pioneer,  the  Rev.  M.  Flaget.  In 
France,  he  had  been  professor  of  rhetoric  in  the  college 
of  Limoges:  and  he  still  continued  to  write  Latin  poe- 
try with  ease  and  elegance.  He  occasionally  sent  his 
Latin  poems  to  M.  Badin,  who  also  excelled  in  this 
species  of  composition.  When  the  French  revolution 
burst  over  Europe,  M.  Rivet  took  refuge  in  Spain, 
where  the  Archbishop  of  Cordova  made  him  his  Vicar 
General,  for  the  benefit  of  the  numerous  French  refu- 
gees who  had  taken  shelter  beyond  the  Pirrenees. 

"He  and  M.  Badin  mutually  consoled  each  other,  by 
carrying  on  as  brisk  a  correspondence  as  the  difficulties 
of  the  times  would  permit.  There  were  then,  however, 
no  post  offices  in  the  West ;  and  the  frowning  wilder- 
ness which  interposed  between  these  two  friends  ren- 
dered the  exchange  of  letters  extremely  difficult ;  and 
wholly  precluded  the  possibility  of  their  visiting  each 
other ;  even  if  this  had  been  permitted  by  the  onerous 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  79 

duties  with  which  each  was  charged.  M.  Rivet  had 
discovered  at  Vincennes  a  precious  document  of  the 
old  Jesuit  missions  among  the  Indians  of  the  North- 
west. It  consisted  of  two  large  folio  volumes  in  man- 
uscript, containing  the  Mass,  with  musical  notes,  and 
explanations  of  it,  together  with  catechetical  instruc- 
tions, in  the  Indian  language.  This  document  has 
probably  since  disappeared. 

"When  M.  Badin  first  came  to  Kentucky,  he  esti- 
mated the  number  of  Catholic  families  in  the  State  at 
three  hundred.  These  were  much  scattered;  and  the 
number  was  constantly  on  the  increase,  especially  after 
Wayne's  victory  in  1794,  and  the  treaty  of  Greenville 
in  the  following  year.  There  was  then  but  one  Cath- 
olic in  Bardstown — Mr.  A.  Sanders,  to  whose  liberality 
and  generous  hospitality  the  clergy  of  the  early  church 
in  Kentucky  were  so  much  indebted. 

"He  found  the  Catholics  suffering  greatly  from  pre- 
vious neglect,  and  in  a  wretched  state  of  discipline. 
Left  alone  with  this  extensive  charge,  he  had  to  exert 
himself  to  the  utmost,  and,  as  it  were,  to  multiply 
himself,  in  order  to  be  able  to  meet  every  spiritual 
want  of  his  numerous  flock.  As  the  Catholics  were 
then  almost  wholly  without  churches  or  chapels,  he 
was  under  the  necessity  of  establishing  stations  at  suit- 
able points,  in  private  houses.  These  stations  extended 
from  Madison  to  Hardin  county — a  distance  of  more 
than  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles ;  and  to  visit  them 
all  with  regularity,  he  was  compelled  almost  to  live  on 
horseback.  He  estimates  that,  during  his  sojourn  in 
Kentucky,  he  must  have  rode  on  horseback  at  least 
100,000    miles.      Often    was    he   exhausted   with    his 


bO  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   A&D 


5 


labors,  and  weighed  down  with  the  'solicitude  of  all 
the  churches.' 

"  His  chief  stations  during  this  time  were  those  at 
Lexington,  in  Scott  county,  in  Madison  county,  in 
Mercer  county — where  there  were  then  about  ten  fami- 
lies— at  Holy  Cross,  at  Bardstown,  on  Cartwright's 
creek — two  miles  from  the  present  church  of  St.  Rose — 
on  Hardin's  creek,  on  the  Rolling  Fork,  in  Hardin 
county,  and  at  Poplar  Neck,  on  the  Beech  Fork. 

"In  all  these  places,  except  Madison  and  Mercer 
counties,  there  are  now  fine  brick  churches ;  but  at  the 
period  of  which  we  are  speaking,  there  was  not  one  of 
any  kind,  except  a  miserable  log  chapel,  on  the  site  of 
the  present  church  of  Holy  Cross ;  and  this  had  been 
erected  at  the  instance  of  M.  De  Rohan,  before  the 
arrival  of  M.  Badin  in  Kentucky.  This  temporary  hut 
was  covered  with  clapboards,  and  was  unprovided  with 
glass  in  the  windows.  A  slab  of  wood,  roughly  hewed, 
served  for  an  altar.  Such  was  the  first  Catholic  church 
in  Kentucky !  As  it  was  situated  near  the  centre  of  the 
Catholic  settlements,  M.  Badin  soon  took  up  his  resi- 
dence near  it ;  and  it  then  became  the  central  point  of 
his  mission,  and  the  alma  mater  of  Catholic  churches 
in  the  State.  He  subsequently  erected  a  temporary 
chapel  at  his  own  residence,  three  miles  from  Holy 
Cross:  this  he  called  St.  Stephen's,  after  his  patron 
Saint. 

k'M.  Badin  was  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  awaken 
piety,  and  to  restore  a  proper  discipline  among  his 
flock.  He  insisted  particularly  on  having  servants  and 
children  taught  the  catechism.  At  every  station  he 
had  regular  catechists,  whose  duty  it  was  to  teach  them 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  81 

the  elements  of  the  faith.  He  displayed  on  all  occa- 
sions particular  zeal  in  the  instruction  of  poor  servants 
of  color.  Whenever  he  visited  a  Catholic  family,  it 
was  his  invariable  custom  to  have  public  prayers,  fol- 
lowed by  catechetical  instructions.  He  every  where 
inculcated  by  word  and  example  the  pious  practice  of 
having  morning  and  evening  prayer  in  families.  He 
was  in  the  habit  of  repeating  to  children,  in  his  usual 
emphatic  and  pointed  manner,  the  following  maxims : 
4  My  children,  mind  this — no  morning  prayer,  no 
breakfast ;  no  evening  prayer,  no  supper : '  and,  '  my 
children,  be  good,  and  you  will  never  be  sorry  for  it.' 

Father  Badin  was  at  length  consoled  by  the  arrival 
of  other  missionaries.  The  Rev.  M.  Fournier  reached 
Kentucky  in  1797.  "He  was  a  native  of  the  Diocese 
of  Blois,  in  France ;  and,  when  driven  from  his  native 
country  by  the  French  revolution,  he  took  refuge  in 
England.  In  London  he  taught  the  French  language 
for  about  four  years,  in  order  to  obtain  a  subsistence. 
Weary  of  this  manner  of  life,  and  panting  for  a  field 
of  action  more  congenial  to  his  zeal  for  the  salvation  of 
souls,  he  sailed  for  America,  which  he  reached  towards 
the  close  of  the  year  1796.  He  at  once  offered  his 
services  to  Bishop  Carroll ;  who  gratefully  accepted 
them,  and  immediately  sent  him  to  Kentucky  to  the 
assistance  of  M.  Badin,  of  whose  melancholy  condition 
he  had  been  already  well  apprised. 

"  M.  Fournier,  after  a  long  and  painful  journey,  in 
the  dead  of  winter,  reached  Kentucky  in  February, 

*  Sketches  of  the  Early  Catholic  Missions  of  Kentucky — p.  61, 
seqq, 

6 


82  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

1797.  M.  Badin  received  him  with  open  arms,  and 
extended  to  him  for  several  months  the  hospitality  of 
his  own  log  cabin  of  St.  Stephen's.  M.  Fournier  soon 
purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  ground,  on  the  Rolling 
Fork — the  site  of  the  present  Holy  Mary's — and,  after 
having  erected  a  temporary  hut,   removed  thither  in 

1798.  He  then  took  charge  of  a  portion  of  M.  Badin's 
stations.  He  attended  the  congregation  situated  on 
the  Rolling  Fork,  on  Hardin's  creek,  on  Cartwright's 
creek,  on  Rough  creek  in  Hardin  county ;  with  those  at 
Danville,  and  in  Madison  county.  When  we  reflect 
that  a  distance  of  least  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
intervened  between  the  two  extreme  points  of  this  cir- 
cuit, we  will  probably  come  to  the  conclusion,  that, 
like  his  fellow-laborer  in  the  same  field,  he  was  cer- 
tainly in  no  lack  of  employment. 

uHe  was  an  excellent  priest;  pious,  zealous,  labori- 
ous, and  punctual  to  all  his  appointments.  He  was  of 
the  ordinary  size,  and  had  a  thin  visage,  furrowed  with 
care,  but  still  beaming  with  habitual  cheerfulness.  His 
manners  were  extremely  popular ;  he  soon  caught  the 
spirit,  and  adapted  himself  to  the  manners  of  the 
country;  and  he  had  not  one  personal  enemy.  He 
spoke  English  remarkably  well,  and  preached  sermons 
which  had  the  triple  merit  of  being  solid,  short,  and 
intelligible  to  the  meanest  capacity. 

"When  not  engaged  in  his  missions,  he  was  almost 
constantly  laboring  on  the  little  farm  adjoining  his 
residence.  His  death  was  caused  by  the  rupture  of  a 
blood-vessel,  through  over  exertion  in  raising  large 
beams  of  wood,  to  be  sawed  into  plank.  It  was  so 
sudden,  that  his  friend,   M.  Badin,  arrived   only    in 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  83 

time  to  assist  at  his  funeral.  His  body  was  interred  at 
the  church  of  Holy  Cross.  He  had  not  yet  reached 
his  fiftieth  year. 

u  Another  French  priest,  M.  Salmon,  reached  Ken- 
tucky in  February,  1^99.  He  was  from  the  same 
Diocese  (of  Blois),  and  was  an  old  and  long  tried  friend 
of  M.  Fournier;  with  whom  he  had  been  a  fellow  stu- 
dent in  the  diocesan  seminary  of  Blois,  as  well  as  his 
associate  in  exile  from  his  country.  The  two  friends 
had  met  and  passed  some  years  together  in  London. 
After  the  arrival  of  M.  Fournier  in  Kentucky,  he 
wrote  to  his  friend  in  London,  who  followed  him  as 
soon  as  he  could  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 
He  was  about  forty-two  years  of  age,  of  a  delicate 
frame ;  and,  like  M.  Fournier,  was  well  versed  in  the 
English  language. 

UM.  Badin,  who  was  Yicar  General,  assigned  him 
the  stations  at  Hardin's  creek,  Poplar  Neck,  Mr.  Gar- 
diner's, and  Bardstown.  He  was  zealous  and  inde- 
fatigable in  the  discharge  of  all  his  missionary  duties. 
Especially  did  he  labor  without  intermission  for  the 
instruction  of  children  and  servants  in  their  catechism. 
In  whatever  Catholic  house  he  visited,  he  made  it  an 
invariable  rule  to  examine  the  children  on  their  knowl- 
edge of  their  Christian  duties. 

"  His  zeal  was  rewarded  with  abudant  fruits ;  though 
it  pleased  God,  in  the  unsearchable  ways  of  His  Provi- 
dence, speedily  to  put  an  end  to  his  labors  and  suffer- 
ings on  this  mission.  He  had  been  in  Kentucky  but 
nine  months,  when  his  career  was  suddenly  cut  short 
by  death.  He  was  the  first  priest  who  died  on  this 
laborious  mission, — and  he  fell  a  martyr  to  his  zeal. 


84  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AtfD 


* 


"In  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  he  had  caught  a 
violent  cold,  which  confined  him  to  his  bed  for  six 
weeks,  in  the  house  of  M.  Badin.  When  convalescent, 
he  determined  to  visit  the  station  at  Mr.  Gwynn's, 
where  he  had  an  appointment  to  meet  a  Protestant 
lady  whom  he  was  instructing  and  preparing  for  bap- 
tism. He  was  a  bad  horseman,  and  was  still  very 
feeble  from  his  previous  sickness.  It  was  the  9th  day 
of  November,  1799 ;  and  the  snow  covered  the  ground, 
concealing  a  road  which  was  rugged  and  difficult.  M  - 
Badin  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  undertaking 
the  journey,  in  his  debilitated  condition;  but  he  was 
firm  in  his  resolution,  and  departed  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  morning. 

"About  a  mile  from  Bardstown,  on  the  road  to  Mr. 
Gwynn's,  he  was  thrown  violently  from  his  horse,  and 
was  dashed  against  a  tree.  He  was  stunned  and  mor- 
tally wounded,  in  the  breast  and  head.  In  his  strug- 
gles, he  succeeded  in  dragging  himself  to  a  tree, 
against  which  he  leaned  his  head  and  shoulders,  and 
thus  sat  upright,  near  the  road  side.  From  12  o'clock 
until  night  he  remained  in  this  dreadful  situation, 
surrounded  by  the  snow,  benumbed  with  the  cold,  and 
in  the  very  agonies  of  death. 

"  The  good  Mr.  Gwynn,  on  hearing  of  his  perilous 
situation,  was  deeply  affected.  He  flew  to  the  spot, 
where  he  discovered  that  his  worst  anticipations  were 
more  than  realized.  M.  Salmon  seemed  on  the  very 
point  of  death.  He  was  immediately  placed  on  horse- 
back, and  conveyed,  with  as  much  tenderness  as  possi- 
ble, to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Gwynn,  about  a  mile 
distant.       Messengers    were   speedily   despatched    for 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  85 

physicians,  and  for  the  V.  Rev.  M.  Badin.  The  latter 
arrived  at  2  o'clock  the  same  night,  having  rode  about 
sixteen  miles  in  little  more  than  two  hours.  He  found 
M.  Salmon  insensible,  reciting  occasionally  prayers  in 
Latin,  and  acting  as  though  he  fancied  himself  at  the 
holv  altar.  M.  Badin  administered  to  him  the  last 
sacraments,  and  remained  with  him  till  his  death, 
which  took  place  on  the  following  night,  the  10th  of 
November.  His  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  church 
of  Holy  Cross,  where  they  were  interred  with  all  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Roman  Ritual. 

"  The  worthy  partriarch  of  the  American  Church. 
Bishop  Carroll,  seemed  to  take  a  special  interest  in  the 
missions  of  Kentucky.  In  the  same  year  of  M.  Sal- 
mon's death,  he  sent  out  another  zealous  missionary  to 
labor  in  this  distant  field.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer 
arrived  in  Kentucky  in  the  year  1799.  He  was  the 
first  native  of  America  who  exercised  the  holy  ministry 
in  our  State.  He  had  been  a  Presbyterian  or  Congre- 
gationalist  minister  at  Boston ;  and  had  been  reared 
with  all  that  bitter  hostility  to  the  holy  Catholic  Church 
so  common  to  his  sect. 

"He  left  Kentucky  in  1803;  and  subsequently  went 
to  Ireland.  He  exercised  the  holy  ministry  for  many 
years  in  Limerick,  where  he  contributed  greatly  to- 
wards the  revival  of  piety.  The  year  of  his  death  we 
have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  with  precision ;  but  it 
certainly  occurred  some  time  before  the  year  1822. 
When  M.  Badin  was  in  Paris  during  this  year,  he  re- 
ceived, from  a  respectable  Irish  gentleman  of  Limerick, 
a  glowing  account  of  his  zealous  labors  and  edifying 
death.     Among  other  particulars,  the  gentleman  allu- 


86  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


ded  to  mentioned  the  fact,  that  Mr.  Thayer  had  in- 
duced about  two  hundred  of  his  penitents  to  make  their 
meditation  daily."* 

For  two  years — -from  1803  to  1805 — Very  Rev.  M. 
Badin  was  again  left  alone  in  the  vast  missions  of 
Kentucky.  After  the  death  of  his  intimate  friend, 
Rev.  M.  Rivet,  at  Vincennes,  his  situation  became  still 
more  isolated  and  painful.  There  was  no  priest  nearer 
to  him  than  those  stationed  at  the  missions  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  at  Detroit.  Alone  in 
the  immense  forests,  he  labored  with  earnest  zeal  for 
the  spiritual  profit  of  his  large  and  scattered  flock; 
and  God  crowned  his  efforts  with  abundant  fruits. 
Abuses  were  every  where  rebuked  or  extirpated :  piety 
was  seen  to  revive ;  children  and  servants  were  instruc- 
ted ;  and  it  became  a  matter  of  wonder  and  edification, 
that  one  zealous  priest  could  accomplish  so  much  good. 

In  the  summer  of  1805,  he  was  consoled  by  the  arri- 
val of  another  valiant  missionary ;  who  was  to  labor  in 
this  portion  of  the  vineyard  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
with  so  much  devotedness  and  success,  as  to  be  fairly 
entitled  to  the  name  of  the  second  founder  of  our  Wes- 
tern missions.  This  holy  priest,  whose  name  is  still 
held  in  benediction,  and  whose  "fruits  yet  remain," 
was  the  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx.  "He  was  born  on 
the  2d  of  October,  1761,  at  Herffelingen,  in  Haynault.f 
His  parents  were  distinguished  for  their  virtues  and 
their  strong  attachment  to  Religion.  His  father  was  a 
physician  of  some  eminence  in  the  profession ;  and  his 
mother  seems  to  have  been  a  woman  of  great  piety. 

*  Sketches  of  the  Early  Catholic  Missions  of  Kentucky — p.  73, 
seqq. 

f  In  Belgium. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  87 

His  studies  completed,  he  was  ordained  priest  in  1785  : 
and  in  the  following  year  was  appointed  cure,  or  pastor 
of  Malines,  the  archiepiscopal  city.  He  filled  this 
important  post  for  eight  years,  and  gathered  there  the 
abundant  first-fruits  of  his  ministry.  The  good  people 
of  Malines  yet  remember  his  piety  and  laborious  zeal, 
the  effects  of  which  they  still  feel.  The  rectory  of 
Everbery  Meerbeke,  half  way  between  Malines  and 
Brussels,  having  become  vacant  by  the  death  of  the 
aged  incumbent,  M.  Nerinckx  was  appointed  to  fill 
it  by  the  general  suffrage  of  a  board  of  examiners ; 
who,  after  the  searching  examination,  or  concursus, 
recommended  by  the  Holy  Council  of  Trent  for  such 
cases,  unanimously  awarded  him  the  palm  over  all 
other  candidates.  Though  loath  to  leave  Malines, 
where  the  people  were  much  attached  to  him,  yet  he 
hesitated  not  to  enter  upon  the  new  field  of  labor  thus 
opened  to  him  by  Providence. 

"It  was  natural  that  a  man  of  so  much  zeal,  and  one 
who  had  done  so  much  good,  should  be  viewed  with  an 
evil  eye  by  the  infidel  leaders  of  the  French  revolution- 
ary movement,  who  had  recently  taken  possession  of 
Belgium.  An  order  for  his  apprehension  was  accord- 
ingly issued;  and  M.  Nerinckx  was  compelled  to  fly 
from  his  dear  parish,  which  he  left  a  prey  to  the  de- 
vouring wolves.  In  1797  he  secreted  himself  in  the 
hospital  at  Terremonde,  which  was  under  the  charge 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  Hospitalier  nuns,  of  whom  his  aunt 
was  superioress.  Here  he  remained  for  seven  years, 
during  all  of  which  time  he  carried  his  life  in  his 
hands.  He  acted  as  chaplain  to  the  hospital,  the  form- 
er incumbent  having  been  banished  to  the  Isle  of  Rhe. 


88  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


He  bore  his  persecutions  with  entire  resignation  to  the 
holy  will  of  God,  and  edified  all  by  the  practice  of 
every  virtue.  He  encouraged  the  good  nuns  to  perse- 
vere in  their  heavenly  calling  of  mercy.  He  said  Mass 
for  them  every  morning  at  2  o'clock,  and  then  retired 
to  his  hiding  place  before  the  dawn. 

"Beset  with  dangers,  and  uncertain  as  to  the  dura- 
tion of  the  dreadful  storm  which  was  then  sweeping 
over  Europe,  M.  Xerinckx  at  length  determined  to  bid 
adieu  to  his  unhappy  country,  and  to  emigrate  to  the 
United  States.  Here  'the  harvest  was  great,  and  the 
laborers  few ; '  and  no  impediment  was  placed  in  the 
way  of  a  free  exercise  of  Religion,  according  to  each 
one's  conscientious  convictions.  He  accordingly  made 
his  escape,  in  a  vessel  which  sailed  from  Amsterdam  to 
the  United  States,  on  the  1-ith  of  August,  1804. 

"  He  had  a  long  and  dangerous  passage  of  ninety  days. 
The  old  and  rickety  vessel  was  often  in  imminent  dan- 
ger  of  foundering  at  sea ;  and  to  add  to  the  distress,  a 
contagious  disorder  carried  off  many  of  the  passengers 
and  crew.  Still  they  were  not  chastened  under  the  rod 
of  affliction;  the  heart  of  M.  Xerinckx  often  bled  over 
their  wickedness,  which  he  was  wholly  unable  to  check  ; 
and  he  afterwards  was  in  the  habit  of  styling  this  ill- 
fated  ship,  '  a  floating  hell.'  The  captain,  in  particular, 
was  a  very  profane  and  wicked  man.  M.  Xerinckx 
was  wont  to  ascribe  his  preservation  from  shipwreck, 
to  a  special  interposition  of  Divine  Providence. 

"  He  reached  Baltimore  about  the  middle  of  Novem- 
ber ;  and  immediately  offered  his  services  to  the  patri- 
arch of  the  American  Church — Bishop  Carroll — for 
whatever  mission  in  the  United  States  he  might  think 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  89 

proper  to  assign  him.  The  Bishop  received  the 
good  exile  with  open  arms,  and  immediately  sent  him 
to  Georgetown  to  prepare  himself  for  the  American 
mission  by  learning  English,  with  which,  as  yet,  he 
was  wholly  unacquainted.  M.  Nerinckx  was  then  in 
his  forty-fifth  year ;  and  yet  he  applied  himself  with  so 
much  ardor  to  the  study  of  our  language,  as  to 
be  able  in  a  few  months  to  speak  and  write  it  with  con- 
siderable facility. 

"Bishop  Carroll  was  well  aware  of  the  forlorn  con- 
dition of  M.  Badin,  who  was  alone  in  Kentucky ;  and 
he  determined  to  send  the  new  missionary  to  his  assis- 
tance. And  had  he  sent  us  no  other,  Kentucky  would 
still  have  ample  reason  to  be  forever  grateful  to  him  for 
the  invaluable  treasure  he  gave  in  M.  Nerinckx. 

"  The  good  missionary  hesitated  not  a  moment  to 
comply  with  the  wish  of  his  new  superior.  He  left 
Baltimore  in  the  spring  of  1805 ;  and,  after  a  long  and 
painful  journey,  reached  Kentucky  on  the  5th  of  July 
following.  He  immediately  applied  himself  zealously 
to  the  labors  of  the  mission,  which  he  cheerfully  shared 
with  M.  Badin,  the  Yicar  General.  For  the  first  seven 
years  he  resided  with  M.  Badin,  at  St.  Stephen's ;  after- 
wards, he  took  up  his  residence  chiefly  near  the  church 
of  St.  Charles,  which  he  had  erected  on  Hardin's  creek, 
and  named  after  his  patron  Saint.  But  he  was  seldom 
at  home :  he  lived  on  his  scattered  missions,  and  passed 
much  of  his  time  on  horseback. 

"His  labors  in  the  arduous  field  upon  which  he  had 
now  entered  were  as  great  as  their  fruit  was  abundant. 
With  his  whole  soul,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry*    He  even  seemed  to  court  labors  and 


90  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    ANT> 

Bufferings  for  their  own  sake.  Of  a  powerful  frame, 
and  of  herculean  constitution,  he  never  spared  himself. 
His  rest  was  brief,  and  his  food  was  generally  of  the 
coarsest  kind.  He  usually  arose  several  hours  before 
day,  which  hours  he  devoted  to  prayer  and  study.  In 
fact,  he  seemed  to  be  always  engaged  in  mental  prayer, 
no  matter  how  numerous  or  distracting  were  his  em- 
ployments. 

"He  appeared  to  live  solely  for  God,  and  for  his 
neighbor.  Performing  his  duty  was  his  daily  bread. 
And  though  old  age  was  fast  creeping  over  him,  yet  he 
relaxed  in  nothing  his  exhausting  labors.  His  soul 
was  still  fresh  and  vigorous ;  and  God  so  preserved  his 
health,  that,  even  at  the  age  of  sixty,  he  seemed  gifted 
with  all  the  strength  and  vigor  of  youth. 

"He  seldom  missed  offering  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
daily,  no  matter  what  had  been  his  previous  fatigues  or 
indisposition.  Often  was  he  known  to  ride  twenty -five 
or  thirty  miles  fasting,  in  order  to  be  able  to  say  Mass. 
His  missionary  labors  would  be  almost  incredible,  were 
they  not  still  so  well  remembered  by  almost  all  the 
older  Catholics  of  Kentucky. 

"  His  courage  was  unequalled :  he  feared  no  difficul- 
ties, and  was  appalled  by  no  dangers.  Through  rain 
and  storms;  through  snows  and  ice;  over  roads  ren- 
dered almost  impassable  by  the  mud ;  over  streams 
swollen  by  the  rains,  or  frozen  by  the  cold ;  by  day  and 
by  night,  in  winter  and  in  summer ;  he  might  be  seen 
traversing  all  parts  of  Kentucky  in  the  discharge  of 
his  laborious  duties.  Far  from  shunning,  he  seemed 
even  to  seek  after  hardships  and  dangers. 

"He  crossed  wilderness  districts,  swam  rivers,  slept 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  91 

in  the  woods  among  the  wild  beasts ;  and  while  under- 
going all  this,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  fasting,  and  of 
voluntarily  mortifying  himself  in  many  other  ways. 
His  courage  and  vigor  seemed  to  increase  with  the 
labors  and  privations  he  had  to  endure.  As  his  cour- 
age, so  neither  did  his  cheerfulness,  ever  abandon  him. 
He  seldom  laughed,  or  even  smiled;  but  there  was 
withal  an  air  of  contentment  and  cheerfulness  about 
him,  which  greatly  qualified  the  natural  austerity  of 
his  countenance  and  manners.  He  could,  like  the 
great  Apostle,  make  himself  c  all  to  all,  to  gain  all  to 
Christ.'  He  appeared  even  more  at  home  in  the  cabin 
of  the  humblest  citizen,  or  in  the  hut  of  the  poor 
negro,  than  in  the  more  pretending  mansions  of  the 
wealthy. 

"  He  was  averse  to  giving  trouble  to  others,  especial- 
ly to  the  poor.  Often,  when  he  arrived  at  a  house  in 
the  night,  he  attended  to  his  own  horse,  and  took  a 
brief  repose  in  the  stable,  or  in  some  out-house ;  and 
when  the  inmates  of  the  house  arose  next  morning, 
they  frequently  perceived  him  already  up,  and  saying 
his  office,  or  making  meditation.  He  made  it  an  inva- 
riable rule  never  to  miss  an  appointment,  whenever  it 
was  at  all  possible  to  keep  it.  He  often  arrived  at  a 
distant  station  early  in  the  morning,  after  having  rode 
during  all  of  the  previous  night.  On  these  occasions, 
he  heard  confessions,  taught  catechism,  gave  instruc- 
tions, and  said  Mass  for  the  people  generally  after 
noon ;  and  he  seldom  broke  his  fast  until  three  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

"  In  swimming  rivers,  he  was  often  exposed  to  great 
danger.     Once,  in  going  to  visit  a  sick  person,  he  came 


92  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

to  a  stream  which  his  companion  knew  to  be  impassa- 
ble. M.  Nerinckx  took  the  saddle  of  his  friend — who 
refused  to  venture — placed  it  on  his  own,  and  then  re- 
mounting the  horse,  placed  himself  on  his  knees  on 
the  top  of  the  two  saddles,  and  thus  crossed  the  flood 
which  flowed  over  his  horse's  back.  On  another  occa- 
sion he  made  a  still  more  narrow  escape.  He  was 
swept  from  his  horse,  which  lost  its  footing  and  was 
carried  away  by  the  current;  and  the  rider  barely 
saved  himself,  and  reached  the  other  shore,  by  clinging 
firmly  to  the  horse's  tail ! 

"On  one  of  his  missionary  tours,  he  narrowly  escap- 
ed being  devoured  by  the  wTolves,  which  then  greatly 
infested  those  portions  of  Kentucky  which  were  not 
densely  settled. 

"M.  Nerinckx  often  manifested  his  great  bodily 
strength  in  the  course  of  his  laborious  life.  He  erec- 
ted no  less  than  ten  churches  in  Kentucky ;  two  of 
which — those  of  Holy  Cross  and  of  Lebanon — were  of 
brick ;  and  the  rest  of  hewed  logs.  He  was  not  con- 
tent with  directing  the  labors  of  others:  he  was  seen 
intermixing  with  the  workmen,  aiding  them  in  cutting 
timber,  in  clearing  out  the  undergrowth,  and  in  every 
other  species  of  hard  labor.  He  generally  worked 
bareheaded  under  the  broiling  sun :  and,  in  removing 
heavy  timber,  or  as  it  is  commonly  called,  rolling  logs, 
he  usually  lifted  against  two  or  three  men  of  ordinary 
strength !  He  built  his  own  house,  chiefly  with  his 
own  hands ;  and  was  wont  to  say  cheerfully,  '  that  his 
palace  had  cost  him  just  $6,50  in  money !  ' 

u  He  had  charge  of  six  large  congregations,  besides  a 
much  greater  number  of  stations,  scattered  over  the 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    BXAGET.  93 

whole  extent  of  Kentucky.  Wherever  he  could  learn 
that  there  were  a  few  Catholic  settlers,  there  he  estab* 
iished  a  station,  or  erected  a  church.  The  labor  which 
he  thus  voluntarily  took  on  himself,  is  almost  incredi- 
ble. To  visit  all  his  churches  and  stations,  generally 
required  the  space  of  at  least  six  weeks. 

"He  never  took  any  rest  or  recreation.  He  seemed 
always  most  happy,  when  most  busily  engaged.  He 
seldom  talked,  except  on  business ;  or  on  God,  on  virtue, 
or  on  his  missionary  duties.  On  reaching  a  church  or 
station,  his  confessional  was  thronged  with  peni- 
tents, from  the  early  dawn  until  mid-day.  Before 
beginning  to  hear  confessions,  he  usually  said  some 
prayers  with  the  people,  and  then  gave  them  a  solid 
and  familiar  instruction  on  the  manner  of  approaching 
the  holy  tribunal.  If  he  seemed  austere  out  of  the 
confessional,  he  was  in  it  a  most  kind,  patient,  and 
tender  father.  He  spared  no  time  nor  pains  to  instruct 
his  penitents ;  all  of  whom,  without  one  exception,  were 
deeply  attached  to  him.  To  his  instructions,  chiefly  in 
the  confessional,  are  we  to  ascribe  the  piety  and  regu- 
larity of  many  among  the  living  Catholics  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

"  But  it  was  on  the  children  and  servants  that  he 
lavished  his  labor  with  the  greatest  relish.  Thorough- 
ly to  instruct  them,  and  prepare  them  for  their  first 
communion,  was  his  darling  enjoyment.  He  thought 
no  time  nor  labor,  that  was  devoted  to  this  favorite 
object,  too  long  or  ill-spent.  For  this  purpose,  he  usu- 
ally remained  a  week  at  each  of  the  churches  and  sta- 
tions.    During   this   time,    he    had   the    children  and 


94  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TTMES    AND 


servants  daily  assembled,  and  devoted  his  whole  time 
to  them. 

"  God  blessed  his  labors  with  fruits  so  abundant  and 
permanent,  as  to  console  him  for  all  his  toils  and  priva- 
tions. He  witnessed  a  nourishing  church  growing  up 
around  him,  in  what  had  recently  been  a  wilderness, 
inhabited  only  by  fierce  wild  beasts  and  untameable 
savages.  He  saw,  in  the  virtues  of  his  scattered  nock, 
a  revival  of  those  which  had  rendered  so  illustrious  the 
Christians  of  the  first  ages  of  the  church.  M.  Badin 
had  laid  the  foundation;  and,  like  a  skillful  architect, 
he  reared  the  superstructure,  in  that  portion  of  the 
flock  entrusted  to  his  charge.  The  results  of  his  labors 
prove  how  much  one  good  man,  with  the  blessing  of 
God,  can  achieve  by  his  single  efforts,  prompted  by  the 
lofty  motive  of  the  Divine  glory,  and  directed  by 
simplicity  of  heart  to  one  noble  end."* 

The  next  missionaries  who  came  to  Kentucky  were 
members  of  the  Order  of  St.  Dominic.  They  belonged 
to  an  English  province  of  the  Order,  who,  persecuted 
in  their  own  country,  lied  to  Belgium,  and  there  estab- 
lished a  nourishing;  college  at  Bornheim;  of  which 
Father  Thomas  Wilson  was  president,  and  Father 
Edward  Fen  wick,  procurator.  In  the  spring  of  1805, 
this  institution  was  forcibly  seized  on  by  the  French 
troops.  Father  Wilson  and  the  other  English  members 
escaped  to  England ;  Father  Fenwick  was  cast  into 
prison,  from  which  he  was,  however,  soon  released,  in 
consideration,  that  being  a  native  of  Maryland,  he  was 

*  Sketches  of  the  Early  Catholic  Missions  of  Kentucky — p.  131, 
seqq. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  95 

an  American  citizen,  whom  the  French  did  not  dare 
retain  in  captivity. 

Having  joined  his  brethren  in  England,  Father  Fen- 
wick  petitioned  that  they  should  be  permitted  to  emi- 
grate to  America.  This  was  granted,  and  Father 
Fenwick  was  named  provincial. 

"The  members  of  the  Order  who  accompanied  F. 
Fenwick  to  the  United  States  were  three  in  number: 
FF.  Thomas  Wilson,  William  Raymond  Tuite,  and  R. 
Anger;  all  natives  of  England.  They  presented  them- 
selves to  Bishop  Carroll,  who  welcomed  them  warmly 
to  his  extensive  Diocese,  which  then  embraced  the 
whole  territory  of*  the  United  States.  When  F.  Fen- 
wick applied  for  advice  as  to  the  most  suitable  location 
for  the  new  Dominican  province,  Bishop  Carroll  recom- 
mended the  distant  and  destitute  missions  of  Kentucky. 
To  his  tender  solicitude  for  the  prosperity  of  our  infant 
missions,  we  had,  early  in  the  same  year,  been  indebted 
for  the  invaluable  services  of  M.  Nerinckx;  and  now 
we  were  to  be  in  debt  to  the  same  goodness,  lor  a 
whole  band  of  zealous  and  efficient  missionaries. 

"In  the  fall  of  the  year,  1805,  F.  Fenwick  paid  a 
visit  to  Kentucky,  to  examine  the  country,  and  to  de- 
cide on  the  most  fitting  situation  for  the  new  establish- 
ment. Having  satisfied  his  mind  on  the  subject,  he 
returned  to  Maryland,  late  in  the  same,  or  early  in  the 
following  year.  In  the  spring  of  1806,  he  and  his 
brethren  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  they  established 
themselves  in  the  present  Washington  county,  on  a 
farm  which  had  been  purchased  with  the  rich  patri- 
mony of  F.  Fenwick.  The  new  establishment  was 
called  St.  Rose,  after  the  Virgin  of  Lima — the  proto- 


96  SKETCHES    OP   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

saint  of  the  Dominican  Order  in  America.  Thus  F> 
Fenwick  was  the  founder  of  the  Dominican  Order  in 
the  United  States ;  and  he  was  afterwards  destined,  to 
be  the  father  and  founder  of  the  missions  of  Ohio,  and 
its  first  Bishop. 

"Having  thus  founded  St.  Rose's,  F.  Fenwick  deter- 
mind  to  commit  the  destinies  of  the  new  establishment 
to  another,  whom,  in  his  humility,  he  sincerely  believed 
better  qualified  than  himself  to  conduct  it  with  success. 
He  accordingly  obtained  from  the  General  of  the  Order 
permission  to  resign  his  office  of  superior,  in  favor  of 
F.  Thomas  Wilson,  who,  by  an  extraordinary  privilege* 
was  named  provincial  for  an  indefinite  period.*  F, 
Fenwick  then  became  a  private  member  of  the  Order ; 
preferring  rather  to  live  under  obedience  than  to  incur 
the  responsibility  of  commanding. vf 

He  now  devoted,  himself  almost  entirely  to  the  mis- 
sions. He  felt  a  great  relish  for  the  holy  work  of 
seeking  out  and  saving  sinners.  With  a  peculiar  tact, 
he  turned  the  conversation  to  Religion ;  and  while 
those  into  whose  company  he  was  thrown  were  placed 
completely  at  their  ease  in  his  presence,  he  seldom 
failed  to  produce  a  very  favorable  impression  on  their 
minds.  He  reclaimed  many  sinners,  and  converted 
many  Protestants.  He  and  his  religious  associates 
were  among  our  most  efficient  early  missionaries. 

As  we  shall  see  a  little  later,  they  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  Catholicity  in  Ohio. 

*  Usque  ad  revocationem. 

t  Sketches  of  the  Early  Catholic  Missions  of  Kentucky — p.  152, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  97 


CHAPTER    V. 


FIRST    THREE   YEARS    OF    HIS    EPISCOPACY JOURNEY   TO    BAL- 
TIMORE. 


1811  —  1814. 


Extent  of  his  Diocese — Fewness  of  priests — First  priest  ordained 
in  the  West — Statistics — His  episcopal  palace — Retreats  and  cler- 
ical conferences — Subjects  of  uneasiness — Resources  for  comfort 
and  strength — His  seminary — Father  David — Zeal  of  semina- 
rians—  Thomas  Howard — Prospects  of  the  seminary — Severe 
missionary  labors — Visitations  and  privations — Journey  to  Bal- 
timore— Visits  the  Northern  portion  of  his  Diocese — And  passes 
through  Ohio — Incidents  of  travel — His  impression  of  Balti- 
more— Returns. 

In  entering  upon  his  episcopal  career  in  the  West, 
Bishop  Flaget  had  much  need  of  strong  faith  and  un- 
wavering reliance  in  Providence.  Human  resources 
were  but  few  and  slender.  With  a  Diocese  extending 
over  so  vast  a  territory,  and  having  Catholic  settle- 
ments scattered  over  it  at  points  the  most  remote  from 
one  another,  he  had  need  of  a  large  and  intrepid  mis- 
sionary band  to  supply  even  the  most  necessary  spirit- 
ual wants  of  his  flock. 

Yet,  on  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  he  found  only  three 
secular  priests,  besides  four  Dominican  fathers  estab- 
lished in  their  convent  of  St.  Kose.  The  Rev.  MM. 
Nerinckx  and  O'Flynn  were  the  only  missionary  asso- 
7 


98  8KETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

ciates  of  M.  Badin,  among  the  secular  clergy.  The 
Canadian  priest — M.  Savine — who  accompanied  him 
from  Baltimore,  remained  but  a  few  months  in  Ken- 
tucky before  he  was  sent  to  attend  the  congregations 
of  Cahokias  and  St.  Louis;  and  including  M.  David, 
the  total  number  of  his  clergy,  both  secular  and  regu- 
lar, amounted  to  but  eight. 

On  the  Christmas  day  after  his  arrival,  he  had  the 
happiness  to  add  another  to  this  number,  by  the  ordi- 
nation of  Rev.  M.  Chabrat,  which  took  place  at  St. 
Rose's.  He  was  the  first  priest  ordained  in  the  West, 
as  M.  Badin  had  been  the  first  in  the  East. 

We  shall  have  occasion,  a  little  later,  to  refer  to  the 
religious  statistics  of  that  portion  of  his  Diocese  which 
lay  outside  of  Kentucky.  In  the  State  itself  there 
were  about  a  thousand  Catholic  families,  with  an 
aggregate  population  not  exceeding  six  thousand  souls. 
There  were  thirty  congregations,  ten  churches  or  chap- 
els already  built,  and  six  in  progress  of  erection.  Be- 
sides the  Dominican  convent  of  St.  Rose,  established 
in  the  spring  of  1^06,  there  were  a  few  poorly  furnish- 
ed pastoral  residences,  and  six  plantations, — most  of 
them  of  little  value, — belonging  to  the  Church. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  that  part  of  his  Diocese 
which  was  more  immediately  under  his  eye,  when  he 
entered  upon  the  administration.  The  resources,  real 
and  personal,  were  certainly  not  very  abundant;  nor 
were  the  prospects,  according  to  any  merely  human 
standard  of  judging,  very  promising.  He  had  almost 
every  thing  to  create.  But  the  less  he  possessed  of 
human    means,   the   more  firmly  did   he  rely  on  the 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  99 

assistance  of  that  God,  who  created  all  things  out  of 
nothing. 

He  resided  during  the  first  year  at  St.  Stephen's — 
the  present  Loretto; — with  MM.  Badin  and  JNerinckx, 
M.  David  and  the  seminarians.  His  accommodations 
were  of  the  apostolic  order,  and  his  palace  would  have 
done  honor  to  the  primitive  Bishops  of  the  Church. 

u  M.  Bad  in  had  for  his  own  lodging  but  one  poor  log 
house ;  and  in  consequence  of  the  expenses  he  had 
lately  incurred  in  building  a  house  for  a  monastery, 
which  was  burnt  down  ere  it  had  been  completed,  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  he  was  enabled  to  build 
and  prepare,  for  the  residence  of  his  illustrious  friend 
and  the  ecclesiastics  who  accompanied  him,  two  miser- 
able log  cabins,  sixteen  feet  square.  One  of  the  mis- 
sionaries was  compelled  to  sleep  on  a  matress  in  the 
garret  of  this  strange  episcopal  palace,  which  was 
whitewashed  with  lime,  and  contained  no  other  furni- 
ture than  a  bed,  six  chairs,  two  tables,  and  a  few  planks 
for  a  library.  Here  the  Bishop  resided  for  a  year,  es- 
teeming himself  happy  to  live  thus  in  the  midst  of 
apostolical  poverty.'5* 

Among  the  subjects  which  engaged  his  early  pastoral 
solicitude,  the  sanctification  of  his  clergy,  and  the 
ordering  of  an  uniform  discipline,  were  not  the  least 
prominent.  The  more  effectually  to  secure  these  ends, 
he  frequently  convened  the  missionaries  in  spiritual 
retreats,  followed  by  synods,  or  rather  conferences,  on 
various  points  connected  with  pastoral  duties  and  the 
administration  of  the  sacraments. 

*  M.  Badin's  Statement — sup.  cit. 


1 00  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

The  first  of  these  conferences  took  place  at  St.  Steph- 
en's, on  the  20th  of  February,  1812.*  Eight  priests 
attended ;  and  various  points  were  discussed ;  some  of 
which  were  settled,  and  others  adjourned  to  a  subse- 
quent meeting,  held  at  the  same  place  on  the  21st  of 
the  ensuing  May.  Among  the  points  under  considera- 
tion at  these  conferences,  a  principal  one  was  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  Diocese  into  missionary  districts,  with 
defined  limits; — a  matter  of  no  little  difficulty,  when 
the  small  number  of  missionaries  and  the  vast  extent 
of  territory  were  taken  into  account.  To  give  some 
idea  of  these  districts,  it  may  be  observed  that  the  one 
assigned  to  M.  ISerinckx  embraced  nearly  half  the 
State,  extending  from  Washington  to  Union  county ; — ■ 
a  territory  in  which  there  are,  at  present,  more  than 
thirty  organized  congregations  I 

Many  other  subjects  awakened  his  solicitude  during 
this  early  period  of  his  administration. 

1.  The  proposed  departure  of  M.  Nerinckx  for 
Europe,  on  business  connected  with  the  missions  and 
the  founding  of  the  Loretto  Society,  gave  him  no  little 
uneasiness.  He  could  not  hope  to  supply  the  place  of 
this  courageous  missionary,  and  he  accordingly  induced 
him  to  defer  his  departure  for  three  years. 

2.  He  had  no  Cathedral,  nor  even  a  church  or  resi- 
dence of  any  kind  in  Bardstown,  his  see ;  and  he  had 
no  means  for  erecting  one.  He  had  thoughts  of  enga- 
ging, as  architect,  a  Mr.  Weiss,  of  Baltimore ;  but  as 
the  prospect  of  obtaining  the  funds  requisite  for  even 

*  Bishop's  Journal,  February  20,  1812.  This  is  the  first  entry 
on  the  Journal,  to  which  so  frequent  reference  will  be  made  in  the 
sequel. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  101 

a  respectable  commencement  were  very  gloomy,  he 
deferred  the  project  to  more  favorable  times,  commit- 
ting it  to  the  hands  of  Providence. 

3.  Difficulties  arose  as  to  the  settlement  of  various 
legal  questions  connected  with  the  church  property  in 
Kentucky,  which  it  required  several  years  to  adjust  in 
a  satisfactory  manner. 

4.  The  solicitude  of  all  the  churches  weighed  heavily 
on  his  mind  and  troubled  his  delicate  conscience :  the 
vastness  of  the  work  to  be  done,  and  the  fewness  of  the 
laborers,  formed  the  principal  elements  of  the  dif- 
ficult v.* 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  perplexities,  his  resources 
for  consolation  and  strength  were  frequent  visits  to  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  and  constant  prayer.  He  often 
retired  from  the  agitation  of  public  life  into  the  depths 
of  his  cherished  solitude ;  where  he  without  interrup- 
tion communed  with  God  in  holy  retreat.  Thus  we 
find  him  making  a  spiritual  retreat,  February  12, 1812; 
and  again,  April  18 — 20,  of  the  same  year. 

He  derived  much  consolation  from  this  last ;  and  he 
records  the  sentiment:  "God  is  very  good, — -I  desire  to 
love  Him  and  to  make  others  love  Him."f  Towards 
St.  Joseph  he  cherished  a  tender  devotion ;  he  confi- 
dently committed  himself  and  all  his  spiritual  children 
and  friends  to  his  patronage ;  frequently  breathing  the 
prayer:  "St.  Joseph,  my  Patron,  pray  for  all  the 
friends  who  have  thought  of  me."J 

In  the  sad  dearth  of  missionaries,  he  naturally  turned 

*  Condensed  from  different  entries  in  his  Journal, 
f  Journal,  in  loco,  1812. 
t  Ibid,  March  19,  1812. 


102  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

his  eyes  to  his  infant  seminary,  the  future  hope  of  the 
Diocese.  In  a  long  conversation  with  his  intimate 
friend,  M.  David,  on  this  subject,, he  was  much  cheered 
by  the  prospect  of  soon  being  able  to  see,  reared  up 
under  his  own  eye,  zealous  priests  who  might  worthily 
minister  at  the  holy  altar,  and  break  the  bread  of  life 
to  his  people. 

Father  David  had  been  already  appointed  by  M. 
Emery  superior  of  the  seminary ;  and  a  better  choice 
could  not  have  been  made.  Solidly  grounded  in  theo- 
logical knowledge,  and  in  the  practice  of  those  higher 
virtues  which  make  up  the  interior  and  spiritual  life, 
he  was  regular  and  systematic  in  every  thing  he  said 
and  did,  as  well  as  industrious  and  indefatigable  in  his 
exertions.  He  devoted  himself  with  untiring  zeal  to 
his  office.  It  mattered  not  whether  he  had  twenty 
seminarians  under  his  charge,  or  only  two  or  three; 
his  interest  and  labors  for  their  advancement  were  all 
the  same.  He  began  with  only  three  seminarians ;  in 
five  years,  the  number  had  swelled  to  fifteen,  of  whom 
five  were  students  of  theology.  We  will  let  him  speak 
on  the  subject,  in  his  own  simple  language:* 

•"There  (at  St.  Stephen's)  our  seminary  continued  its 
exercises  for  five  months.  The  Bishop  lived  in  a  log 
cabin  which  had  but  one  room,  and  was  called  the 
episcopal  palace.  The  seminarians  lodged  in  another 
cabin,  all  together,  and  myself  in  a  small  addition  to 
the  principal  house.  A  good  Catholic  (Mr.  Thomas 
Howard,)  who  had  labored  for  sixteen  years  to  make 
an  establishment  for  the  Church,  then  bequeathed  to 

*  In  his  Letter  to  a  friend  in  France,  November  20,  1817— ^ sup. 
cit. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  103 

the  Bishop  a  fine  plantation:*  and  in  November,  1811, 
the  seminary  was  removed  thither.  After  live  years 
we  finally  succeeded  in  building  a  brick  church,  sixty- 
five  feet  long  by  thirty  wide.  The  interior  is  not  yet 
sufficiently  ornamented,  for  want  of  means;  it  is,  how- 
ever, in  a  condition  sufficiently  decent  for  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  divine  offices.  The  Bishop  officiates  in  it 
on  the  great  festivals;  and  in  it  three  ordinations 
have  already  taken  place." 

The  young  seminarians  seem  to  have  entered  fully 
into  the  spirit  which  animated  their  superior,  whom 
they  greatly  esteemed  and  loved ;  and  they  labored 
with  a  zeal  worthy  those  primitive  times  of  our  mis- 
sions, when  everv  thing  was  to  be  founded : 

"They  made  bricks,  cut  wood,  &c,  to  build  the 
church  of  St.  Thomas,  the  seminary,  and  the  convent 
of 'Nazareth.  The  poverty  of  our  infant  establishments 
compelled  them  to  spend  their  recreations  in  labor. 
Each  day  they  devoted  three  hours  to  work  in  the  gar- 
den, in  the  fields,  or  in  the  woods.  Nothing  could  be 
more  frugal  than  their  table,  which  was  also  that  of 
the  Bishops, f  and  in  which  water  is  their  ordinary 
drink  ;  nothing,  at  the  same  time,  could  be  more  simple 
than  their  dress. "J 

Such  devotedness  could  not  fail  of  being  blessed  by 
God:  u  We  have  at  length  succeeded,"  writes  Father 
David,  "  thanks  to  God,  in  building  a  seminary  thirty 

*  The  farm  of  St.  Thomas, — named  after  the  Patron  Saint  of 
the  donor. 

f  Bishop  Dubourg  was  at  St.  Thomas'  at  the  time  to  which  this 
account  refers. 

X  M.  Badin's  "Statement" — sup.  cit. 


104  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

feet  square.  The  second  story,  which  is  a  garret, 
serves  as  a  dormitory,  and  may  contain  twenty-live 
persons ;  it  is  habitable  in  winter."* 

Though  some  of  these  details  belong  to  ■  a  later 
period,  yet  they  are  given  here,  in  order  that  what  con- 
cerns the  early  history  of  the  seminary  might  be  pre- 
sented in  the  same  connection. 

The  missionary  labors  undertaken  by  Bishop  Flaget, 
during  the  first  year  of  his  administration,  are  scarcely 
credible.  He  was  almost  incessantly  engaged  in  the 
confessional,  in  administering  the  sacraments,  and  in 
visiting  the  sick.  He  was  always  the  leading  mission- 
ary, and  he  had  to  supply  the  place  of  his  priests, 
whenever  they  were  indisposed,  or  absent  on  distant 
missions.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  without  a  sick  call, 
which,  in  most  cases,  he  was  compelled  to  attend  him- 
self. It  was  common  with  him  to  ride  thirty,  forty, 
and  even  fifty  miles,  to  visit  the  dying. 

One  instance,  which  we  find  recorded  in  his  Journal, 
will  give  some  idea  of  his  labors  at  this  period.  During 
the  first  four  months  of  the  year  1812,  he  rode  eight 
hundred  miles  on  horseback,  on  mission ary  dutv.  He 
was  heard  to  observe  in  his  old  age,  that  in  those  early 
years,  he  did  not  remember  to  have  often  passed  four 
days  continuously  under  the  same  roof!  f  He  lived 
the  greater  portion  of  his  time  on  horseback.  Yet  he 
was  seldom  known  to  miss  saying  Mass ;  having,  more 
than  once,  rode  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  fasting,  in 
order  to  have  the  consolation  of  ministering  on  that 
day  at  the  holy  altar.     It  required  an  herculean  consti- 

*  Letter — sup.  cit. 

f  Slightly  modified  from  the  account  in  the  French  Life — p.  53. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  105 

tution  to  undergo  so  much  fatigue ;  and  God,  who 
sweetly  proportions  the  means  to  the  end,  had  accord- 
ingly blessed  him  with  a  strong  frame,  and  with  almost 
uniterrupted  good  health. 

At  this  time,  when  nearly  every  thing  in  Western 
social  life  is  so  much  changed  for  the  better,  we  can 
scarcely  imagine  the  privations  to  which  the  Bishop 
and  his  missionary  priests  were  exposed  at  the  period 
in  question.  Whithersoever  he  went,  he  was,  indeed, 
cheerfully  accommodated  with  the  best  food  and  lodg- 
ing which  his  hospitable  entertainers  could  provide. 
But  these  were,  in  general,  necessarily  such  as  to  tax 
heavily  even  his  confirmed  habit  of  mortification.  The 
food,  as  well  as  the  manner  of  preparing  it,  was  not 
what  he  had  ever  been  accustomed  to;  while  the  room 
in  which  he  lodged  was  frequently  open  to  the  weather. 
We  do  not  read  in  his  Journal,  that  he  ever  once  put 
in  requisition  the  French  cookery  book,  so  kindly  pre- 
sented to  him  by  the  considerate  M.  Emery,  on  his  de- 
parture from  France ! 

His  episcopal  visitations  were  but  a  continuation  of 
his  arduous  missionary  labors.  Before  the  year  1815, 
he  had  twice  visited  all  the  congregations  lying  in  Ken- 
tucky.* In  his  Report,  presented  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  while  he  was  in  Rome  in  1836,  he  refers  to  the 
manner  in  which  he  performed  these  early  visitations 
of  his  Diocese : 

"In  order  properly  to  fulfill  the  task  imposed  on  me, 
I  was  compelled  to  traverse  a  territory  six  or  seven 
times  more  extensive  than  Italy ;  and  it  was,  in  many 
respects,  after  the  manner  of  the  apostles  that  I  had  to 

*  Journal — Ibid* 


106  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

undertake  all  these  journeys :  for  I  had  absolutely 
nothing,  except  the  blessings  with  which  the  venerable 
Archbishop  of  Baltimore  had  crowned  me;  to  which 
he  added  a  portable  Pontifical,  the  chief  riches  of  my 
episcopal  chapel.  Yet  I  must  say,  that,  in  the  midst  of 
this  poverty,  I  was  rich  in  hopes. 

"  In  the  long  journeys  upon  which  I  entered  in  order 
to  know  my  flock  and  to  be  known  by  them,  I  was 
sometimes  alone ;  and  at  others,  accompanied  by  a 
priest  who  imparted  to  me  the  information  which  he 
had  acquired.  Every  Sunday,  I  found  myself  in  a 
parish  church,  to  fulfill  therein  all  the  offices  of  a  mis- 
sionary. *  *  In  the  course  of  the  week,  I  visited 
the  neighboring  stations,  devoting  to  each  one  or  two 
days,  to  say  Mass,  hear  confessions,  and  teach  cate- 
chism." 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  a  summary  account 
of  the  Bishop's  journey  to  Baltimore,  in  the  fall  of 
1812,  extracted  from  his  Journal. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1812,  he  had  received  a  letter 
from  M.  Brute,  written  in  the  name  of  Archbishop  Car- 
roll, stating  that  it  was  in  contemplation  to  convene  a 
Provincial  Council  in  the  following  November,  and  re- 
questing his  attendance.*  He  had  other  motives  like- 
wise for  making  this  journey.  He  desired  to  take  the 
advice  of  the  Archbishop  in  reference  to  the  question 
of  church  property  in  Kentucky,  concerning  which 
there  was  some  difference  of  opinion  between  himself 
and   his   Vicar   General.     He  wished   also  to  obtain 

*  As  we  have  already  seen,  the  Bishops  in  their  meeting  at  Bal- 
timore, in  November,  1810,  had  resolved  to  hold  a  Provincial  Coun- 
cil, at  a  time  not  later  than  November  1,  1812. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  107 

additional  seminarians,  and  to  procure  a  copy  of  the 
rules  established  by  St.  Vincent  of  Paul  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  sisters  of  charity; — a  branch  of  which 
admirable  society  he  contemplated  establishing  in  his 
own  Diocese. 

He  moved  his  effects  to  St.  Thomas'  on  the  10th  of 
August,  and  immediately  set  about  making  the  neces- 
sary preparations  for  his  journey.  He  convened  his 
clergy,  and  held  with  them  a  conference, — the  third  in 
this  year, — on  matters  connected  with  the  missions. 
He  ordered  public  prayers  on  occasion  of  the  war  just 
commencing  with  Great  Britain.  On  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, he  visited  St.  Charles,  to  take  leave  of  the  sis- 
ters of  Loretto,  lately  established  there  by  M.  Nerinckx ; 
and  on  the  same  evening  he  returned  to  the  seminary 
of  St.  Thomas. 

On  the  next  day,  he  started  on  horseback,  accompa- 
nied by  the  Rev.  M.  Chabrat.  Determining  to  visit  a 
portion  of  the  Diocese,  en  route,  the  travelers  passed 
through  Shelby  county ;  where,  at  the  house  of  a  Mr. 
Howell,  they  performed  the  usual  missionary  duties. 
M.  Chabrat  preached  twice,  "with  great  fire  and  unc- 
tion," to  a  large  audience,  composed  mostly  of  Protes- 
tants. The  sabjects  of  his  sermons  were :  the  use  of 
time ;  and  the  necessity  of  baptism.  Thence  they 
proceeded  to  Flat  creek,  where,  not  having  been  ex- 
pected, they  found  but  few  in  attendance.  The  next 
congregation  visited  was  that  in  Scott  county.  Here 
M.  Chabrat  left  the  Bishop  to  return  to  his  missionary 
station ;  and  he  was  replaced  by  Father  Badin,  with 
whom  the  Bishop  continued  his  journey.  At  Lexing- 
ton, they  were  hospitably  entertained  by  Mr.  Tibbatts. 


108  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

There  were  about  thirty  families  in  this  congregation 
at  that  time;  but  Region  was  found  to  be  in  a  lan- 
guishing condition.  July  seventeen  approached  the 
gacraments ;  and  even  this  number  was  considered  by 
M.  Badin  as  extraordinary,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
impulse  given  by  the  Bishop's  visit. 

They  left  Lexington  on  the  29th  of  Sept-ember,  and 
proceeded  on  horseback,  by  the  way  of  Paris  and  the 
Blue  Licks,  to  Washington,  in  Mason  county,  where 
they  were  kindly  received  by  Mr.  O'Xeill.  They  said 
Mass  at  his  house,  and  the  Bishop  preached  on  the 
holy  sacrifice,  without, — he  thought, — producing  any 
verv  deep  impression  on  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 
Father  Badin  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  people 
of  the  town  to  preach  in  the  court  house.  His  subject 
was  baptism,  and  his  audience  large  and  attentive, 
consisting  almost  entirely  of  Protestants.  When  he 
had  concluded,  a  Catholic,  who  had  never  before  avow- 
ed his  Religion,  came  forward  and  presented  his  five 
children  for  baptism.  A  Dr.  Watts  also,  who  had 
married  a  Protestant  lady,  took  courage  to  confess  his 
faith,  and  promised  to  have  his  children  baptized  on 
the  Bishop's  return. 

At  Limestone, — now  Maysville, — they  found  but  one 
Catholic,  a  Mr.  Gallagher.  The  Bishop  remarks  with 
pain,  that  Religion  was  almost  entirely  disappearing 
from  this  quarter  of  his  Diocese,  to  which  few  Catho- 
lics had  ever  emigrated ;  that  the  black  population  was 
sunk  in  the  most  deplorable  ignorance;  and  that  the 
whites  were  involved  in  a  sad  religious  indifference. 
A  zealous  priest,  he  adds,  might  form  a  respectable 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET,  109 

congregation  at  Lexington,  with  numerous  stations  be- 
tween that  town  and  the  Ohio  rjnfer.* 

On  the  7th  of  October,  the  m  ssionaries  crossed  the 
Ohio  river,  and  entered  the  young,  but  thriving  State 
of  Ohio.  The  first  Catholic  they  met  in  this  State  was 
William  Cassel,  a  Germ  an, f  whose  children  they  bap- 
tized. The  road  from  the  river  to  Chillicothe  was 
u  covered  with  Methodist  preachers,"  whose  mistaken 
zeal  struck  forcibly  the  mind  of  the  Bishop ;  and  he 
thought  that,  in  this  respect,  their  example  might  well 
serve  to  arouse  the  energy  of  the  lawfully  appointed 
heralds  of  truth.  At  Chillicothe  they  found  a  few 
Catholics,  who  were,  however,  ashamed  to  confess  their 
faith,  and  who  even  attended  the  Protestant  meeting 
houses.  But  between  Chillicothe  and  Lancaster,  they 
were  hospitably  entertained  by  a  Catholic  family,  who 
had  remained  firm  and  unshaken  in  their  attachment 
to  the  Church. 

On  the  10th  of  October  they  reached  Lancaster; 
where  they  found  three  or  four  Catholic  families  of 
high  standing  in  society,  and  baptized  five  children. 
The  Bishop  cherished  hopes  that  in  time  a  good  con- 
gregation would  be  formed  here;  but  he  remarked 
with  regret  that  uthe  devotion  to  the  Holy  Virgin 
seemed  unknown,"  in  these  parts. J 

After  leaving  Lancaster,  on  the  way  to  Somerset,  the 
missionaries  stopped  at  a  log  cabin  on  the  road  side,  to 

*  Journal,  in  locis. 

f  He  induced  this  man  and  his  wife  to  remove  to  Kentucky. 
They  were  very  piously  disposed,  and  lived  for  many  years  in  one 
of  the  religious  establishments. 

X  Journal — Ibid. 


110  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

procure  some  refreshments.  The  people  there  consid- 
ered them  land  speculators,  and  asked  whence  they 
came?  When  they  heard  that  the  travelers  had  come 
from  Kentucky,  the  landlord  exclaimed:  "From  Ken- 
tucky (  I  have  been  lor  a  long  time  thinking  of  Ken- 
tucky, with  my  wife!  They  say  there  are  churches 
and  priests  there.  Wife !  we  must  go  thither  ;  it  is 
thirteen  years  since  we  saw  either  a  church  or  a  priest ; 
and  my  poor  children  !  " 

Here  Bishop  Flaget,  deeply  moved,  interrupted  him : 
"No,  my  children,  stay  where  you  are;  I  am  your 
Bishop ;  I  will  endeavor  to  send  you  a  priest,  at  least 
once  a  year,  to  console  you : — are  there  any  more  Cath- 
olics in  this  neighborhood?'1  We  may  imagine  the 
joy  imparted  by  this  intelligence.  He  was  informed 
by  the  head  of  the  family,  whose  name  was  Fink,  that 
there  were  two  other  Catholic  families  at  a  distance  of 
three  miles;  like  himself,  of  German  origin.  Their 
name  was  Dittoe.  The  Bishop  did  not  delay  to  pay 
them  a  visit ;  and  he  offered  up  the  holy  sacrifice  at 
one  of  their  houses,  on  the  11th  of  October. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  a  Bishop  had  ever  said 
Mass  in  Ohio ;  and  the  second  time  that  the  clean  obla- 
tion was  offered  up  within  the  limits  of  the  State: — 
the  first  occasion  having  been  when  M.  Badin,  stopping 
at  Gallipolis  in  1793,  on  his  way  to  Kentucky,  said 
Mass  there  for  the  French  inhabitants.*  The  above 
date  may  then  be  considered,  in  some  respects,  as  the 
birth-day  of  Catholicity  in  Ohio. 

The  Dittoes,  with  the  assistance  of  their  neighbors, 

*  Ohio  was  then  only  a  territory. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  Ill 

had  purchased  320  acres  of  land  for  the  church,  a  por- 
tion of  which  was  already  cleared.  The  Bishop  visited 
this  land,  and  advised  them  to  erect  thereon  a  house, 
which  might  serve  as  a  residence  for  a  priest,  and  also 
as  a  temporary  chapel.  They  promised  to  comply  with 
his  advice,  and  he  was  cheered  with  the  hope  that,  at 
no  distant  day,  Catholic  worship  would  be  performed 
there  with  great  splendor; — the  Germans  having  a 
great  taste  for  music* 

Continuing  their  journey,  the  travelers  proceeded  to 
Baltimore  by  the  way  of  Wheeling  and  Emmittsburgh, 
at  which  latter  place  they  arrived  on  the  last  day  of 
October.  Wherever  they  stopped  for  repose  or  refresh- 
ment, they  made  inquiries  for  Catholics;  of  whom 
they  found  but  few  on  their  route.  M.  Badin  created 
quite  a  sensation,  by  publishing  every  where  on  the 
road,  "to  the  right  and  to  the  left,"  that  they  were  not 
speculators,  but  genuine  Catholic  priests  and  mission- 
aries !  f 

The  Provincial  Council,  to  attend  which  had  been 
one  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  Bishop's  visit  to 
Baltimore,  was  not  held,  for  some  reason  not  indicated 
by  the  Bishop  in  his  Journal. J 

*  Journal,  in  loco. 

f  This  characteristic  incident  is  duly  recorded  by  the  Bishop  in 
his  Journal. 

%  We  gather  from  some  hints  thrown  out  in  the  Bishop's  corres- 
pondence, that  perhaps  the  principal  reason  was  the  difficulty,  or 
rather  impossibility,  of  communicating  with  the  Sovereign  Pontiff, 
then  in  prison.  Archbishop  Carroll  felt  a  delicacy  in  holding  a 
Provincial  Council  without  the  previous  sanction  of  the  Pope ;  and 
he  therefore  deemed  it  advisable  to  defer  it  till  better  times  would 
dawn  on  the  Church  and  its  visible  head.     In  a  letter  written  from 


[  1  -1  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

He,  however,  exerted  himself  to  accomplish  the  re- 
maining purposes  of  his  journey;  in  which  he  was  but 
partially  successful.  The  times  were  so  hard,  that  it 
was  not  deemed  advisable  to  take  up  a  collection  in 
Baltimore ;  M.  Badin,  however,  not  so  easily  deterred, 
was  busily  engaged  in  soliciting  subscriptions  among 
the  Catholics  in  Washington  city. 

Meantime,  winter  set  in  with  great  severity;  and 
the  Bishop,  much  to  his  regret,  was  detained  in  Balti- 
more till  the  ensuing  spring.  He  expresses  his  reluc- 
tance in  being  thus  kept  away  from  his  beloved  Diocese, 
in  the  following  rather  singular  comparison :  "  An 
olive  tree  transplanted  to  Lapland,  would  not  be  more 
out  of  place  than  I  am  at  Baltimore,  where  I  am  de- 
tained by  snow  and  bad  roads."* 

He  took  apartments  in  the  seminary,  where  he  was 
warmly  welcomed  by  his  Sulpician  brethren.  His 
numerous  old  friends  in  Baltimore  paid  him  every  pos- 
sible attention.  uMy  sojourn  at  Baltimore,"  he  says, 
u  very  agreeable  to  nature  under  every  point  of  view, 
becomes  painful  on  account  of  the  dissipation  into 
which  it  draws  me,  in  spite  of  myself.  From  morning 
till  evening,  my  room  is  filled  with  persons  who  come 
to  see  me :  some  to  hear  me  speak  on  the  condition  of 
Religion  in  the  place  of  my  new  abode ;  and  others, — ■ 
these  forming  the  greater  number, — to  ask  information 

Baltimore,  September  16,  1812,  M.  Tessier,  in  the  name  of  the 
Archbishop,  had  informed  Bishop  Flaget  that  the  Council  had  been 
postponed  indefinitely;  but  the  prelate  had  already  started  for  Bal- 
timore before  the  letter  reached  him.  The  Bishop  wrote  from  Bal- 
timore to  Father  David,  that  hopes  were  entertained  of  the  Council 
being  convened  during  the  Lent  of  1813. 
*  Journal — Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  113 

concerning  Father  David.  The  most  painful  thing  for 
me  is  my  being  almost  compelled  to  take  my  meals  out 
of  the  seminary ;  and  this  unfortunately  happens  but 
too  frequently."* 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1813,  he  set  out  on  his  return 
to  Kentucky,  and  passed  some  days  very  pleasantly  at 
Emmittsburgh.  Here  he  was  joined  by  Father  Badin. 
Accompanied  by  him  and  his  brother,  Vincent  Badin, 
and  by  some  others,  he  continued  his  journey  west- 
ward. 

They  stopped  for  four  days  with  a  Mr.  Arnold,  ten 
miles  from  Cumberland ;  where,  at  the  request  of 
Archbishop  Carroll,  he  administered  confirmation, — 
sixty  persons  approaching  the  holy  communion.  He 
gave  confirmation  also  at  Brownsville.  This  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  episcopal  visit  ever  made  to  these 
two  places. 

At  Brownsville,  the  party  embarked,  with  their 
horses,  in  "  a  family  boat,"  and  they  arrived  safely  at 
Limestone  ;  whence  they  continued  their  journey,  by 
the  way  of  Lexington  and  Frankfort,  to  St.  Thomas'. 

The  remainder  of  the  year  1813,  and  the  first  months 
of  1814,  were  passed  by  the  Bishop  in  the  visitation  of 
his  Diocese,  and  in  the  performance  of  arduous  mis- 
sionary duties.  In  the  midst  of  his  multiplied  jour- 
neys and  labors,  the  holy  prelate  sought  daily  to  keep 
himself  more  and  more  closely  united  with  God  in 
prayer.       He    often    exclaimed    with    the    Psalmist: 

Turn  away  my  eyes,  that  they  may  not  see  vanity. "f 


U  r 


*  Journal,  November  18,  1812. 
f  Journal,  April  29,  1814. 

8 


114  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

"  We  should  constantly  purify  our  intentions,  and  oc- 
cupy our  minds  with  holy  things :  visits  are  always 
dangerous  for  an  ecclesiastic."* 

He  experienced  no  little  difficulty,  in  inducing  the 
congregations  which  he  visited  to  acquiesce  in  any 
iixed  plan  for  securing  a  regular  support  to  their  pas- 
tors. At  St.  Charles  and  St.  Rose,  for  instance,  there 
were  a  few  who  opposed  the  assessment,  which  he  had 
established.  Vested  in  his  episcopal  insignia^  he  ad- 
dressed the  refractory  in  the  strongest  terms,  from  the 
altar ;  threatening  that,  in  case  they  persisted  in  their 
refusal,  he  would  no  longer  consider  them  as  belonging 
to  the  Church.  Exhibiting  habitually  a  mildness  and 
sweetness  of  character,  which  won  all  hearts,  he  could 
still  be  severe,  whenever  a  sense  of  duty  compelled  him 
to  act  with  vigor. 

He  ardently  desired  to  rear  up  missionaries  suited  to 
the  times,  and  filled  with  the  apostolic  spirit.  uO, 
what  a  happiness  for  me,"  he  exclaimed,  "  if  I  could 
form  a  generation  of  holy  missionaries  !  But  in  this, 
O  my  God,  may  Thy  holy  will  be  done,  and  not 
mine !  "f 

Returning  from  his  missions,  his  heart  overflowed 
with  holy  joy,  wdien  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of 
his  dear  seminarians  at  St.  Thomas'.  We  find  the  fol- 
lowing entry  on  the  subject  in  his  Journal  :J  "  Recre- 
ation with  the  seminarians ; — I  love  to  be  in  the  midst 
of  them.  I  reproach  myself  with  not  being  sufficient- 
ly grave  in  their  company." 

*  Journal,  January,  1814. 
f  Journal,  April  9,  1814. 
I  May  13,  1814. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  115 


CHAPTER    VI. 


JOURNEY   TO  VINCENNES  AND   ST.  LOUIS MISSIONARY  DUTIES. 


1814  —  1816 


Petition  from  Catholics  of  Vincennes — Governor  Harrison — Spir- 
itual destitution — Religious  history  of  Vincennes  from  1795  to 
1814 — M.  Rivet — Indian  missions — The  praying  chief— M.  Oli- 
vier— Early  history  of  Kaskaskias  and  other  French  settle- 
ments— Succession  of  priests  therein — Bishop  Flaget  visits  Vin- 
cennes— Cahokias — St.  Louis — Florissant — St.  Charles — Kaskas- 
kias— St.  Genevieve — And  Prairie  du  Rocher — Sets  out  on  his 
return — Again  in  Vincennes — Painful  rumor  and  ludicrous  inci- 
dent — Returns  to  Kentucky — Severe  missionary  labors— M.  Ner- 
inckx  departs  for  Europe — An  inward  voice — Discussion  with 
preacher  Tapscott — Two  tributes  to  Archbishop  Carroll. 

Bishop  Flaget,  having  now  visited  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  Catholic  congregations  of  Kentucky,  had 
leisure  to  turn  his  attention  to  more  distant  missions 
placed  under  his  jurisdiction.  Already,  in  1812,  the 
Catholics  of  Vincennes  had  sent  him  an  earnest  peti- 
tion to  have  a  resident  pastor.  In  this  document,  they 
freely  admitted  that  they  had  been  heretofore  very  re- 
miss in  their  duties  as  Catholics,  but  promised  amend- 
ment in  the  future.  General  Harrison,  then  Governor 
of  the  North  Western  Territory,  and  residing  at  Vin- 
cennes, had  united  also  in  the  petition,  promising 
«very  aid  in  his  power  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
mission. 


116  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

The  Bishop  was  much  moved  by  this  exposition  of 
their  wants  by  his  old  parishioners;  who  appear  to 
have  had  no  resident  priest  since  the  death  of  his  own 
immediate  successor  in  the  pastorship,  M.  Rivet,  which 
had  occurred  in  February,  1804.  But,  in  his  sad 
paucity  of  missionaries,  he  was  not  able  immediately 
to  provide  for  the  necessities  of  this  congregation  ; 
which  continued,  for  some  time  longer,  to  be  only  occa- 
sionally visited  by  the  French  clergyman  stationed  in 
Illinois. 

To  understand  more  clearly  the  state  of  spiritual 
destitution  to  which  the  old  parish  of  Vincennes  was 
now  reduced,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  back  a  little, 
and  trace  its  religious  history  in  some  detail,  from  the 
time  M.  Flaget  left  it  in  1795,  to  that  of  his  return  on 
his  visitation  as  Bishop  in  1814; — two  years  after  the 
reception  of  the  petition  just  mentioned.*  As  on  this 
occasion,  he  continued  his  journey  through  Illinois  and 
Upper  Louisiana  (Missouri),  and  visited  all  the  Catho- 
lic settlements  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi, 
it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  glance  also  at  the  early 
history  of  these  Catholic  colonies,  before  we  proceed  to 
describe  the  first  episcopal  visitation  with  which  they 
were  ever  favored. 

The  impression  which  M.  Flaget  had  made  on  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  Catholics  at  Vincennes,  while 
there  as  a  simple  missionary,  was  deep  and  lasting. 
uHe  had  stripped  himself  of  all  the  linen  he  had 
brought  with  him  to  Vincennes,  in  favor  of  the  sick 
and  indigent.     The  tender  care  with  which  he  visited 

*  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  history  of  Vincennes  before 
1792. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  117 

the  sick  will  never  be  forgotten  ;  and  the  impression  it 
made  upon  the  population  will  last  as  long  as  there 
shall  be  an  old  man  left,  to  relate  to  his  children's  chil- 
dren the  history  of  old  times."* 

His  immediate  successor  in  the  mission  was  M. 
Rivet,  a  most  zealous  and  laborious  missionary,  who 
left  behind  him  at  Yincennes  memories  scarcely  less 
favorable  than  M.  Flaget  himself.  This  good  man  de- 
voted his  time,  in  a  special  manner,  to  the  instruction 
and  conversion  of  the  various  Indian  tribes  roaming 
over  the  plains  watered  by  the  Wabash.  This  he,  in 
fact,  viewed  as  the  chief  object  of  his  mission  to  Indi- 
ana. In  the  Registers,  he  styles  himself,  "  Missionary 
appointed  for  the  savages,  exercising  the  ministry,  for 
the  moment,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Francis  Xavier." 
God  rewarded  his  zeal  with  abundant  fruits.  The 
Registers  show  the  baptism  and  marriage  of  many 
Indians  of  different  tribes,  during  his  residence  in 
Yincennes.  The  greatest  number  was  of  Potowatta- 
mies;  but  there  were  also  many  from  the  tribes  of 
Miamis,  Shawnees,  Charaguis,  Fiamkeshaws,  Weas  or 
Ouias,  Sioux,  and  Kaskaskias.  The  hrst  marriage  he 
records  was  that  of  a  Fotowattamie  to  a  Shawnee. 

Some  of  these  Indian  converts  were  most  exemplary. 
He  mentions  with  special  praise  an  old  chief,  called 
Louis  in  baptism,  but  better  known  as  "  the  old  pray- 
ing man,  or  chief. "j*     He  died  on  White  river,  during 

*  From  a  letter  of  Rev.  E.  Audran,  of  St.  Francis  Xavier'a 
Cathedral,  Vincennes.  We  are  indebted  to  this  worthy  ecclesiastic 
for  the  details  which  follow,  derived  by  him  chiefly  from  the  Regis- 
ters of  the  church. 

f  "Levieux  priant." 


118  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

the  winter  encampment  with  his  tribe.  His  death  was 
most  edifying.  It  occurred  but  a  few  days  after  his 
return  from  Vincennes;  whither  he  had  gone,  as  was 
his  custom,  to  receive  the  sacraments  of  penance  and 
the  holv  Eucharist  at  Christmas. 

Before  M.  Rivet's  time,  though  some  of  the  Indians 
had  been  converted  to  the  faith,  no  general  impression 
seems  to  have  been  made  on  their  hearts.  The  Jesuit 
missionaries  were  withdrawn,  ere  they  had  been  able 
to  effect  much  general  good  among  savages,  who, 
from  their  accounts,  seemed  but  little  disposed  to  em- 
brace the  Gospel.  M.  Gibault  had  too  much  to  do  to 
devote  any  considerable  time  to  their  conversion ;  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  M.  Flaget,  whose  stay  in  Vin- 
cennes was  besides  too  brief  to  permit  his  laboring 
with  much  general  success  among  these  poor  children 
of  the  wilderness.  Yet,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the 
latter  baptized  many,  especially  during  the  prevalence 
of  the  small-pox. 

The  state  of  continual  agitation  in  which  the  coun- 
try around  that  military  post  was  involved,  during  the 
war  of  our  revolution,  was  little  favorable  to  the  con- 
version of  the  Indian  tribes,  who  were  themselves  en- 
gaged in  the  contest.  We  are  sorry  also  to  add,  that 
after  the  occupation  of  Vincennes  by  the  Americans, 
the  state  of  mutual  amity  which  had  hitherto  happily 
existed  between  the  inhabitants  and  the  neighboring 
tribes,  was  often  interrupted.  Murders  became  not 
unfrequent,  and  they  were  followed  by  swift  revenge, 
which  but  increased  the  feud.  The  final  result  was,  as 
we  all  know,  that  the  Indians  were  driven  from  the 
graves  of  their  ancestors,  into  the  remote  recesses  of 
the  Western  wilderness. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  119 

In  1798 — -December  18 — -M.  Rivet,  for  the  first  time, 
signs  himself  Vicar  General  of  Bishop  Carroll.  There 
were  abont  that  time  many  Irish  Catholic  soldiers  at 
Fort  Knox,  situated  on  the  Wabash,  three  miles  above 
Vincennes.  M.  Rivet  baptized  their  children;  and  a 
mortality  breaking  out  in  the  garrison,  he  buried  sev- 
eral of  the  soldiers, — bearing  honorable  testimony  in 
the  Registers  to  their  faith  and  piety.  On  the  records, 
we  find  the  name  of  Hon.  William  Clark,  a  good  Cath- 
olic, one  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  Indiana. 

M.  Rivet  had  long  been  dying  by  inches  of  the  con- 
sumption. Yet  he  remitted  not  his  arduous  labors. 
He  remained  at  his  post,  faithful  to  the  last.  His  last 
official  act  was  the  record  of  a  baptism,  January  31, 
1804.  Knowing  that  his  time  was  short,  he  wrote  to 
the  Rev.  Donatian  Olivier,  then  residing  at  Prairie  du 
Rocher  anion  a*  the  French  Catholics  on  the  Missis- 
sippi,  begging  him  to  come  and  give  him  the  last 
sacraments.  But  he  died  three  days  before  the  arrival 
of  this  good  clergyman.  He  was  not,  however,  unpre- 
pared. Finding  that  his  death  was  near  at  hand,  he 
wrote  out  his  confession,  sealed  it,  and  directed  it  to  be 
given  to  M.  Olivier  on  his  arrival.  Thus  died,  in  odor 
of  sanctity,  the  good,  modest,  zealous  M.  Rivet. 

After  his  death,  the  Catholics  of  Vincennes  were 
visited  from  time  to  time  by  M.  Olivier;  and  once  or 
twice  by  missionaries  from  Kentucky.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  November,  1804,  M.  Olivier  came  and  spent  a 
month  in  the  place,  diligently  attending  to  ministerial 
duties.  In  the  following  year — 1805 — he  remained 
there  during  the  two  first  weeks  of  July.  On  the  14th 
of  April,  1806,  MM.  Badin  and  Nerinckx,  from  Ken- 


120  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

tucky,  visited  Vincennes,  and  remained  until  the  27th ; 
baptizing  many  children,  and  assisting  at  several  mar- 
riages, besides  administering  the  other  sacraments,  as 
usual.  In  the  same  year,  M.  Olivier  came  again, 
November  13,  and  remained  till  the  1st  of  December. 

Nearly  eighteen  months  now  elapsed  before  the  next 
visit  of  M.  Olivier,  which  occurred  on  the  1st  of  May, 
1808 ; — he  remained  three  weeks.  On  the  26th  of 
September,  of  the  same  year,  rather  Urban  Guillet,  a 
Trappist,  passed  through  the  place,  stopping  there  but 
one  day. 

During  this  interval,  a  layman — Zepherin  Chesnet — 
gave  private  baptism,  assisted  at  burials,  (fee.  Novem- 
ber 25,  1809,  M.  Olivier  visited  the  town  again,  and 
remained  a  month.  On  leaving,  he  forbade  Chesnet 
to  do  any  thing  of  a  sacred  character  in  the  congrega- 
tion ;  having  learned  that  his  conduct  had  not  been 
exemplary. 

No  records  of  baptisms  or  burials  are  therefore  to  be 
found,  till  the  return  of  the  missionary,  November  20, 
1810;  when  he  was  accompanied  by  M.  Badin,  Vicar 
General  in  Kentucky.  They  were  both  busily  en- 
gaged in  ministerial  duties,  and  in  revalidating  mar- 
riages, which  had  been  contracted  before  the  civil 
magistrate.  M.  Olivier,  on  one  day,  renovated  eight 
of  such  marriages  in  the  church  ;  having  first  caused 
the  parties  to  prepare  themselves  for  two  weeks,  during 
which  time  the  bans  were  published.* 

M.  Oliviers  next  visit  was  in  September  and  Octo- 
ber, 1811.     Two  years  now  elapsed  before  he  was  able 

*  It  seems  that  the  decree  of  the  Council  of  Trent  on  marriage 
was  always  considered  as  having  been  published  at  Vincennes. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  121 

again  to  come  to  the  place ; — in  October  and  November 
1813.  His  last  visit  to  the  parish  was  in  May  and 
June,  1814 ;  when  he  went  thither  to  meet  Bishop 
Flaget,  and  conduct  him  to  the  Mississippi. 

Considering  the  circumstances  which  surrounded  the 
Catholics  of  Vincennes,  and  the  small  opportunities 
they  had  enjoyed  for  many  years  to  be  grounded  in 
the  knowledge  and  practice  of  their  holy  Religion,  it 
is  not  at  all  wonderful  that  piety  should  have  declined, 
and  ignorance  of  religious  duties  prevailed,  to  a  great 
extent.  It  is  only  remarkable,  that,  amidst  so  many 
disadvantages,  faith  was  generally  preserved,  and  reli- 
gious fervor  among  even  a  few. 

We  are  now  enabled  to  see  how  heavy  a  responsibil- 
ity rested  on  Bishop  Flaget,  when,  after  the  lapse  of 
nearly  twenty  years,  he  revisited,  as  Bishop,  his  old 
parishioners  of  Yincennes ;  whom  he  found  in  a  con- 
dition scarcely  less  deplorable  than  that  which  caused 
him  so  much  concern  on  his  first  visit,  as  a  simple  mis- 
sionary, in  1792. 

Post  Yincennes,  as  we  have  seen,  was  founded  by 
the  French,  as  a  military  station,  about  or  before  the 
year  1710;*  the  French  settlements  on  the  Mississippi 
river  were  considerably  older.  Our  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  religious  history  of  these  colonies  is  very 

*  From  what  has  been  said  in  a  previous  chapter,  (Chapter  ii.) 
it  is  cei'tain  that  there  was  already  a  French  post  established  on 
the  Wabish  in  the  the  year  1712;  for  Father  Mermet  was  sent 
thither  as  a  missionary  before  that  year,  perhaps  during  the  year 
previous.  Father  Marest's  Letter,  written  November  9,  1712,  says 
simply,  that  a  post  had  been  established,  and  Father  Mermet  had 
been  sent,  &c.  In  the  same  Letter  we  read  that  Father  Mermet 
was  back  again  in  Illinois  in  1711. 


122  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

limited ;  the  zealous  missionaries  who  labored  in  found- 
ing them,  and  in  administering  to  their  spiritual  wants, 
having  been  much  more  intent  on  unremitted  efforts  to 
extend  the  boundaries  of  Christian  civilization,  than 
solicitous  to  make  out  and  leave  behind  them,  written 
records  of  their  proceedings.  The  following  facts,  be- 
lieved to  be  in  the  main  accurate,  are  all  that  we  have 
been  able  to  glean  from  the  scanty  materials  to  which 
we  could  have  access. 

The  first  missionary  station  established  among  the 
Indians  of  Illinois  was  that  of  St.  Louis,  on  the  Illi- 
nois river,  at  or  near  the  site  of  the  present  Peoria. 
This  mission  was  founded  by  F.  John  Deguerre,  a 
Jesuit  from  Lake  Superior.  From  this  point  the  zeal- 
ous missionary  visited  several  of  the  Indian  tribes  in 
the  interior  of  the  present  State  of  Illinois ;  and  while 
there  exercising  his  apostolic  functions,  he  was  killed 
by  the  savages.  Several  others  of  the  early  missiona- 
ries likewise  fell  martyrs  to  their  zeal :  Father  Gabriel 
de  la  Ribourde,  a  Franciscan,  in  16S0  ;  F.  Maximus  Le- 
berck,  of  the  same  order,  in  1687;  F.  John  D.  Tetu, 
in  1728;  and  another  Franciscan,  F.  Vercailler,  was 
drowned  in  crossing  the  river  in  1750.* 

Father  Marquette,  having  discovered  the  Mississippi 
in  1673,  was  filled  with  a  burning  zeal  to  evangelize 
the  tribes  living  along  its  borders.  He  was  returning 
from  the  North  for  this  purpose,  about  two  years  later ; 
but  he  died  on  his  wav.  The  mission  was  then  entrus- 
ted  to  Father  Daloes;  who  shortly  afterwards  was 
called  to  labor  elsewhere.     He  was  succeeded  by  Father 

*  Shepherd  of  the  Valley,  January  17,  1852.  We  have  omitted 
some  dates  of  very  doubtful  accuracy. 


CHARACTER    OF    RISHOP    FLAGET.  123 

James  Gravier,  who  may  be  considered  as  the  founder 
of  the  missions  among  the  Illinois  Indians.* 

Kaskaskias  was  founded  about  the  year  1683.  Fath- 
er James  Gravier,  a  Jesuit,  was  the  principal  instru- 
ment of  Providence  for  the  establishment  of  a  French 
colony  at  this  point.  He  was  the  hrst  missionary  to 
the  Kaskaskias  tribe  of  Indians,  then  numbering  about 
two  thousand  warriors,  He  experienced,  at  first,  much 
opposition  from  the  "  medicine-men,"  to" whose  jugglery 
the  Indians  clung  with  great  tenacity. 

Father  Gravier  having  been  compelled  to  return .  to 
Michilimakinac,  the  mission  was  entrusted  to  FF. 
Bineteau  and  Pinet,  with  whom  F.  Gabriel  Marest  was 
afterwards  associated.  On  the  death  of  the  first  and 
the  departure  of  the  second  of  these  Fathers,  the  last 
named  remained  in  sole  charge  of  the  mission ;  until 
the  arrival  of  F.  Mermet,  in  1711. 

F.  Marest  had  before  been  stationed  at  the  mission 
of  St.  Louis,  in  the  great  village  of  the  Peourias  In- 
dians, on  the  Tllinois  river;  where  the  French  then 
had  a  military  post.f  Father  Gravier  returning  to  this 
station  from  Michilimakinac,  received  there  from  the 
savages  a  mortal  wound,  from  which  he  soon  died. 
The  mission  was  in  consequence  for  a  time  suspended. 
On  the  repentance  of  the  Peourias,  the  missionary 
station  among  them  was  re-established ;  and  Father  De 
Ville  was  sent  thither,  about  the  year  1712. 

The  missionaries  were  in  the  habit  of  accompanying 
the  Indians  on  their  two  annual  hunts;  the  long  one 
in  the  winter,  and  the  short  one  in  the  summer  season. 

*  Letter  of  Father  Gabriel  Marest,  November  9,  1712? 
f  The  same  mentioned  above. 


124  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Father  Bineteau  died  of  a  fever  he  had  contracted  in 
following  the  summer  hunt.  He  expired  tranquilly  in 
the  arms  of  F.  Marest. 

Twenty-five  leagues  from  Kaskaskias  was  the  great 
village  of  the  Tamarouas  /  among  whom  labored 
Father  Bergier,  a  priest  of  the  congregation  of  the 
foreign  missions.  This  devoted  missionary  died  here 
alone,  joyfully  embracing  the  crucifix, — sometime  in 
1712.  Father  Marest  hastened  to  his  assistance  during 
his  illness ;  but  arrived  only  in  time  to  assist  at  his  in- 
terment. 

There  wTas  also  a  mission  called  St.  Joseph's,  among 
the  Potowattamies,  on  the  St.  Joseph's  river.  In  1711, 
it  was  attended  by  F.  Chardon.  In  that  year,  F. 
Marest  went  thither,  where  he  met  his  brother,  then 
superior  of  the  North-western  missions.* 

An  old  log  house  first  served  as  a  chapel  in  Kaskas- 
kias. It  was  replaced  by  a  stone  church  in  1714.  In 
1722,  the  population  of  French  and  mixed  blood  al- 
ready numbered  five  hundred  and  eighteen. 

A  large  portion  of  the  tribe  was  converted  to  the 
faith.  The  new  converts  became  most  exemplary  in 
their  conduct;  and  their  tender  piety  consoled  the  mis- 
sionaries for  all  their  previous  labors  and  privations. 
They  were  divided  into  three  classes :  the  first  of  which 
settled  about  two  miles  from  Kaskaskias ;  the  second  at 
Cahokias ;  the  third  at  Prairie  du  Pocher. 

In  1750,  the  state  of  the  missions  in  Illinois,  both 
French  and  Indian,  is  given  as  follows  by  Father 
Vivier.f     In  the  whole  of  Illinois  and  Upper  Louisi- 

*  All  these  details  are  taken  from  the  interesting  Letter  of  F. 
Gabriel  Marest — sup.  clt. 

f  Letter  dated  "At  Illinois,  November  17,  1750." 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  125 

ana  (Missouri),  there  were  then  five  French  villages, 
containing  one  hundred  and  forty  families ;  and  three 
Indian  villages  (Christian),  able  to  muster  about  three 
hundred  warriors.  These  were  divided  into  three  sta- 
tions, attended  by  Jesuit  missionaries.  The  first  was 
composed  of  about  six  hundred  Illinois,  all  of  them 
baptized  with  the  exception  of  five  or  six ;  and  it  was 
attended  by  FF.  De  Guienne  and  Vivier;  the  second, 
composed  of  four  hundred  French  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty  negroes,  was  served  by  F.  Vatrin ;  the  third, 
seventy  leagues  off,  and  much  smaller,  was  attended  by 
F.  Meurin.* 

The  entire  Indian  missions  of  the  North  and  West 
had  been,  some  years  previously,  entrusted  by  the  Bishop 
of  Quebec  to  the  French  priests  of  the  foreign  mis- 
sions. "There  are  three  of  these  priests  here,  who 
have  charge  of  the  two  French  congregations;  nothing 
can  be  more  lovely  than  their  character,  or  more  edify- 
ing than  their  conduct.  We  live  with  them  as  if  we 
were  members  of  the  same  community."! 

In  1832,  the  remnant  of  the  Kaskaskias  tribe  re- 
moved to  the  Indian  territory  in  the  far  West ;  where 
they  had  the  inexpressible  consolation  of  again  finding 
their  old  fathers  in  God,  the  Jesuit  missionaries. 

The  succession  of  priests  attending  to  the  mission- 
ary stations  along  the  Mississippi,  seems  never  to  have 
been  interrupted  for  any  considerable  time ;  from  the 
date  of  their  first  establishment  down  to  the  present 
day.  The  French  settlers  and  the  Indian  converts  had 
always   the  happiness  of    kneeling   at   the    altar,    on 

*  This  was  located  probably  in  the  Wabash  country. 
t  Letter  dated  "At  Illinois,  November  17,  1750." 


126  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


5 


which  the  holy  sacrifice  was  offered  up.  The  clergy 
generally  resided  at  Prairie  du  Eocher;  but  occasion- 
ally at  lvaskaskias,  or  Cahokias.  The  following  list  will 
exhibit  the  succession  down  to  the  year  18J7 — so  far  as 
we  have  been  able  to  ascertain  it : 

1683 — 17 10-— FF.   James    Gravier,   Julian    Bineteau    and    Henry 

Pinet;  the  last  named  founded  the  mission  of  Cahokias. 
1710— FF.  Gabriel  Marest,  Mermet,  and  De  Ville. 
1719 — F.  John   Charles  Guimeneau,  superior   of  the   mission,   and 

Vicar  General  of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  and  Rev.  Dominic  A. 

Thaumur  de  la  Source. 
17-4 — Father  A.  F.  X.  De  Guienne,  superior  and  Vicar  General, 

with  FF.  De  Beaubois,  Dumas,  Tabarin,  and  others  not  known. 
1735 — F.  Boularger,  &c. 
1739 — Rev.  MM.  Mereier  and  Laurent. 
1741— F.  Truteau,  &c. 
1743 — Rev.    Joseph   Gagnon,   pastor  of  St.   Ann's — -died  here  in 

1755. 
1746— F.  Tartarin,  &c. 

1750 — FF.  Aloysius  Vivier,  Gagnon,  and  Tourre, 
1754— Rev.  J.  F.  Forget. 
1759 — F.   Watrin  and  two  Franciscan   Recollects,   Hypolyte  and 

Luke  Collet,  sent  by  the  Bishop  of  Quebec;  the  latter  remain- 
ed till  1765. 
1764— F.  Aubert,  &c. 

1768 — F.  S.  L.  Meurin,  the  last  Jesuit  missionary  in  the  West. 
1770— 1789  *— Rev.  M.  Gibault,  Vicar  General  of  the  Bishop  of 

Quebec  for  Illinois  and  the  neighboring  countries;  with  him 

were  associated  during  a  portion  of  this  time,  the  Rev.  MM. 

Bernard  (1784),  Payet  (1785),  and  De  St  Pierre,  pastor  of  St 

Genevieve. 
1789 — M.  De  la  Valiniere,  Vicar  General,  &c. ;  with  whom  were 

associated  MM.  Ledru,  Gibault,  and  De  St.  Pierre. 
1793 — Rev.  M.  Levadoux,  Vicar  General;  he  remained  but  a  short 

time. 

*  From  Registers  of  Vincennes — sup.  cit. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET„  127 

1703-8 — Rev.  Gabriel  Richard  and  Rev.  John  Janin. 
1799 — 1827 — Very  Rev.  Donatian  Olivier,  Vicar  General  of  Bishop 
Carroll. * 

Between  Kaskaskias  and  Cahokias  there  were  form- 
erly three  different  parishes:  St.  Philip's,  St.  Ann's, 
and  St.  Joseph's.  The  last  named  only  now  remains, 
it  being  that  of  Prairie  du  Rocher;  the  other  churches 
seem  to  have  been  abandoned  about  the  year  1788,  in 
consequence  of  the  encroachments  of  the  Mississippi 
on  the  lowlands  where  they  were  established.  The 
Registers  of  these  parishes  were  kept  at  the  old  Fort 
Chartres :  but  they  were  subsequently  removed  to 
Prairie  du  Rocher  or  Kaskaskias. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  details  recorded  in  these  old 
Registers,  we  subjoin  an  extract  from  that  of  Prairie  du 
Rocher : 

"  On  the  24th  of  July,  in  the  year  1768,  I,  the  un- 
dersigned priest  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  Vicar  General 
of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  having  foreseen  the  approach- 
ing ruin  of  the  church  of  St.  Ann,  near  Fort  Chartres, 
by  reason  of  the  encroachment  of  the  Mississippi,  gave 
orders  to  have  the  remains  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Gagnon, 
formerly  pastor  of  Fort  Chartres  and  the  environs, 
taken  from  said  church  and  transferred  to  that  of  St. 
Joseph,  at  Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  remains  of  Joseph 
Gagnon  were  buried  near  the  sanctuary  on  the  Gospel 
side ;  and  those  of  Father  Collet  near  the  sanctuary  on 

*  This  list  has  been  carefully  compiled  from  various  sources:  the 
Letters  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  often  quoted  above;  the  record? 
of  the  church  of  Vincennes;  and  lists  published  in  the  "Shepherd 
of  the  Valley/'  (January  and  February,  1852,)  purporting  to  be 
taken  from  the  Registers  of  Kaskaskias,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and 
(Jahukias. 


128  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

the  Epistle  side.  The  ceremonies  of  the  Church  were 
previously  performed,  at  which  the  inhabitants  assis- 
ted, with  feelings  of  reverence  and  grateful  recollec- 
tion of  these  good  and  zealous  missionaries. 

"  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  subscribed  this  wri- 
ting, with  MM.  Barbeau  and  Lecompte. 

"S.  L.  MEUKIN,  Vie.  Gen."* 

The  Rev.  Donatian  Olivier,  the  last  named  on  the 
above  list,  was  one  among  the  most  pious,  zealous  and 
efficient  priests  who  ever  labored  in  the  missions  of  the 
Mississippi  valley.  He  was  universally  esteemed  and 
beloved ;  by  the  French  Catholics,  he  was  reverenced 
as  a  saint.  His  name  is  still  held  in  benediction 
among  them.  He  was  for  many  years  Yicar  General 
of  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore,  for  all  the  missions  ex- 
tending over  the  present  States  of  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
He  usually  resided,  it  appears,  at  Prairie  du  Rocher ; 
but  he  visited  Kaskaskias,  Cahokias,  Vincennes,  and 
the  other  Catholic  settlements.  He  was  admirable  for 
his  child-like  simplicity  and  unaffected  piety,  which 
traits  he  continued  to  exhibit,  in  the  midst  of  his  apos- 
tolic labors,  till  old  age  compelled  him  to  abandon  the 
field,  and  seek  solace  and  prepare  for  death  in  retire- 
ment. He  died  on  the  29th  of  January,  1841,  at  the 
seminary  of  the  Barrens,  in  Missouri,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-five  years. f 

Father  Meurin  was  the  last  Jesuit  missionary  who 
attended  the  Catholic  settlements  on  the  borders  of  the 

*  Shepherd  of  the  Valley,  February  21,  1852.  These  learned 
articles  were  written  by  M.  E.  Saulnier,  an  old  and  zealous  mis- 
sionary, now  residing  at  the  cathedral  of  St.  Louis. 

f  See  his  obituary  in  the  "Catholic  Advocate,"  vol.  6,  p.  23. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  129 

Mississippi.  About  the  year  1768,  the  Fathers  of  the 
society  were  withdrawn  from  the  Western   missions; 

and  on  the  suspension  of  the  order  a  few  years  later, 

in  1773,— these  splendid  missionary  establishments, 
which  they  had  founded  in  the  North  and  North-west 
among  the  various  Indian  tribes,  began  sensibly  to  lan- 
guish. This  was  partly  in  consequence  of  the  occur- 
rence just  mentioned,  and  partly  because  the  British 
government,  into  whose  hands  the  dominion  of  the 
Canadas  had  passed,  viewed  all  Catholic  missionaries 
with  distrust.  As  the  Jesuits  successively  withdrew 
from  the  different  missionary  stations,  their  places  were 
supplied  by  other  clergymen  sent  by  the  Bishop  of 
Quebec ;  until  the  consecration  of  Bishop  Carroll,  in 
1790.  Then  the  latter  was  compelled,  so  far  as  he  was 
able,  to  supply  with  priests  those  missions  which  lay 
within  the  limits  of  the  United  States. 

With  this  rather  long  historical  introduction,  we 
will  now  proceed  to  give  a  summary  account  of  the 
visit  which  Bishop  Flaget  paid  to  Vincennes,  St.  Louis, 
and  the  missions  above  mentioned,  in  the  year  1814. 
Though  his  jurisdiction  did  not  extend  beyond  the 
Mississippi  river,  yet  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Dubourg, 
administrator  of  the  Diocese  of  New  Orleans,  he  will- 
ingly assumed  for  a  time  the  charge  of  all  the  missions 
lying  in  what  was  then  called  Upper  Louisiana, — at 
present,  the  State  of  Missouri. 

He  was  accompanied  as  far  as  Louisville  by  the  Kev. 
MM.  Badin  and  Chabrat;  of  whom  he  took  leave  on 
the  25th  of  May,  to  perform  alone  on  horseback  the 
journey  to  Yincennes.  On  the  first  night,  he  was 
obliged  uto  sleep  with  an  American  borderer."  On 
9 


130  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


the  second,  he  sought  repose  on  "a  quilt,  extended 
over  a  plank  which  was  very  uneven  and  knotty;  he, 
however,  slept  soundly." 

On  the  third  day,  the  28th,  he  reached  Yincennes; 
and  great  was  the  joy  of  his  old  flock  on  seeing  again 
their  beloved  pastor,  who  had  been  away  from  them 
for  nearly  twenty  years.  A  large  company  came  out 
to  meet  him  on  horseback,  headed  by  the  Rev.  M. 
Olivier;  and  he  was  conducted  into  the  town  with 
great  pomp.  The  good  prelate  was  much  move  !  ;  he 
remarked  that  "faith  still  existed  in  their  hearts;  a 
zealous  priest  would  make  saints  of  them."* 

On  the  30th  of  May,  the  Bishop  visited  the  ceme- 
tery, attended  by  a  great  concourse  of  people  who 
crowded  around  to  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of  looking  on 
the  face  of  their  first  pastor.  The  Libera  was  sung 
over  the  grave  of  Rev.  M.  Rivet.  On  the  same  day  he 
solemnly  blessed  a  company  of  Rangers,  who  were  set- 
ting out  for  the  seat  of  war.  They  dismounted,  and 
all  together  bent  one  knee  to  the  earth,  while,  with 
uplifted  hand,  he  invoked  the  blessing  of  God  on 
them ;  exhorting  them  not  to  forget  the  God  of  bat- 
tles, while  fighting  bravely  under  the  banner  of  their 
country. 

He  remained  for  two  weeks  at  Vincennes,  which 
time  he  employed  in  the  instruction  of  the  children, 
m  the  duties  of  the  confessional,  and  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  temporal  business,  connected  with  the  estate 
of  M.  Rivet,  and  with  the  general  administration  of 
church  affairs.  He  found  the  congregation  in  a  state 
of    great   spiritual   destitution ;    in    many,   faith    was 

*  Journal,  May  28,  1814. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  131 

almost  extinct;  general  ignorance  of  their  Religion 
prevailed  to  an  alarming  degree,  both  among  children 
and  parents.     Yet  he  yielded  not  to  discouragement. 

Assisted  by  M.  Olivier,  he  devoted  several  days  to 
the  preparation  of  the  candidates  for  confirmation, 
whose  proficiency  even  surpassed  his  expectations.  On 
June  5th,  he  administered  this  sacrament  to  eighty- 
six  persons.  He  preached  in  English,  as  well  as  in 
French ;  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  Americans. 
He  had  the  gratification  uto  hear  the  confessions  of 
some  sinners  who  had  grown  old  in  their  iniquities."* 

In  his  sermons,  he  inveighed  strongly  against  exist- 
ing abuses ;  particularly  marriages  out  of  the  Church,, 
and  balls  with  dancing,  which,  it  seems,  were  there 
carried  to  great  excess.  His  discourses  seem  to  have 
made  a  great  impression  on  the  people.  He  visited 
many  of  the  French  families:  UI  know,"  he  writes, 
"that  these  poor  people  are  very  solicitous  for  such 
visits ;  but  I  know  not  whether  they  derive  much  profit 
from  them."f 

On  the  14th  of  June,  accompanied  by  M.  Olivier,  he 
started  for  the  Mississippi.  They  were  escorted  by  the 
company  of  French  Rangers,  to  whom  he  was  very 
grateful  for  their  kind  attentions.  They  soon  entered 
on  the  vast  prairies  of  Illinois,  in  which  the  Rangers 
amused  themselves  in  hunting  deer  and  wild  turkeys ; 
but  without  success.  "These  vast  plains,"  the  Bishop 
writes,  useem  destined  by  the  Creator  for  the  rearing 
of  millions  of  sheep. "J 

*  Journal,  June  5,  1814. 
f  Ibid,  June  6. 
t  Ibid. 


132  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


? 


On  the  18th,  they  arrived  at  Cahokias,  where  they 
found  the  priest — M,  Savine — "holding  the  handle  of 
a  skillet  to  make  an  omelette.'**  Bishop  Flaget  had 
not  taken  off  his  boots  for  four  days !  This  congrega- 
tion was  free  from  debt,  with  a  surplus  fund  of  $200 ; 
every  thing  was  in  good  order;  and  he  heard  many 
confessions,  some  of-  them  of  very  old  sinners.  On  the 
26th,  he'  confirmed  one  hundred  and  eighteen  persons. 

The  good  people  of  Cahokias  conducted  him  in  pro- 
cession to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  which  he 
crossed  in  a  canoe,  with  no  companion  but  the  oars- 
man. He  entered  St.  Louis  on  the  30th,  but  without 
any  public  reception ; — a  circumstance  remarked  on  as 
very  unusual  among  those  French  settlements.  He 
visited  this  city  and  the  Catholic  missions  West  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  as  was  said  above,  at  the  special  re- 
quest of  M.  Dubourg ;  who  held  jurisdiction  over  Upper 
Louisiana,  and  had  written  to  him  on  the  subject. 

Religion  seems  to  have  been  in  a  worse  condition  at 
St.  Louis  than  it  was  even  at  Vincennes.  The  4th  of 
July,  which  the  Bishop  spent  here,  was  a  day  of  great 
sadness  for  him ;  on  account  of  the  general  religious 
apathy  which  prevailed.  The  rich,  the  fathers,  the 
mothers,  and  the  children  over  fifteen  years,  stayed 
away  from  the  confessional;  and  he  could  make  no 
impression  whatever  on  their  callous  hearts. f  He  ad- 
ministered confirmation, — he  does  not  state  to  how 
many; — and  was  attended  in  the  ceremonies  of  the 
visitation   by  the   Rev.   M.  Savine,  and   "the   Father 

*  Journal,  June  18,  1814. 

t  Ibid.     Almost  his  own  words. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  133 

Prior,"* — the  latter  a  Trappist,  who  remained  in  Amer- 
ica after  his  brethren  had  returned  to  Europe. 

The  ladies  of  St.  Louis  presented  to  him  a  fine  cross 
and  mitre.  Greatly  annoyed  at  the  constant  distrac- 
tions occasioned  by  continual  visits,  he  exclaimed : 
*4 My  God!  how  happy  were  the  ancient  solitaries !  "f 
Here  he  learned  the  intelligence  of  the  downfall  of 
Napoleon ;  and  so  great  was  his  joy  on  the  occasion, 
that  he  resolved  to  have  a  solemn  Te  Deum  sung  on 
his  return  to  Kentucky,  in  case  the  news  should  be 
confirmed. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  he  departed  for  Florissant.  The 
entire  population  of  this  village  turned  out  with  joy  to 
welcome  him.  Two  banners  were  borne  by  groups  of 
boys  and  girls ;  and  the  procession,  headed  by  chanters, 
conducted  him  solemnly  into  the  church.  This  cere- 
mony over,  the  people  crowded  around  him  in  the 
house,  eager  to  receive  his  benediction.  Among  them 
was  one  man  107  years  old,  and  another  108.  The 
latter  was  brought  by  his  sons  in  a  chair,  and  the  ven- 
erable man  expressed  his  lively  regret,  that  he  was  not 
able  to  kneel  down  to  receive  the  episcopal  blessing. 
The  Bishop's  heart  was  much  affected  at  the  firm  faith 
of  these  good  people,  who  seem  to  have  been  "true 
Israelites  in  whom  there  was  no  guile."  He  here  re- 
ceived the  confessions  of  some  who  had  kept  away  from 
the  sacraments  for  thirty-seven  years ! 

On  the  11th,  he  left  Florissant  and  crossed  the  Mis- 

•:"  Father  Marie  Joseph  Dunand,  who  attended  the  missions  West 
of  the  Mississippi  river.  For  some  years  previous  to  1812,  the 
Trappists  exercised  the  ministry  on  both  sides   of  the  Mississippi. 

t  Journal.  July  6. 


134  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

souri  river,  sitting  in  an  arm-chair  placed  in  a  canoe 
decorated  with  flowers.  On  the  other  side  he  visited  a 
congregation,*  which  he  found  divided  into  two  hostile 
parties.  He  preached  to  them  an  earnest  sermon  on 
union  and  charity;  and  confirmed  one  hundred  and 
three  persons.  He  went  to  see  two  aged  ladies ;  one 
of  whom  was  103.  and  the  other  was  115  years  old. 
The  climate  seems  to  have  been  at  that  time  favorable 
to  longevity. 

He  arrived  at  St.  Charles  on  the  18th ;  and  on  the 
21st  went  to  Portage  aux  Sioux.  Here  he  confirmed 
fifty-four  persons  on  the  28th ;  after  which  he  returned 
to  St.  Charles. 

This  congregation  he  also  found  in  a  sad  state;  "it 
had  been  at  war  with  its  pastor  for  two  years,  "f  He 
here  confirmed  sixty-seven,  on  the  31st  of  July.  He 
labored  with  great  zeal  to  restore  peace  to  this  commu- 
nity ;  and  his  efforts  were  crowned  with  consoling  suc- 
cess. All  murmurs  ceased,  and  the  people  expressed  a 
willingness  not  only  to  support  their  pastor,  but  also  to 
build  for  him  a  suitable  residence. 

On  the  3cl  of  August,  the  Bishop  returned  to  St. 
Louis.  He  says:  "This  congregation  is  in  a  state  of 
extreme  indifferentism  ;  my  sojourn  here  will  be  almost 
useless. "J  Several  young  men  presented  themselves 
for  confession,  in  order  to  be  re-married  in  presence  of 

*  The  name  of  this  congregation  is  not  given  in  the  Journal; 
perhaps  it  was  that  of  Dm  '■  fines* 

f  Journal,  July  31.  The  pastor  of  this  place,  and  of  the  neigh- 
boring missions,  was  the  Trappist  Prior,  above  mentioned,  who 
seems  to  have  had  very  little  tact  in  managing  congregations. 

X  Journal,  August  3. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  135 

the  pastor ;  their  sentiments  of  contrition  did  not  ap- 
pear to  be  very  striking.*  He  here  confirmed  seventy- 
two  persons,  and  preached  to  the  Americans  in  English. 
These  were  so  much  pleased  with  his  sermon,  that  they 
sent  a  deputation  to  express  their  satisfaction. 

Governor  Clark, f  the  former  associate  of  Lewis  in 
the  discovery  of  the  Columbia  river,  paid  him  every 
possible  attention.  He  invited  the  Bishop  to  his  house, 
and  prevailed  on  him  to  baptize  three  of  his  children, 
as  well  as  an  orphan  girl  residing  in  his  family.  The 
Bishop  stood  God-father,  and  Mrs.  Hunt  God-mother 
of  the  children. 

We  take  occasion  from  the  Bishop's  visit  to  St.  Louis, 
to  furnish  a  few  facts  regarding  the  early  history  of 
this  now  important  city;  which  became  an  episcopal 
see  in  1827,  and  an  archbishopric  in  1847. 

St.  Louis  was  founded  in  February,  1764.  The  site 
was  selected  by  Laclede,  in  the  preceding  December: 
he  previously  visited  St.  Genevieve.  After  the  cession 
of  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana  by  France  to  Spain  in 
1763,  St.  Louis  and  the  other  settlements  West  of  the 
Mississippi  were  placed  under  the  spiritual  jurisdiction 
of  the  Bishop  (or  Archbishop)  of  Havana;  J  until  the 

*  Journal,  August  7.     Mais  ou  est  la  condition  de  leur  fdutes? 

f  He  was  Governor  of  the  Missouri  Territory;  and  was  a  rela- 
tive— we  have  been  told  a  brother — of  General  George  Rogers 
Clark:  with  whom  the  Bishop  had  become  acquainted,  on  his  jour- 
ney to  Vincennes  in  1792,  and  who  had  on  that  occasion  shown 
him  so  much  polite  attention. 

%  We  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  at  what  precise  date  the 
Bishop  of  Havana  became  an  Archbishop.  His  title,  as  given  in 
the  Registers  of  St.  Louis  at  an  early  date,  is  Bishop  of  St.  Jago, 
Cuba. 


136  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

erection  of  the  see  of  New  Orleans,  in  1793.  These 
missions  appear  to  have  been  attended,  for  a  time,  by 
the  French  clergymen  stationed  on  the  Illinois  side  of 
the  river;  who  were  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  until  the  establishment  of  the  see 
of  Baltimore,  in  1790.  With  the  sanction  of  the  ordi- 
nary in  Havana,  or  through  an  express  provision  made 
by  the  Holy  See,  the  Bishops  of  Quebec  and  Balti- 
more, through  their  local  Vicars  General,  held  respec- 
tively jurisdiction  over  the  Catholics  living  in  Upper 
Louisiana,  until  the  year  above  named. 

The  following  list  will  exhibit  the  succession  of  cler- 
gymen, who  held  pastoral  charge  of  St.  Louis,  from  its 
first  foundation  down  to  a  recent  date : 
1766-9— Rev.  S.  L.  Meurin,  S.  J. 
1770-2 — M.  Gibault,  pastor  of  Kaskaskias. 
1772 — From  February  to  May — F.  Meurin  again. 
1772-5 — F.  Valentin,  0.  S.  F.,  the  first  resident  pastor  of  St.  Louis. 
1775 — In  October — F.  Meurin  came  a  third  time  to  the  town. 
1776 — F.  Hilary,  0.  S.  F.,  second  resident  pastor. 
1776— 1789— F.  Bernard,  0.  S.  F„  third  resident  pastor. 
1789— 1793— Rev.  M.  Ledru,  fourth  pastor. 
1793-9— F.  B.  Didier,  fifth  pastor. 
1800-4 — Rev.  M.  Janin,  sixth  pastor. 

1804-6— Rev.  MM.  Donatian  Olivier,  of  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  J. 
Maxwell,  of  St.  Genevieve,  came  occasionally  to  exercise  min- 
isterial functions  in  the  town. 
1806-8— Rev.  Thomas  Flynn. 
1808-11— The  Trappist  Fathers,    Urban  Guillet,  F.  M.  Bernard, 

and  Marie  Joseph  Dunand,  visited  successively  the  parish. 
1811-17— Rev.  F.  Savine. 

1817 — Rev.  MM.  Joseph  Rosati,  and  Henry  Pratte, 
1818 — Rev.  Felix  De  Andreis. 
1818— 1825— Rev.  F.  Niex. 
1825 — 1831 — Rev.  Edmond  Saulnier,  rector. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  137 

1832— 1844— Rev.  Joseph  A.  Lutz.* 

The  parish  of  St.  Charles,  which,  as  we  have  seen 
was  also  visited  by  our  prelate,  was  of  a  more  recent 
date  ;  having  been  established  in  1792.  Its  first  pastor 
was  the  Eev.  M.  Lusson ;  who  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  MM.  Acquaroni,  B.  Richard,  M.  Joseph  Dunand, 
and  F.  Charles  Yanquickenborne,  S.  J.f  It  is  at  pres- 
ent attended  by  the  Jesuits. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  the  Bishop  left  St.  Louis  and 
crossed  the  river  to  Illinois.  On  the  opposite  shore,  there 
was  assembled  a  large  escort  of  carriages  and  horsemen, 
who  conducted  him  processionally  to  Cahokias.  Here 
on  the  21st,  he  confirmed  fifty-eight  persons.  On  the 
23d,  he  departed  for  Prairie  clu  Rocher,  where  he  again 
met  M.  Olivier,  and  confirmed  sixty-five  persons  on  the 
1st  day  of  September. 

His  incessant  labors  and  constant  exposure  to  the 
hot  sun  had  thrown  him  into  a  fever,  under  the  effects 
of  which  he  suffered  for  several  weeks.  Yet  he  would 
not  discontinue  his  apostolic  exertions.  Though  he 
he  was  still  very  feeble  from  the  effects  of  the  malady 
obstinately  clinging  to  him,  and  in  no  condition  to 
continue  his  visitation,  nevertheless  he  started  for  Kas- 
kaskias  on  the  14th  of  September. 

"The  church  was  superb  for  the  country;  its  length 
eighty  feet,  its  width  forty  feet;  with  a  handsome 
steeple  and  a  fine  bell.  The  evening  was  spent  in 
blessing  the  good  people." J     On  the  18th,  he  confirm- 

*  For  these  details  we  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Edmond  Saul- 
n'ier,  at  present  Chancellor  of  the  Archdiocese  of  St,  Louis. 

f  Idem. 

%  Journal,  September  14. 


138  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

ed  seventy,  and  on  the  20th,  forty  persons,  in  this  con- 
gregation. The  American  inhabitants  seemed  pleased 
with  his  sickness,  which  gave  them  a  hope  that  he 
would  be  compelled  to  remain  with  them  some  time 
longer;  but  they  were  disappointed.* 

On  the  21st,  he  went  to  St.  Genevieve,  where  he  was 
received  with  the  usual  honors.  He  preached  strongly 
against  the  violation  of  the  laws  of  abstinence ;  and 
against  balls, — "  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  dan- 
cers."! He  administered  confirmation,  at  three  differ- 
ent times,  to  three  hundred  and  sixty-one  persons. 

October  5th — 19th,  he  visited  an  American  Catholic 
settlement  at  some  distance,  where  forty-five  were  con-, 
firmed. 

On  his  return  to  St.  Genevieve,  he  preached  to  the 
negroes,  of  whom  there  were  about  five  hundred  in  the 
town  and  vicinity.  Finding  that  marriage  was  not 
common  amongst  these  poor  people,  he  threatened  their 
masters  with  privation  of  the  sacraments,  unless  they 
afforded  their  servants  every  facility  to  enter  lawfully 
into  this  holy  contract.  The  people  of  St.  Genevieve 
presented  him  with  a  new  suit,  and  $50  in  money. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  he  retraced  his  steps,  and 
rejoined  M.  Olivier  at  Prairie  du  E-ocher.  Here  he 
was  delighted  to  enjoy  a  few  days  of  u  charming  soli- 
tude after  so  much  distraction. "J 

November  3d,  he  returned  to  Kaskaskias;  whence, 
after  confirming  thirty-six  persons,  he  took  his  depar- 
ture for  home,  on  the  8th,  by  the  way  of  Vincennes. 

*  Journal,  September  18. 

f  Journal — Ibid. 

%  Journal,  October  28. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  139 

He  was  escorted  by  sixten  Creoles  on  horseback.     They 
safely  reached  Vincennes  on  the  12th  of  November. 

As  the  war  was  then  raging  with  England,  a  rumor 
that  the  Bishop  had  been  captured  by  a  hostile  band  of 
Indians  had  been  circulated,  and  had  occasioned  great 
uneasiness  in  Kentucky,  sometime  during  his  absence. 
Father  David  had  caused  a  novena  to  be  said  by  the 
seminarians  for  his  safety.  That  he  was  exposed  to 
danger,  there  is  no  doubt;  but  Providence  watched 
over  his  life. 

The  following  rather  ludicrous  incident,  which  oc- 
curred  when  the  escort  were  near  Vincennes,  may  have 
given  occasion  to  the  report.  We  will  let  the  Bishop 
relate  it  in  his  own  playful  manner,  in  a  letter  written 
from  Vincennes  to  Father  David : 

"  A  vounac  man  of  Post  Vincennes,  who  was  in  our 
company,  returning  home,  separated  about  mid-day 
from  our  troupe  with  two  others,  without  doubt,  in 
order  to  be  the  first  in  arriving  (at  Vincennes).  They 
were  two  or  three  miles  in  advance;  and  we  did  not 
expect  to  meet  them  again  till  night.  What  was  our 
surprise  at  seeing  them  soon  return,  *  *  calling  out 
loudly,  that  they  had  fallen  in  with  Indians!  We  had 
ourselves  heard  several  shots,  but  we  had  thought  that 
they  proceeded  from  these  young  men,  amusing  them- 
selves while  awaiting  our  arrival.  Their  report,  which 
was  uniform,  the  paleness  of  their  countenances,  the 
shots  we  had  heard,  and  which  were  certainly  fired  by 
persons  strangers  to  our  band  ;  above  all,  imagination 
so  easily  excited  in  times  of  danger,  left  no  doubt  what- 
ever concerning  the  truth  of  their  statement.  On  the 
spot,  our  troops  prepared  themselves  with  the  greatest 


140  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

resolution  for  an  attack.  The  young  men  counted  so 
strongly  on  their  gallantry,  that  they  did  not  even  re- 
connoitre the  force  of  the  enemy ;  but  with  one  accord 
they  prepared  their  arms,  deployed  into  the  prairie, 
and  advanced  in  a  trot  towards  the  wood,  where  they 
supposed  the  savages  were  lying  concealed.  '  My 
Grandeur'  rec.ived  the  order  to  remain  in  the  rear: — 
c It  is  for  your  sake,' said  the  Captain,  'that  v. e  have 
come ;  and  it  is  for  you  that  we  are  going  to  meet  the 
enemy,  to  make  for  you  a  rampart  with  our  arms  and 
with  our  bodies.' 

"  The  sensations  which  I  then  experienced  were  very 
different  from  what  such  circumstances .  would  seem 
well  calculated  to  call  forth.  My  heart  was  perfectly 
tranquil,  my  imagination  calm,  and  what  is  very  sin- 
gular, I  felt  a  great  desire  to  be  in  the  midst  of  this 
little  warlike  band,  to  follow  their  movements  and 
those  of  the  enemy ; — to  stimulate  the  courage  of  the 
former,  and  to  stay  the  impetuosity  of  the  latter.  Re- 
flecting, however,  on  my  state  of  life  and  my  character, 
I  believed  it  was  a  dutv  to  remain  at  a  distance,  and  to 
raise  my  hands  to  heaven,  like  Moses,  in  prayer  for  the 
combatants. 

"  I  was  still  near  my  gallant  knights,*  when  a  de- 
tachment of  the  enemy's  cavalry  appeared  in  sight 
through  the  woods.  Fancy  augmented  their  number; 
and  it  was  supposed  that  a  still  greater  multitude  lay 
concealed  in  different  parts  of  the  wood,  in  ambush,  to 
cut  off'  all  means  of  escape.  Soon  the  war-cry  resound- 
ed from  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  ;  and  their  troop  of 
horse,  which  we  had  seen,  charged  at  full  gallop  on 

*  Preux  chevaliers* 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  141 

our  batallion,  who  prepared  themselves  for  the  shock 
with  great  bravery  and  resolution. 

"  What  a  moment!  Dear  brother  in  Christ,  does  not 
your  heart  beat  at  this  recital  \  Do  you  not  imagine, 
that  you  already  see  the  muskets  of  these  savages  poin- 
ted at  my  heart,  or  their  cruel  tomahawk  uplifted  over 
my  head,  to  slay  and  scalp  me 2  Take  courage; — this 
whole  army  of  savages  was  composed  of  five  or  six. 
young,  men  of  the  Post,  who  had  come  out  to  throw 
themselves  at  my  feet,  to  ask  my  blessing,  and  then 
unite  writh  my  numerous  escort,  to  render  my  entrance 
into  the  town  more  brilliant  and  triumphant ! 

"In  effect,  we  arrived  two  hours  later,  in  the  midst 
of  the  acclamations  of  all  the  inhabitants,  who  had 
been  called  together  by  the  ringing  of  the  bells ! ' 

In  a  Letter  to  his  brother  in  France,  written  soon 
after  his  return  from  this  long  journey,  the  Bishop 
speaks  of  his  " episcopal  campaign''  in  the  following 
terms : 

"During  the  episcopal  campaign  which  I  have  just 
terminated,  I  was  obliged  to  travel  three  hundred 
leagues  (nine  hundred  miles),  to  visit  ten  or  twelve 
thousand  Catholics,*  most  of  them  French,  scattered 
along  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri. 
We  were  sometimes  four  days  at  a  time  traversing  im- 
mense prairies,  exposed  to  legions  of  flies  and  musqui- 
tos,  who  covered  both  travelers  and  horses  with  blood. 
It  is  in  such  journeys  as  these  that  I  forget  all  troubles 
of  spirit,  and  give  myself  up  to  my  natural  gaiety,  in 
order  to  amuse  my  companions  of  travel ;  and  it  is  here 
that  my  health  is  strengthened. 

*  This  number  seems  to  us  a  little  exaggera  od. 


142  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


"I  was  received  by  these  French  people  as  an  angel 
descended  from  heaven  ;  they  rendered  to  my  character 
all  due  honor.  I  never  went  from  one  village  to  an- 
other,  without  being  escorted  by  fifteen  or  twenty  per- 
sons, among  the  most  respectable  in  the  country.  The 
churches  were  always  full,  when  I  announced  the  word 
of  God ;  and  1  preached  every  day  at  least  once  or 
twice;  on  {Sundays  as  far  as  four  times.  The  confes- 
sional was  crowded ;  I  remained  therein  until  far  into 
the  night;  and  very  often  from  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  persons  were  waiting  for  me  at  the  door  of 
my  chamber.  God  has  given  a  special  benediction  to 
my  words;  many  conversions  have  taken  place;  and 
Religion,  which  I  thought  almost  banished  from  these 
remote  countries,  seems  to  have  regained  its  empire  in 
a  manner  truly  admirable."* 

The  Bishop  remained  at  Vincennes  upwards  of  two 
weeks,  during  which  he  twice  administered  confirma- 
tion, to  forty  persons  in  all.  The  total  number  con- 
firmed on  this  missionary  tour  was  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five.  The  Bishop  estimated  that 
there  were  one  hundred  and  thirty  Catholic  families  at 
Vincennes,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  in  Illinois. 
He  had  intended  to  visit  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Green 
Bay,  in  the  North-west;  but  the  continuance  of  the 
war  compelled  him  to  defer  the  visitation  of  these  re- 
mote missions ;  which  could  not  then  be  reached  with- 
out imminent  danger. 

He  left  Vincennes  November  28th,  and  arrived  in 
Louisville  on  the  3d  of  December.  Here  he  found  M. 
Chabrat,   who  had  been  awaiting  his  return  for  ten 

*  Letter,  February  3,  1815.     French  Life— pp.  59,  60-. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  143 

days.  He  spent  some  time  at  the  seminary  of  St. 
Thomas,  to  recruit  his  strength  and  to  attend  to  a  large 
amount  of  business  which  had  accumulated  during  his 
loni>'  absence.  lie  then  visited  several  of  the  congre- 
gat  ions ;  among  them,  those  of  St.  Stephen  and  St. 
Charles. 

In  his  Report  to  his  Holiness,  above  quoted,  occurs 
the  following  passage: 

"  Often  it  lias  happened  that  in  consequence  of  sick- 
ness or  of  a  voyage  beyond  the  seas,  some  of  my  priests 
were  obliged  to  suspend,  or  to  abandon  altogether,  the 
administration  of  their  congregations,  sometimes  sepa- 
rated from  one  another  by  distances  of  more  than  a 
hundred  miles.  Then  it  was  the  Bishop  who  had  to 
provide  for  them  in  person:  and  God  only  knows  how 
much  this  increase  in  labor,  in  travel,  and  in  fatigue, 
put  to  the  proof  both  my  strength  and  my  courage."  * 

An  occasion  of  this  kind  occurred  in  1815,  soon  after 
his  return.  Early  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  the  Rev. 
M.  Nerinckx  took  his  departure  for  Europe;  and  he 
was  absent  from  Kentucky  for  more  than  two  years.f 

The  Bishop  was  much  perplexed  and  distressed  in 
mind  at  the  departure  of  so  efficient  a  missionary,  who 
had  already  at  his  earnest  request,  delayed  the  journey 
for  three  years.  While  pouring  forth  his  sorrows  in 
prayer  on  this  occasion,  he  thought  he  heard  a  voice 
sounding  forth  from  the  inmost  recesses  of  his  soul, — 

*  Report  to  Pope  Gregory  XVI.,  drawn  up  at  Rome  in  1836, 

f  He  returned  September  4,  1817,  bringing  with  him  the  clock 
uow  in  the  old  Cathedral  at  Bardstown,  and  the  two  paintings  of 
St.  Bernard  and  the  Crucifixion, 


144  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


J 


"  Let  Me  govern  thy  Diocese !  "  *  He  suddenly  be- 
came calm,  and  committed  all  to  the  Providence  of 
God. 

He  now  engaged  with  much  cheerfulness  in  all  the 
laborious  details  of  missionary  duty,  attending  many  of 
the  congregations  of  M.  Nerinckx.  He  was  pastor  of 
St.  Charles,  of  Holy  Mary,  and  of  St.  Bernard,  in 
Casey  county ;  besides  attending  as  chaplain  to  the  in- 
fant convent  of  Loretto.  He  was  absent  almost  every 
Sunday,  and  returned  to  his  home  at  the  seminary  only 
once  in  about  three  weeks. 

In  the  year  1^16,  while  discharging  these  functions 
of  an  ordinary  missionary,  he  was  drawn  into  a  contro- 
versy with  a  preacher  named  Tapscott,  who  had  boldly 
and  coarsely  asserted  "  that  the  Catholics  sprang  from 
hell,  and  into  hell  they  must  fall !  "  Though  much 
averse  to  controversy,  the  Bishop  believed  that  the  in- 
terests of  truth  required  him  to  accept  the  challenge  of 
the  preacher,  who  had  considerable  influence  with  his 
sect.  They  accordingly  met  at  the  house  of  Elias 
Newton,  in  the  present  Taylor  county.  The  concourse 
was  so  great,  that  the  orators  were  compelled  to  speak 
in  the  open  air.  The  Bishop  opened  the  discussion  in 
a  discourse  of  much  simplicity  and  power,  on  the  civil 
and  religious  principles  of  Catholics,  in  answer  to  the 
charges  of  his  opponent.  At  the  close,  he  offered  to 
answer  any  objections  which  might  be  presented. 
Though  it  was  Tapscott's  turn  now  to  rejoin,  he  avail- 
ed himself  of  this  invitation,  and  demanded  that  the 
Bishop  should  first  unfold  the  doctrine  of  the  Church 

*  Journal,  1815. 


CHARACTER    OF    KISHOP    FLAGET.  145 

on  the  power  of  the  keys,  and  on  the  Ileal  Presence ; — 
after  which  he  would  offer  his  remarks. 

For  the  sake  of  peace,  the  Bishop  complied  with  this 
unreasonable  demand  ;  and  explained  "  those  two  ques- 
tions to  the  best  of  his  power," — the  people  listening 
with  breathless  attention. 

Tapscott  attempted  to  answer,  by  accusing  the  Bishop 
of  misquoting  the  scripture ;  a  charge  which  was 
promptly  refuted  by  reference,  on  the  spot,  to  the 
sacred  volume.  The  preacher  then,  getting  into  a  bad 
humor,  boldly  accused  the  sainted  prelate  of  having 
told  a  falsehood,  in  stating  that  he  (Tapscott)  had  been 
the  first  to  challenge  to  the  discussion ;  but  the  audi- 
ence, almost  entirely  Protestant,  sustained  the  Bishop 
in  his  contrary  statement,  which  was  generally  known 
to  be  well  founded. 

To  extricate  himself  from  his  unenviable  position, 
Tapscott  next  called  on  the  Bishop  to  prove  that  the 
Catholic  was  the  oldest  Church.  The  prelate  answer- 
ed, that  as  he  had  been  speaking  already  for  several 
hours,  and  his  opponent  had  been  comparatively  silent, 
it  was  now  clearly  within  his  province  to  ask  the 
preacher  some  questions.  But  Tapscott  would  not 
hear  of  this  proposal,  and  indignantly  withdrew,  leav- 
ing his  adversary  master  of  the  field. 

Hereupon  the  Bishop  closed  the  discussion  with  an 
exhortation  to  peace  and  charity,  which  was  rendered 
more  touching  by  offering  his  hand  to  the  preacher; 
who,  however,  met  his  advance  with  an  ungracious  re- 
fusal. The  conduct  of  the  latter  filled  the  audience 
with  indignation ;  while  the  bearing  of  the  Bishop  won 
10 


146  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

all   hearts.     The  incident  made  a  deep  impression  on 
many  Protestants,  some  of  whom  became  converts. 

Returning  to  his  chamber,  the  Bishop  poured  forth 
his  soul  in  thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  words  which 
he  had  put  into  his  mouth  ;  and  he  exclaimed:  u  llow 
happy  shall  I  be,  O  Lord,  if  I  cause  Thee  to  be  known 
and  loved  by  all  those  unfortunate  sectaries,  who  are 
generally  such,  only  because  they  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  born  in  heresy !  "  * 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  the  tribute  paid  to 
the  memory  of  the  illustrious  Patriarch  of  the  Ameri- 
can Church  by  two  prelates  who  knew  him  long  and 
intimately,  and  who  were  fully  competent  to  pronounce 
on  his  merits.  Archbishop  Carroll  died,  in  odor  of 
sanctity,  on  the  feast  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  December 
3,  1815.  On  hearing  of  his  death,  Bishop  Plaget  has 
this  entry  in  his  Journal: 

"  This  holy  man  has  run  a  glorious  career ;  he  was 
gifted  with  a  wisdom  and  prudence  which  made  every 
one  esteem  and  love  him.  He  had  the  consolation  to 
consecrate  three  Bishops ;  f  to  see  the  Jesuits  well  es- 
tablished ;  to  behold  many  monasteries  and  houses  of 
education  founded : — great  motives  these  for  inspiring 
consolation  and  confidence  at  the  hour  of  death."  J 

In  a  Letter  to  our  prelate,  written  from  Europe  early 
in  1816,  Bishop  Dubourg  thus  refers  to  the  death  of  the 
Archbishop : 

"  The  sad  intelligence  of  the  irreparable  loss  sustain- 
ed by  our  poor  churches  in  the  death  of  their  venerable 

*  This  account  is  condensed  from  the  Bishop's  Journal,  1810. 
f  We  believe  four — Bishops  Cheverus,  Egan,  Flaget,  and  KeaL 
%  Journal,  1815. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  147 

Founder  and  our  worthy  and  excellent  Father,  has 
reached  us  here  in  less  than  sixty  days.  What  univer- 
sal grief  this  death  must  have  occasioned  !  He  has 
certainly  finished  a  beautiful  and  glorious  career;  and 
we  should  rejoice  for  his  sake  that  God  has  called  him 
to  the  recompense  of  his  long  labors.  But  for  our 
sakes,  and  that  of  our  dear  churches,  he  should  have 
been  immortal !  Happy,  however,  are  wre  in  our  mis- 
fortune, that  his  see  is  filled  by  a  worthy  successor,  the 
heir  of  his  zeal  and  of  his  virtues."  * 


*  This  Letter,  without  date  or  name  of  place,  was  written  shortly 
after  the  prelate  left  Rome,  from  some  city  in  France,  probably  Bor- 
deaux. 


148  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


CHAPTER    VII. 


DIOCESE   OF    NEW  ORLEANS BISHOP  FLAGET's  TWO  JOURNEYS 

TO  ST.  LOUIS. 


1817  —  1818. 


Early  missionaries  in  the  South — Do  Soto's  expedition — The  battle 
of  Mavilla — The  "dry  Mass" — France  and  Spain — Founding  of 
New  Orleans — One  of  the  first  martyrs — Jesuit  missions  among 
the  Yazoos,  Arkansas.  Alibamons,  and  Choctaws — The  Post  of 
Arkansas — Massacre  by  the  Natchez — Death  of  missionaries — 
Thrilling  adventures  and  narrow  escape — The  fate  of  the  Nat- 
chez — Ursuline  nuns  in  New  Orleans — Orphans — Hospital — In- 
dian chief's  opinion  of  the  nuns — Results  of  the  missions — See 
of  New  Orleans — Its  first  Bishop — The  second  Bishop — History 
of  the  see — M.  Dubourg  appointed  administrator — Religious  Sta- 
tistics of  Louisiana — Proposed  new  see  at  St.  Louis,  and  trans- 
lation of  Bishop  Flaget — How  the  plan  was  delayed — Bishop 
Flaget's  second  journey  to  St-.  Louis — Preparing  the  way — Suc- 
cess— Liberal  donation — A  curious  scene — Disagreeable  travel — 
Adanseuse — Arrival  of  Bishop  Dubourg — Joyful  meeting — The 
steamboat  Piqua — A  Noah's  ark — Solemn  installation  of  Bishop 
Dubourg — Return  to  Kentucky. 

We  will  devote  the  present  chapter  to  a  summary 
sketch  of  two  other  journeys  which  Bishop  Flaget 
made  to  St.  Louis,  in  the  fall  of  1817,  and  in  the  win- 
ter of  1817-18.  They  were  connected  with  the  ap- 
pointment of  Bishop  Dubourg  to  the  ancient  see  of 
New  Orleans;  and  we  cannot  more  appropriately  in- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  149 

trod uce  our  account  of  these  journeys,  than  by  pre- 
senting, from  the  materials  within  our  reach,  a  few 
prominent  facts  regarding  the  earliest  Catholic  mission- 
aries in  the  South,  and  the  subsequent  establishment 
and  history  of  the  see  of  New  Orleans. 

The  first  Catholic  priests  who  visited  the  portion  of 
North  America  lying  North  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
were  the  Dominican  missionaries  who  accompanied  De 
Soto  in  his  adventurous  expedition  through  Florida 
and  a  part  of  our  Southern  States, — sometime  before 
the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  French  and 
Spanish  expeditions  of  discovery  and  conquest  were  in- 
variably attended  by  Catholic  missionaries,  whose  office 
it  was  to  soften  the  horrors  of  war,  and  to  extend  the 
boundaries  of  Christianity,  by   converting  the  savages. 

The  enterprise  of  De  Soto,  though  conducted  with 
great  courage  and  skill,  proved  disastrous.  The  mis- 
sionaries appear  to  have  made  but  few  converts.  In 
the  battle  of  Mavilla,  fought  October  18,  1540,  they  lost 
their  sacred  vestments,  as  well  as  the  bread  and  wine 
they  had  prepared  for  offering  up  the  holy  sacrifice. 

uIn  this  engagement/'  says  Irving,  "  the  Spaniards 
lost  all  their  baggage  and  private  effects.  What  gave 
them  the  greatest  concern,  however,  was  the  loss  of  a 
little  portion  of  wine  and  wheaten  flour,  which  they 
had  carefully  treasured  up  for  the  performance  of 
Mass.  All  the  sacerdotal  dresses,  also  the  chalices 
and  other  articles  of  worship  were  destroyed  ;  but  the 
loss  of  the  wheaten  flour  was  irreparable.  Consultations 
were  held  between  the  ecclesiastics  and  the  lavnien. 
whether  bread  made  of  maize  might  not  be  adopted  in 
case  of  extremity ;  but  it  was  decided  that  the  use  of 


150  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

any  thing  but  wheat  was  contrary  to  the  canons  of  the 
Church.  From  thenceforward,  therefore,  on  Sundays 
and  saints'-days,  they  prepared  an  altar,  and  the  priest 
officiated,  arrayed  in  robes  of  dressed  deer  skin,  fash- 
ioned in  imitation  of  his  sacerdotal  dresses;. and  they 
performed  all  the  parts  of  the  ceremony,  except  the 
consecration  of  bread  and  wine.  This  constituted  what 
the  Spaniards  called  a  '  dry  Mass.'  "* 

De  Soto  penetrated  to  the  Mississippi,  which  he 
crossed  near  the  35th  degree  of  north  latitude, — not 
far  from  the  Southern  boundary  of  Tennessee.  He 
ascended  the  river  as  far  as  the  present  town  of  New 
Madrid.  The  object  dearest  to  his  heart,  and  one 
which  he  earnestly  recommended  to  his  followers  with 
his  last  breath,  was  the  conversion  of  the  savages.  He 
died  on  the  Mississippi,  on  the  21st  of  May,  1542. 

France  and  Spain  were  engaged  in  a  lengthy  contest 
for  the  possession  of  Louisiana  and  the  Southern  por- 
tion of  what  is  now  the  United  States.  The  discovery 
of  the  Mississippi,  by  the  French  Jesuit,  Father  Mar- 
quette, in  1673;  the  exploring  of  it  to  its  mouth,  and 
the  subsequent  disastrous  expedition,  by  the  adventur- 
ous, but  unfortunate  La  Salle;  the  establishment  of 
French  colonies  in  Louisiana,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century;  the  final  settlement  of  the  ques- 
tion between  those  two  great  Catholic  powers  of 
Europe  ;  and  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana  by  the  Uni- 
ted States  in  1803; — are  all  topics  familiar  to  those 
of  our  readers  who  are  conversant  with  our  different 
American  histories.  Full  details  on  them  do  not  pro- 
perly lie  within  our  present  province.     We  must  con- 

*  Conquest  of  Florida — p.  282. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  151 

tent  ourselves  with  furnishing  a  few  prominent  facts  in 
the  religious  history  of  this  portion  of  our  country  ; 
dwelling  specially  upon  the  early  missions  among  the 
various  Indian  tribes  of  the  South  and  South-west. 

The  Jesuit  Fathers  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  these 
missionary  enterprises,  of  which  New  Orleans  was  for 
a  long  time  the  centre  and  the  head-quarters.  Here 
resided  the  Superior  General  of  the  missions ;  and 
from  this  point,  the  Fathers  were  sent  out  to  preach  to 
the  various  tribes  living  near  the  borders  of  the  Missis- 
sippi,  and  to  some  even  who  were  roaming  far  in  the 
interior.  New  Orleans  was  founded  in  1718,  and  became 
the  seat  of  government  in  1721 ;  there  were  then  not 
more  than  five  hundred  persons  in  the  whole  colony. 

We  are  not  acquainted  with  the  precise  year  in 
which  those  Indian  missions  first  commenced,  but  they 
began  soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  French  set- 
tlements. We  read  that,  at  an  early  period  of  the 
French  colony,  probaby  during  the  first  years  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  M.  De  St.  Come,  a  missionary, 
suffered  martyrdom,  while  zealously  laboring  among 
the  SUimaehas.  a  fierce  tribe  living  on  the  river  Man- 
chat  (or  Manchac),  below  Baton  Rouge.* 

Early  in  1727,  the  ship  Gironde  was  daily  expected  to 
arrive  at  New  Orleans  from  France ;  having  on  board 
Fathers  Tartarin  and  Doutreleau,  with  a  colony  of  Ur- 
suline  nuns.j- 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1727,  Father  Du  Poisson  de- 
parted from  New  Orleans  in  a  small  boat,  to  ascend  the 


*  Father  Du  Poissun's  Letter,  quoted  infra.     He  suffered,  we 
believe,  in  1717. 

f  Ibid. 


152  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


Mississippi  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  He 
was  accompanied  by  FF.  Souel  and  Dumas.  He  was 
destined  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the  Arkansas* 
tribe  of  Indians,  living  within  the  limits  of  the  present 
State  of  Arkansas.  Father  Souel  was  going  to  live 
among  the  Yazoos,f  lower  down  on  the  Mississippi, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Yazoo ;  Father  Dumas  was 
to  ascend  the  river  as  far  as  the  settlements  of  Illinois. 
Father  De  Beaubois  was  then  Superior  General  of  the 
missions  in  New  Orleans. J 

The  traveling  missionaries  suffered  much  from  the 
excessive  heat,  the  inconvenience  of  their  small  and 
crowded  boats,  the  overflow  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the 
myriads  of  mosquitoes,  which  gave  them  no  rest  day 
or  night,  and  which  F.  Du  Poisson  thought  must  have 
been  a  continuation  of  the  Egyptian  plagues, — to  try 
the  patience  of  Christians.  On  the  4th  of  June,  they 
arrived  at  Baton  Rouge;  §  and  on  the  13th  at  Natchez. 
The  French  colony  ||  here  was  at  this  early  elate  in  a 
flourishing  condition •  but  was  soon,  alas!  to  meet  an 
awful  fate!  M.  Fhilibert.  a  Capuchin  friar,  was  then 
curate  of  Natchez. 

F.  Souel  stopped  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo,  where 
he  was  cordially  welcomed  by  the  savages.  The  two 
other  missionaries  readied  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas 

*  Written  by  him  Akensas. 

t  Written  Yatous  by  F.  Du  Poisson — but  Yasous  by  F.  Le  Petit. 

%  A  few  days  later  Father  De  Guienne  was  sent  to  the  Alibamons, 
and  Father  Le  Petit  to  the  Chdsses  Indians.     Ibid. 

I  Or  Red  Slick — so  called  from  a  tree  painted  red.  marking  the 
boundary  between  two  neighboring  tribes.     Ibid. 

||  The  place  was  originally  called  Fort  Rosalie^ 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  153 

on  the  7th  of  July.  F.  Dumas  continuing  the  next 
day  his  journey  to  the  Illinois,  F.  Du  Poisson  proceed- 
ed alone  to  the  villages  of  the  Arkansas,  which  lay 
scattered  along  the  Arkansas,  some  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  White  river. 

There  was  here  a  French  Post  recently  established. 
F.  Du  Poisson  was  well  received  by  the  Arkansas  tribe. 
On  his  arrival,  they  asked,  "How  many  moons  the 
Black  Chief  would  remain  with  them?"  When  the 
interpreter  answered,  u  Always ; '  the  immediate  reply 
was:  u  You  are  deceiving  me."  But  on  being  assured 
that  such  was  the  truth,  and  uthat  they  should  always 
have  him  with  them  to  teach  them  to  know  the  Great 
Spirit,  as  had  been  done  among  the  Illinois?- '  the  In- 
dian chief  exclaimed:  "My  heart  laughs  when  you  tell 
me  this."* 

*  Letter  of  F.  Du  Poisson,  written  "At  Akensas,"  October  3, 
1727— among  the  Lettres  Edifiantes;  and  translated  in  "Early 
Jesuit  Missions  in  North  America," — p.  232,  seqq. 

"  The  Post  of  Arkansas  is  a  very  old  station.  In  Charlevoix's 
history  of  New  France  (Canada),  and  the  Lettres  Edifiantes  et 
Cur  muses  of  the  early  missionaries,  it  is  stated,  that  these  were  in 
the  habit  of  ascending  the  river  from  Natchez,  then  called  Rosalie, 
in  order  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Arks,  Kansas,  Arkansas,  as 
the  Indians  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas  river  were  indifferently 
called.  From  a  personal  examination  of  the  Registers  and  other 
ancient  documents,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  Post  of 
Arkansas  spoken  of  in  these  early  times,  was  somewhere  lower 
down  on  the  river  than  the  Post  of  Arkansas  of  ,the  present  day. 
The  old  Post  had  a  fort,  with  something  like  fortifications;  and  in 
the  fort  was  a  chapel:  but  of  all  this  nothing  noAV  remains  but  a 
small  eminence  on  which  are  found  the  remains  of  former  founda- 
tions. The  place  appears  to  have  been  washed  away  by  the  river. 
The  Registers  anterior  to  1764  are  no  longer  extant.  In  17G4,  on 
the  11th  and  12th  of  March,  Father  S.  L.  Meurin,  S.  J.,  is  record- 


154  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

F.  Du  Poisson  labored  anions:  the  Arkansas  Indians 
for  two  years ;  during  which  time  he  does  not  appear 
to  have  made  any  general  impression  on  that  tribe, 
whose  language  it  was  difficult  to  learn,  and  whose  de- 
basement was  very  great.  However,  he  baptized  many 
who  were  in  danger  of  death,  and  received  several  into 
the  Church. 

Before  the  mission  had  been  fully  established,  he 
was  cut  off  by  a  bloody  death.  He  fell  among  the  two 
hundred  French  victims  who  were  suddenly  massacred 
by  the  Natchez  Indians,  on  the  28th  of  November, 
1729.  He  was,  at  the  time,  on  a  visit  to  the  Natchez 
colony,  to  procure  some  favor  or  assistance  for  his  be- 
loved AJcensas ;  and  as  the  curate,  M.  Philibert,  was 
absent  on  a  visit  to  New  Orleans,  he  said  Mass  there  in 

ed  to  have  baptized  nine  persons;  Don  John  Baptist  de  Montclair- 
vaux  being  at  that  time  Governor  of  the  Post  of  Arkansas.  Sub- 
sequently to  the  date  just  named,  the  following  names  occur  in  the 
Registers: 

"1772— Father  Valentin,  0.  S.  F. 

"1786 — Father  L.  Guignes.  Don  Joseph  de  la  Valiere  was  at 
this  time  Governor. 

"  1792-  -Rev.  M.  Gibault,  who,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1793, 
received  into  the  Church  James  Darst  and  Anne  ShefFer,  his  wife, 
together  with  their  six  children.  Don  Ignatius  de  Ling  was  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Post  in  this  year. 

"1794 — Father  Flavius,  0.  S.  F.,  was  appointed  pastor  of  the 
Post  of  Arkansas  by  the  Very  Rev.  Patrick  Walsh,  V.  G.  of  the 
Diocese  of  New  Orleans. 

"1796— Rev.  M.  Janin.  On  the  18th  of  February,  1798,  the 
Register  records  the  marriage  (by  Rev.  M.  Janin,  pastor,)  of  Bap- 
tist Degle  and  Susan  Bole:  the  publication  of  the  bans  having  been 
regularly  dispensed  with  by  the  Right  Rev.  the  Bishop  of  New  Or- 
leans, on  the  request  of  the  Governor,  Don  Charles  de  Villemont." 
Shepherd  of  the  Valley,  March,  1852. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  155 

his  place,  on   the  first  Sunday  of  Advent,  November 
27th,  the  day  before  the  massacre. 

Just  as  he  was  preparing  to  offer  up  the  holy  sacri- 
fice on  the  next  morning,  with  a  view  to  carry  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  to  some  sick  persons,  a  gigantic 
chief  seized  him,  and  having  felled  him  to  the  ground, 
cut  off  his  head  with  repeated  blows  of  the  tomahawk. 

The  massacre  was  general  and  simultaneous,  a  few 
only  of  the  French  making  their  escape  in  the  woods. 
Only  two  Frenchmen  were  spared,  a  tailor  and  a  car- 
penter. Such  of  the  women  and  children  as  escaped 
death  were  reduced  to  slavery. 

This  dreadful  massacre  is  ascribed  by  some  to  the 
natural  cruelty  and  treachery  of  the  Natchez;  by  others 
to  the  injustice  done  to  the  tribe  by  the  French  com- 
mander. It  was  soon  followed  by  that  of  the  French 
in  the  Post  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo.  Father 
Souel,  the  Indian  missionary  stationed  here,  fell  the  first 
victim,  pierced  by  many  balls.  This  occurred  Decem- 
ber 12,  1729. 

Another  Jesuit  Father,  passing  casually  at  the  time, 
made  a  very  narrow  escape.  F.  Doutreleau,  descend- 
ing the  Mississippi  from  Illinois,  stopped  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Yazoo  on  the  1st  of  January,  1730,  to  pay  a  visit 
to  his  brother  missionary,  of  whose  death  he  could  not 
be  apprised.  The  Indians  feigned  friendship;  and  he 
began  to  say  Mass.  The  French  voyageurs,  his  com- 
panions of  travel,  were  kneeling  reverently  near  the 
rude  altar  erected  in-  the  woods ;  the  Indians  stood 
quietly  in  the  back-ground.  At  the  Kyrie  Eleison,  a. 
number  of  muskets  were  fired  ;  the  priest  was  wounded 
in  the  arm,  and  one  of  the  voyageurs  fell  dead  at  his 


156  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

side.  The  rest  fled  to  the  boat;  but  the  Father,  think- 
ing his  hour  had  come,  knelt  down  to  receive  his  death 
blow.  What  was  his  surprise,  however,  on  finding, 
that  though  many  muskets  were  aimed  at  him,  from  so 
near  that  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  seemed  almost  to 
touch  his  body,  he  received  no  additional  wound !  In- 
stinctively rising,  he  darted  towards  the  river,  clad  in 
his  priestly  garments,  pursued  by  the  infuriate  savages. 
He  soon  gained  the  boat;  but,  on  turning  to  look  after 
his  pursuers,  received  a  discharge  of  small  shot  in  the 
mouth  ;  some  of  the  shot  being  flattened  against  his 
teeth!  The  wound  was  not  dangerous,  however;  and 
after  almost  incredible  dangers  and  hardships,  the 
party  arrived  safely  at  New  Orleans,  to  recount  their 
adventures  and  hair-breadth  escapes. 

Resting  for  some  months  to  have  his  wound  healed, 
during  which  time  he  acted  as  chaplain  to  the  French 
expedition  against  the  Natchez,  the  intrepid  missionary 
again  set  out  for  Illinois,  on  the  16th  of  the  ensuing 
April.* 

The  whole  French  population  of  Louisiana  was  filled 
with  indignation  and  terror  at  the  news  of  the  fatal 
tragedy  enacted  at  Natchez.  A  terrible  retribution 
was  about  to  fall  on  the  blood-stained  savages,  who 
had  thus  imbrued  their  hands  in  French  blood.  Driv- 
en from  their  lands  into  the  Western  wilds,  they  were 
at  length  forced  to  surrender  at  discretion  in  their  last 
strong-hold  on  Red  river.  Those  who  survived  were 
either  reduced  to  servitude  on  the  plantations,  or  had 


*  Letter  of  Father  Le  Petit,  dated  New  Orleans,  July  12th,  1730. 
Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  1ST 

to  riy  to  other  tribes  for  shelter.     As  a  tribe,  the  Nat- 
chez ceased  to  exist. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  there  was 
already  in  New  Orleans  a  community  of  seven  Ursu- 
lines,  who  devoted  themselves  to  works  of  education 
and  charity.  They  had  charge  of  a  school,  a  hospital, 
and  an  orphan  asylum.  The  number  of  orphans  under 
their  care  was  greatly  increased  by  the  massacre  at 
Natchez.  The  French  expedition  rescued  many  father- 
less children  from  slavery,  and  brought  them  to  New 
Orleans. 

"The  little  girls,  whom  none  of  the  inhabitants 
wished  to  adopt,  have  greatly  enlarged  the  interesting 
company  of  orphans  whom  the  nuns  are  bringing  up. 
The  great  number  of  these  children  only  serves  to  in- 
crease their  charity  and  attentions.  They  have  formed 
them  into  a  separate  class,  and  have  appointed  two 
special  matrons  for  their  care. 

"  There  is  not  one  of  this  holy  sisterhood  but  is  de- 
lighted at  having  crossed  the  ocean ;  nor  do  they  seek 
here  any  other  happiness  than  that  of  preserving  these 
children  in  their  innocency,  and  giving  a  polished  and 
Christian  education  to  these  young  French,  who  are  in 
danger  of  being  almost  as  degraded  as  the  slaves.  We 
may  hope,  with  regard  to  these  holy  women,  that  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  year  they  will  occupy  the  new  man- 
sion which  is  destined  for  them,  and  which  they  have 
for  so  lung  a  time  desired. 

u  When  they  shall  once  be  settled  there,  to  the  in- 
struction of  the  boarders,  the  orphans,  the  girls  who 
live  without,  and  the  negro  women,  they  will  add  also 
the  care  of  the  sick  in  the  hospital,  and  a  house  of 


158  SKETCHES   OP  THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

refuge  for  women  of  questionable  character.  *  *  *  So 
many  works  of  charity  would,  in  France,  be  sufficient 
to  occupy  many  associations  and  different  institutions. 
But  what  cannot  great  zeal  effect?  These  different 
labors  do  not  at  all  startle  seven  Ursulines,  and  by  the 
grace  of  God  they  are  able  to  sustain  them,  without 
infringing  at  all  on  the  observance  of  their  religious 
rules. 


>'  # 


There  came  at  this  time  to  New  Orleans  a  deputa- 
tion from  the  Illinois  tribe,  to  condole  with  their 
French  friends,  and  to  offer  assistance  against  the 
Natchez  and  Yazoos.  When  their  chief  first  saw  these 
nuns,  following  a  troop  of  orphan  girls  through  the 
streets,  he  remarked  to  them:  "You  are  like  the  Black 
Robes,  our  fathers  ;  you  labor  for  others.  Ah  !  if  we 
had  above  there  two  or  three  of  your  number,  our 
wives  and  daughters  would  have  more  wit,  and  would 
be  better  Christians."  f 

At  the  time  of  the  massacre,  F.  Baudouin  was  labor- 
ing zealously  among  the  Choctaws ;  J  and  F.  De  Guy- 
enne,  among  the  Indian  tribes  still  farther  in  the 
interior,  on  the  confines  of  the  Carolinas.  Both  these 
missionaries  were  now  placed  in  a  situation  of  immi- 
nent danger.  The  Choctaws,  though  allies  of  the 
French  against  the  Natchez,  were  still  feared  as  treach- 
erous and  cruel;  while  F.  De  Guyenne  had  been  al- 
ready so  often  insulted  and  threatened,  that  it  was 
feared  he  would   "be  obliged  to  confine  his  zeal  to  the 

*  Letter  of  F.  Le  Petit,  sup.  cit.,  1730. 

t  Ibid. 

X  Written  Tcliactas, 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP   FLAGET„  159 

French   fort  of  the   Alihamons*   or  to  seek  a  more 
abundant  harvest  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi."  f 

These  fears  were  not  groundless.  Twenty  years 
later,  most  of  the  Indian  missions  in  the  South  were 
abandoned,  at  least  temporarily,  in  consequence  of  dif- 
ficulties deemed  insurmountable.  In  1750,  F.  Bau- 
douin  was  residing  at  New  Orleans,  as  superior  general 
of  the  Indian  missions.  For  eighteen  years  he  had 
been  living  among  the  Choctaws,  but  had  been  lately 
recalled  in  consequence  of  troubles  excited  among 
thum  uby  the  English."  But  these  difficulties  having 
now  apparently  ceased,  the  superior  thought  of  sending 
another  missionary  to  that  tribe. J 

Father  Moran  had  been  for  many  years  engaged  on 
the  mission  among  the  Alihamons /  but  finding  it  im- 
possible any  longer  to  exercise  the  ministry  with  fruit 
or  in  safety,  he  had  likewise  been  recalled  to  New  Or- 
leans, to  take  charge  of  the  Ursuline  convent,  and  of 
the  Royal  Hospital.  The  English  are  constantly  repre- 
sented as  being  a  great  hindrance  to  the  success  of  the 
Indian  missions.  Besides  other  obstacles  which  they 
threw  in  the  way  of  the  missionaries,  "  they  were  al- 
ways ready  to  excite  controversy  "  among  the  Indians.^ 

The  French  settlement  on  the  Arkansas  river  had 
been  attacked  and  dispersed  by  the  "  irreconcilable 
enemies  of   the  French," — the  Chickasaws,|j  in  May, 


*  Probably  the  Alabamans. 

t  Ibid. 

X  Letter  of  F.  Vivier,  dated  "At  Illinois,  November  17,  1750." 

I  Ibid. 

||  Written  by  the  French  Jesuits,  Chicachats, 


160  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AKD 

1748  ;  and  no  missionary  could  any  longer  remain  with 
the  unfortunate  tribe  of  the  Arkensas* 

The  suppression  of  the  Jesuits,  some  years  later,  com- 
pleted the  destruction  of  missions  which  they  had 
spared  neither  labor  nor  blood  to  establish  and  consoli- 
date. Though  their  success  seems  not  to  have  been  so 
striking  nor  so  brilliant  in  the  South,  as  that  of  their 
brethren  had  been  in  the  North,  yet  they  no  doubt 
effected  much  good,  and  sent  many  fervent  neophytes 
to  heaven,  who  else  had  remained  wtin  the  region  of 
the  shadow  of  death,"  and  been  lost  forever. 

By  a  secret  article  in  the  treaty  of  Fontainbleau,  in 
17b^,|  France  transferred  Louisiana  to  the  King  of 
Spam ;  who  retained  the  dominion  of  the  province 
until  it  was  restored  to  the  French  republic  in  the  year 
1800.  In  1803,  Mr.  Jefferson  purchased  Louisiana 
from  the  French,  for  fifteen  millions  of  dollars. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  Spanish  dominion, 
the  missions  were  attended  by  French  and  Spanish 
clergymen,  who  were  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Havana.  A  considerable  number  of 
Spaniards  now  mingled  with  the  original  French  colo- 
nists in  Louisiana,  and  particularly  at  New  Orleans. 

if  we  consider  the  vicissitudes  winch  mark  the  his- 
tory of  the  French  and  Spanish  colonies  of  Louisiana, 
we  shall  not  be  surprised  to  hud  that  the  interests  of 
Religion  suffered  greatly;  both  from  the  want  of  the 
requisite  number  of  suitable  clergymen,  and  from  that 
of  a  proper  organization  and  an  efficient  church  govern- 

*  Letter  of  F.  Vivier,  sup.  cit. 

f  The-  et  articles  were  signed  in  November,  17G2;  the  trea- 

ty was      .    Holy  ratified  early  in  the  following  year,  at  Paris. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  161 

ment.     The  need  of  a  Bishop  on  the  spot  to  watch  over 
so  extensive  a  territory,  was  long  and  painfully  felt. 

At  length,  in  the  year  1793,  New  Orleans  was  erec- 
ted into  an  episcopal  see  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 
The  first  Bishop  was  a  distinguished  Spaniard, — Don 
Luis  Penalver  y  Cardenas;  "a  man  of  great  talents, 
zeal,  and  piety,  whose  administration  was  marked  by 
an  uncommon  degree  of  wisdom,  and  by  a  strict  attach- 
ment to  the  discipline  of  the  Church."*  The  Bulls,  an 
authenticated  copy  of  which  is  preserved  in  the  archie- 
piscopal  archives  of  New  Orleans,  bear  date,  April  25, 
1793.  They  stipulate,  that  the  new  Bishop  shall  receive 
from  the  royal  treasury  of  Spain  the  annual  sum  of 
four  thousand  dollars,  for  his  suitable  support. f  Two 
canons  were  to  be  attached  to  the  cathedral,  who  were 
each  to  receive,  from  the  same  source,  the  sum  of  six 
hundred  dollars  annually. 

Bishop  Penalver  y  Cardenas  took  formal  possession 
of  his  see  only  in  the  year  1795.  He  immediately  be- 
gan the  visitation  of  his  Diocese,  which  he  prosecuted 
with  vigor  and  zeal.  He  required  all  priests  who  had 
charge  of  congregations  to  send  him  annual  reports  of 
the  condition,  both  temporal  and  spiritual,  of  their  re- 
spective parishes  or  districts.  He  continued  to  exact 
this  during  the  six  years  of  his  vigilant  admininistra- 
tion.  He  labored  earnestly  to  eradicate  abuses,  and  to 
promote  piety. 

*  Letter  of  the  Most  Rev.  Dr,  Blanc,  Archbishop  of  New  Or- 
leans ;  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  interesting  details  which 
follow,  up  to  the  appointment  of  M,  Dubourg  as  administrator. 

f  Pro  mensa  episcopali. 
11 


162  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

In  1801,  this  excellent  prelate  was  transferred  to  the 
metropolitan  see  of  Guatemala,  in  Central  America, 
One  of  the  canons  having  already  died,  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Diocese  devolved,  for  a  time,  on  the  sur- 
viving one, — the  Rev.  Thomas  Hasset;  who  himself 
died  ahout  the  year  1804. 

Soon  after  the  resignation  of  the  first  Bishop  of  New 
Orleans,  a  second  was  appointed,  and  consecrated  at 
Rome  in  1802.  He  never,  however,  reached  his  see; 
having  died  in  the  eternal  city  on  the  eve  of  his  con- 
templated departure.  We  are  not  even  acquainted 
with  his  name ;  but  it  is  known  that  he  was  a  Francis- 
can, of  the  convent  of  the  Holy  Apostles  *  at  Rome. 
When  Bishop  Portier  was  there  in  1829,  he  saw,  among 
the  portraits  of  the  deceased  members  of  the  convent, 
that  of  the  second  Bishop  of  New  Orleans ;  whose 
memory  was  revered  by  his  brethren.  From  this  fact 
it  would  appear,  that  Dr.  Dubourg  was  really  only  the 
third  Bishop  of  that  city. 

During  the  vacancy  of  the  see,  considerable  confu- 
sion existed  in  the  administration,  owing  chiefly  to  a 
conflict  in  regard  to  jurisdiction  among  different  claim- 
ants to  the  office  of  Vicar  General.  In  1805,  after  the 
death  of  canon  Hasset,  there  existed,  for  a  time,  a  de- 
plorable schism,  which  manifested  itself  chiefly  in 
New  Orleans.  Strong  remonstrances  on  this  sad  state 
of  things  having  been  addressed  to  the  Holy  See, 
Archbishop  Carroll  was  canonically  charged  with  the 
administration  of  the  vacant  Diocese,  until  a  perma- 
nent provision  could  be  made.  One  reason  for  this 
wise  appointment,  was  founded  on  the  fact,  that  Lou- 


-X- 


Dei  Santi  Apostoli. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  163 

isiana  had  already  been  purchased  by  the  United  States 
government. 

On  assuming  the  administration,  Archbishop  Carroll 
constituted  M.  Olivier,  then  chaplain  of  the  Ursuline 
convent,  his  Vicar  General  with  ample  jurisdiction. 
This  distinguished  ecclesiastic  was  a  brother  of  the 
Rev.  Donatian  Olivier,  the  venerable  missionary  of 
Illinois.  Under  his  wise  and  prudent  administration, 
the  existing  difficulties  were  settled.  In  1808,  har- 
mony again  reigned  in  the  capital  of  the  South.  He 
died  about  the  year  1810;  and  was  succeeded,  it  is 
believed,  by  the  Rev.  M.  Sibourd,  who  governed  as 
Yicar  General  until  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Dubourg, 
in  1812. 

Archbishop  Carroll  had  long  and  anxiously  thought 
of  providing  a  suitable  Bishop  for  the  vacant  see,  the 
administration  of  which  weighed  heavily  on  him,  in 
consequence  of  its  importance  and  remote  position. 
He  had  successively  proposed  for  this  office  the  Rev. 
MM.  David  and  Nerinckx;  but  these  learned  and 
pious  priests  had  both,  from  delicacy  of  conscience, 
firmly  refused  the  proffered  honor.  The  negotiations 
with  the  Holy  See  consumed  several  years,  during 
which  Religion  suffered  greatly  at  New  Orleans.* 

At  length,  in  1812,  the  Rev.  William  Dubourg  was 
named  the  third  Bishop  of  New  Orleans ;  and  he  was 

*  Our  only  authority  for  stating  that  the  office  was  tendered  to 
Father  David,  is  an  expression  of  Bishop  Flaget  in  one  of  his  Let- 
ters to  France,  to  the  effect,  that  Father  David  had  refused  two 
bishoprics  in  our  principal  cities.  It  is  believed  that  he  meant  the 
sees  of  Philadelphia  and  New  Orleans.  It  is  certain  that  the  ap- 
pointment was  offered  to  M.  Nerinekx;  whose  services  Bishop 
Dubourg  subsequently  sought  to  secure  for  his  Diocese. 


164  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

induced  to  accept  the  appointment.  By  an  apostolic 
Brief,  he  had  been  previously  selected,  as  administra- 
tor of  this  Diocese.  The  Bulls,  however,  were  delay- 
ed. M.  Marechal,  then  in  France,  had  written  that  he 
expected  to  be  the  bearer  of  them  to  the  Bishop  elect; 
but  he  returned  to  Baltimore  without  the  documents. 
Pope  Pius  VII.,  lingering  in  prison,  and  worn  down 
by  the  intrigues  and  harrassing  vexations  of  his  impe- 
rial gaoler,  firmly  declined  issuing  any  more  Bulls, 
until  he  could  be  permitted  to  advise  freely  with  his 
natural  counsellors  * — the  Cardinals. 

In  this  situation  of  affairs,  Archbishop  Carroll  strong- 
ly urged  M.  Dubourg  to  accept  at  once  the  administra- 
torship, and  to  lose  no  time  in  repairing  to  New 
Orleans.  The  eminent  ecclesiastic  yielded  to  the  ad- 
vice of  his  superior,  and  started  for  the  theatre  of  his 
labors  in  the  fall  of  1812.f 

M.  Dubourg  remained  at  New  Orleans,  as  adminis- 
trator, for  about  two  years  and  a  half.  During  this 
period,  he  had  a  full  opportunity  to  know  and  feel  the 
heavy  responsibility  and  cruel  embarrassments  of  the 
post  he  had  accepted.  In  December,  1814,  he  wrote 
to  Bishop  Flaget  a  long  Letter,  in  which  he  painted,  in 
rather  dark  colors,  the  condition  and  prospects  of  Cath- 
olicity in  Louisiana. 

He  estimated  the  total  number  of  Catholics  at  about 
sixty  thousand,  of  whom  the  great  majority  were  only 
nominally  such.  He  was,  however,  consoled  by  the 
fervent  piety  of  not  a  few,  especially  among  the  weak- 

*  Conseilleurs  nes. 

f  All  these  particulars  are  gathered  from  a  Letter  of  M.  Dubourg 
to  Bishop  Flaget,  dated  Baltimore,  August  11,  1812. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  165 

er  sex.  Four  of  his  clergy  bad  died  in  the  two  years 
which  had  elapsed  since  hie  arrival ;  *  and  only  twelve 
remained, f  of  whom  two  were  over  sixty,  and  three 
over  seventy  years  of  age. 

He  proposed  to  visit  Europe  the  ensuing  spring,  in 
order  to  prevail  upon  the  Holy  Father  to  release  him 
from  a  burden  scarcely  any  longer  bearable ;  or  if  this 
should  not  be  possible,  to  recruit  for  the  Diocese  a  new 
body  of  fervent  priests,  whose  zeal  might  renovate  the 
piety  of  the  faithful.  He  writes:  uYou  wish  then  to 
go  to  Rome, — -you  will  tell  me: — Yes!  Monseigneur: 
were  it  necessary,  I  would  go  to  China,  either  to  be  re- 
lieved of  this  terrible  burden,  or  to  seek  necessary  aid 
to  enable  me  to  bear  it  properly." 

He  signified  also,  in  this  same  letter,  his  intention  to 
propose  to  the  Holy  See  the  u  dismemberment ':  of 
Upper  Louisiana  from  the  see  of  New  Orleans,  and  the 
placing  of  that  territory  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
Bishop  Flaget.  The  latter  endorses  on  the  back  of  the 
Letter,  that  he  considers  this  plan  very  feasible  and 
proper.  J 

In  th  •  spiing  of  1815,  he  sailed  for  Europe,  as  he 
had  proposed  ;  and,  after  spending  some  time  in  France, 
he  visited  Rome.  In  an  interview  with  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  he  exposed  to  his  view  the  condition  of  sad 
spiritual  destitution  in  which  Louisiana  was  placed ; 
and  he  forcibly  presented  his  numerous  reasons  for  de- 
clining the  appointment  to  the  see  of  New  Orleans. 

But  his  Holiness,  moved  by  the  long  vacancy  of  the 

*  Nos  pretres  meurent  comme  mouches. 

f  II  vi'en  reste  douze,  tant  bons,  indifferents,  que  mauvais. 

X  Cela  me  paroit  ires  a  propos* 


166  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


see  and  the  pressing  wants  of  the  Catholics  of  Louisi- 
ana, insisted  on  his  acceptance ;  and  he  was  according- 
ly consecrated  at  Rome,  September  28,  1815. 

The  new  Bishop  now  proposed  to  the  Holy  See,  that 
Upper  Louisiana  should  be  detached  from  his -Diocese; 
that  Bishop  Flaget  should  be  transferred  to  St.  Louis, 
as  its  first  Bishop ;  and  that  Dr.  Gallitzin  should  take 
his  place  as  Bishop  of  Bardstown.  His  proposition 
was  favorably  entertained,  though  nothing  was  decided 
on.  Cardinal  Litta.  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  wrote 
on  the  subject  to  Archbishop  Carroll,  asking  his  coun- 
sel. His  Letter  was  dated  December  23d,  1815; — 
twenty  days  after  the  death  of  the  Archbishop.  In  it 
the  Cardinal  says: 

"But  as  in  Upper  Louisiana,  the  Bight  Rev.  Dr. 
Flaget.  Bishop  of  Bardstown.  is  in  great  fame  of  sanc- 
tity, and  as  he  is  most  suited  for  the  conversion  of  the 
savages  who  live  in  the  middle  of  the  province  of  Lou- 
isiana, it  has  seemed  very  expedient  to  the  Bight  Bev. 
Dr.  Dubourg,  that  he  should  be  transferred  to  a  new 
see  to  be  erected  therein."'  * 

M.  Brute  was  probably  acquainted  with  the  contents 
of  this  Letter;  for  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Flaget,  commu- 
nicating its  substance.  A  Letter  from  Bishop  Dubourg 
to  the  same  prelate  added,  that,  according  to  the  plan, 

^  "Cum  autern  in  Alta  Aurelia  (Louisiana)  magna  sit  liima 
Banctitatis  Revmi  D.  Flaget,  Bardensis  Episcopi,  idemque  aptissi- 
mus  sit  ad  sylvestrium  conversionem,  qui  in  media  Neo-Aurelioe 
provincia  versantur,  nine  valde  expedire  videtur  Revmo  D.  Du- 
bourg, ut  Bardensis  Episcopus  ad  novam  erigendam  sedem  trans- 
fer atur." 

We  are  indebted  for  this  extract  to  Archbishop  Kenrick,  of  Bal- 
timore, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  167 

the  new  see  of  St.  Louis  was  to  remain  under  the  im- 
mediate jurisdiction  of  the  Holy  See ;  as  it  was  in 
contemplation  to  erect  a  new  archbishopric  in  the 
West,  to  which  St.  Louis  would  be  attached ; — a  stri- 
king instance  this  of  the  wisdom  and  far-seeing  sagaci- 
ty of  Rome.* 

Bishop  Flaget  docs  not  appear  to  have  been,  at  first, 
averse  to  the  change,  concerning  which  he  had  already 
corresponded  with  M.  Dubourg,  before  the  departure  of 
the  latter  for  Home. 

He  had  in  fact,  it  would  appear,  himself  first  sug- 
gested the  idea  to  M.  Dubourg.  In  a  Letter  of  the 
latter  to  him  from  New  Orleans,  dated  April  25,  1815, 
he  says: 

aIn  your  Letter  from  St.  Louis,  you  return  to  your 
idea  of  fixing  your  see  there,  provided  a  suitable  sub- 
ject (Bishop)  can  be  found  for  Kentucky.  You  propose 
a  Dominican  for  Kentucky."  And  again:  "I  will  not 
fail  to  present  to  the  Holy  See  both  the  pastor  and  the 
flock  of  Kentucky ;  and  I  will  also  submit  your  plan 
for  the  erection  of  a  bishopric  in  Upper  Louisiana. 
From  what  ycu  tell  me,  I  would  be  tempted  to  believe, 
that  a  Frenchman  would  suit  best  for  the  new  see,  and 
an  American  for  Kentucky ;  and  that  you  would  not 
be  displeased  at  the  change.  You  should  express  your- 
self frankly  with  me, — I  will  keep  your  secret.  *  *  * 
Nor  do  I  clearly  understand  what  you  mean  about  the 
location  of  your  see: — it  would  seem  that  Bardstown 
does  not  appear  to  you  to  be  a  suitable  place  (for  an 
episcopal  see.)" 

*  There  Avas  to  be  established  "u?ie  nouvelle  metropole  a  laquelle  it 
(St.  Louis)  doit  etre  uni. — Letter  written  from  Europe  in  1816, 
sup.  cit. 


168  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

In  a  letter  to  one  M.  Gratiot,  of  St.  Louis,  written 
early  in  1815,  Bishop  Flaget  expressed  himself  as 
pleased  with  his  contemplated  translation  to  that  city. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  had  some  misgivings;  and 
we  find  several  entries  in  his  Journal,  betraying  unea- 
siness and  solicitude  on  the  subject ; — which  he  never- 
theless left,  as  he  did  every  thing  else,  to  the  all-wise 
dispositions  of  Providence.  It  was  only  on  the  8th  of 
August,  1816,*  that  he  received  definite  intelligence, 
that  he  was  not  to  be  transferred  to  St.  Louis. 

The  whole  plan  was  frustrated,  chiefly  in  conse- 
quence of  the  bad  spirit  manifested  by  a  party  in  New 
Orleans.  This  clamorous  faction  loudly  protested 
against  the  appointment  of  Bishop  Dubourg ;  and  they 
even  subsequently  sent  emissaries  to  St.  Louis,  to  stir 
up  the  minds  of  the  people  against  him; — in  which 
thev  were,  at  first,  but  too  successful. 

Under  these  unpleasant  circumstances,  Bishop  Du- 
bourg did  not  wish  to  reside  in  New  Orleans ;  and  he 
had  no  alternative,  but  to  locate  himself,  at  least  tem- 
porarily at  St.  Louis. f 

The  second  journey  of  Bishop  Flaget  to  St.  Louis 
was  occasioned  bv  a  Letter  from  Dr.  Dubouro;  who  re- 
quested  him  to  go  thither,  and  "prepare  the  way'  for 
his  entrance  therein  as  Bishop. 

This  "preparation  of  the  way,"  was  to  consist: — 1st. 
In  raising,  among  the  Catholics  resident  there  and  in 

*  Journal — Ibid. 

t  Correspondence  between  Bishops  Flaget  and  Dubourg,  passim; 
particularly  the  Letter  above  quoted.  The  troubles  in  New  Or- 
leans were  settled  only  in  the  winter  of  1818-19,  principally 
through  the  agency  of  Kev.  M.  Martial. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  169 

the  vicinity,  the  sum  of  $3,000,  to  defray  the  traveling 
expenses  of  Bishop  Dubourg  and  his  suite  from  Eu- 
rope ;  2dly.  In  obtaining,  if  possible,  a  donation  of  land 
suitable  for  the  erection  of  a  cathedral  and  episcopal 
mansion ;  and  3dly.  In  providing  suitable  salaries  for 
his  missionaries.  How  very  difficult  all  these  objects 
were  of  attainment,  Bishop  Flaget  had  abundant  rea- 
son to  know;  yet  he  promptly  decided  to  make  the 
attempt,  to  oblige  his  venerable  friend,  and  to  serve  the 
good  cause. 

Bishop  Dubourg  had  remained  two  years  in  Europe, 
in  order  to  raise  funds  and  to  recruit  missionaries  for 
his  Diocese.  Having  arranged  his  affairs,  he  had  late- 
ly returned  to  America,  with  thirty  persons  in  his 
suite,  mostly  ecclesiastics.  A  colony  consisting  of 
MM.  De  Andreis,  Rosati,  Gonzales,  and  others,  had 
been  sent  on  previously,  and  had  reached  St.  Thomas' 
seminary,  November  22,  1816.  The  Bishop  and  M. 
David  cheerfully  extended  to  these  devoted  ecclesias- 
tics the  offices  of  hospitality,  notwithstanding  their 
straitened  means  and  want  of  room.  The  missionaries 
remained  in  the  seminary  for  about  a  year,  studying 
English,  and  exercising  the  holy  ministry.* 

Bishop  Flaget  started  for  St.  Louis  October  1,  1817, 
accompanied  by  MM.  De  Andreis  and  Bosati,  and  the 
lay  brother  Blanca,  with  a  Mr.  Tucker  as  guide ;  and 
the  party  performed  the  entire  journey  on  horseback. 
They  took  the  route  of  Elizabeth  town,  Owensborough, 

*  A  portion  of  Bishop  Dubourg's  ecclesiastics  remained  longer, 
leaving  only  in  September,  1818.  These  were  mostly  the  clergy- 
men who  came  later  with  the  Bishop  himself.  The  above  dates 
are  taken  chiefly  from  Bishop  Flaget's  Journal. 


170  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

and  Morganfield;  and  crossed  the  Ohio  at  Shawnee- 
town.  At  Kaskaskias,  they  met  M.  Olivier,  who  in- 
formed them  of  the  evil  disposition  already  manifested 
by  the  Catholics  of  St.  Louis  and  vicinity.  The  hrst 
overtures,  which  the  Bishop  made  on  the  subject  at  St. 
Genevieve,  were  received  with  much  coldness  and  in- 
difference. 

Proceeding  by  the  way  of  Prairie  du  Rocher,  they 
arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  the  17th,  and  put  up  at  the 
pastoral  residence,  which  they  found  in  a  sadly  dilapi- 
dated condition.  Their  accommodations  were  no  bet- 
ter. Rev.  M.  Pratte,  then  pastor  of  St.  Louis,  had 
kindly  sent  the  Bishop  a  bed ;  the  others  had  to  sleep 
on  buffalo  robes  spread  on  the  floor.  The  prospects 
were  certainly  gloomy.* 

In  a  Letter  written  at  this  time,  the  Bishop  thus 
speaks  of  his  reception  and  success : 

"I  went  to  St.  Louis  to  make  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  the  reception  of  Bishop  Dubourg.  But  how 
much  was  I  astonished  to  find  that  they  (the  people) 
did  not  seem  more  concerned  about  his  arrival,  than 
about  that  of  the  emperor  of  China !  Moreover,  in 
what  a  state  was  the  presbytery !  No  doors,  no  win- 
dows, no  floor,  no  furniture ;  the  church  still  worse ; 
the  people  filled  with  prejudices  against  their  Bishop, 
whom  they  had  never  seen.  But  at  last  I  succeeded  in 
reconciling  them  to  the  new  arrangement:  they  seem- 
ed to  rejoice  at  the  thought  of  having  a  Bishop :  they 
began  to  fit  up  the  presbytery,"  &c.f 

A  subscription  was  now  commenced,  which  succeed- 

*  Journal — Ibid. 

t  Letter  to  Father  David  from  St.  Louis. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  171 

ed  far  beyond  the  anticipations  of  the  Bishop.  A  Mr. 
O'Connor  gave  the  munificent  sum  of  one  thousand 
dollars ;  and  his  example  had  its  influence  on  the  rest 
of  the  population.  The  Bishop  was  waited  on  by 
many;  among  others,  by  Colonel  Benton.* 

Having  fulfilled  his  mission,  he  hastened  back,  by 
the  same  route,  accompanied  by  M.  Rosati ; — M.  De 
Andreis  having  remained  as  pastor  at  St.  Genevieve. 
His  journey  homeward  was  one  of  the  most  disagreea- 
ble which  even  lie  had  ever  performed.  The  weather 
was  very  bad,  the  swamps  were  filled  with  water,  and 
the  rivers  so  swollen,  that  they  could  not  be  crossed 
without  great  clanger.  The  company  he  met  in  the 
taverns  was  also  far  from  being  polished,  or  even  ordi- 
narily polite. 

At  one  place  in  Illinois,  he  found  the  room  crowded 
with  wagoners,  who  did  nothing  but  utter  continually 
the  most  horrible  oaths  and  blasphemies.  Fortunately, 
a  negro  man  came  in,  who  began  playing  on  the  violin, 
left-handed,  while  a  negresse  danced !  The  backwoods- 
men stopped  their  swearing,  in  their  admiration  of  the 
remarkable  fiddler  and  the  novel  danseuse.  Even  the 
Bishop  could  not  refrain  from  laughing  at  the  grotesque 
scene,  while  he  blessed  God  for  having  thus  put  an  end 
to  blasphemies  so  revolting;  and  though  he  heartily 
disliked  dancing  on  all  occasions,  yet  he  now  willingly 
tolerated  it,  as  the  less  of  two  evils. 

He  arrived  at  St.  Thomas'  on  the  6th  of  November, 
much  fatigued  with  his  journey.  He  found  every 
thing  alive  here  with  preparations  for  the  reception  of 
Bishop  Dubourg,  whose  speedy  arrival  was  expected. 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


172  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Bishop  Dubourg  had  sailed  from  Bordeaux  on  the 
1st  of  July,  1817;  and  he  had  landed  at  Annapolis  on 
the  4th  of  September.  His  suite  consisted  of  live 
priests — of  whom  the  present  Archbishop  of  New  Or- 
leans was  one, — and  twenty-six  young  men,  some  of 
whom  were  candidates  for  the  ministry,  and  others 
were  destined  to  become  lay  brothers  to  assist  the  mis- 
sionaries in  temporal  affairs.  Several  of  these  youths 
were  from  Belgium;  and  among  them  was  the  V.  Rev. 
D.  A.  Deparcq,  of  our  Diocese.  A  portion  of  the  com- 
pany started  directly  for  Baltimore  with  Bishop  Du- 
bourg; the  rest,  with  the  Pev.  M.  Blanc  at  their  head, 
remained  at  Annapolis,  where  they  were  entertained 
with  princely  hospitality  in  the  mansion  of  Charles 
Carroll  of  Carrollton,  until  the  end  of  October. 

Preparations  were  in  the  meantime  made  for  cross- 
ing the  mountains.  The  stage  then  ran  westward  only 
once  a  week ;  and  no  less  than  three  weeks  were  con- 
sumed in  transporting  the  missionary  band  to  Pitts- 
burgh. The  Bishop  and  M.  Blanc  were  in  the  last 
division ;  but  after  remaining  in  the  stage  for  two 
days,  during  which  time  it  had  repeatedly  upset,  en- 
dangering their  lives,  they  finally  abandoned  it  alto- 
gether, and  performed  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
for  live  days  on  foot.  About  the  middle  of  November, 
the  missionary  company  embarked  on  a  flat-boat ;  and 
they  reached  Louisville  on  the  last  day  of  the  month. 
Here  they  found  the  Pev.  MM.  Chabrat  and  Slia?ffer, 
who  had  been  sent  on  by  Bishop  Flaget  to  welcome 
them  to  Kentucky.  Accompanied  by  them  and  by  the 
Pev.  M.  Blanc,  Bishop  Dubourg  started  immediately 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  173 

for  St,  Thomas',  where  he  arrived  in  the  evening  of 
December  2d.* 

Bishop  Flaget  was  rejoiced  to  meet  his  old  friend. 
aI  recognized  him  instantly,"  says  he; — "see!  on 
meeting  me,  he  has  the  humility  to  dismount,  in  order 
to  present  me  the  most  affectionate  salute  that  ever  was 
given."  f  Many  and  long  were  the  "happy  conversa- 
tions "  which  he  held  with  his  former  associate,  and 
now  distinguished  guest.  Bishop  Dubourg  officiated 
pontifically,  and  preached  an  admirable  sermon  in  the 
church  of  St.  Thomas,— the  only  cathedral  which  the 
Bishop  as  yet  possessed. 

On  the  12th  of  December,  the  two  prelates,  accom- 
panied by  Father  Badin,  set  out  for  St.  Louis,  by  the 
way  of  Louisville.  Here  Bishop  Dubourg  preached  in 
the  chapel  erected  by  M.  Baclin.  On  the  18th  they 
embarked  on  the  steamboat  Piqua,  and  on  the  20th 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  where  they  were  de- 
tained five  days  by  the  ice.  Their  time  was  passed 
chiefly  in  religious  exercises  and  pious  conversations.!]; 

The  following  description  of  the  Piqua  and  its  pas- 
sengers, from  the  pen  of  Bishop  Flaget,  may  not  be 
uninteresting  to  us  at  the  present  day,  when  steamboat 
building  and  navigation  have  so  greatly  changed  for 
the  better: 

"  Nothing  could  be  more  original  than  the  medley 
of  persons  on  board  this  boat.  We  have  a  band  of 
seven  or  eight  comedians,  a  family  of  seven  or  eight 

*  These  details  were  furnished  by  Archbishop  Blanc, 
f  Journal — Ibid, 
t  Ibid. 


174  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


Jews,  and  a  company  of  clergymen  composed  of  a  ton- 
sured cleric,  a  priest,  and  two  Bishops ;  besides  others, 
both  white  and  black.  Thus  more  than  thirty  persons 
are  lodged  in  an  apartment  (cabin),  twenty  feet  by 
twelve,  which  is  again  divided  into  two  parts.  This 
boat  comprises  the  old  and  the  new  testament.  It 
might  serve  successively  for  a  synagogue,  a  cathedral, 
a  theatre,  an  hospital ;  a  parlor,  a  dining  room,  and  a 
sleeping  apartment.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  veritable  NoaKs 
ark,  in  which  there  both  clean  and  unclean  animals ; — 
and  what  is  most  astonishing, — peace  and  harmony 
reign  here."  *' 

They  were  still  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  on  the 
morning  of  Christmas  day.  Not  being  able  to  say 
three  Masses,  they  determined  to  make  three  medita- 
tions. At  the  conclusion  of  the  second,  the  redoubta- 
ble Piqua  resumed  her  course  towards  St.  Louis.  The 
Bishops  and  clergy  made  a  kind  of  retreat  on  their 
Noah's  ark.  On  the  evening  of  Christmas  day,  the 
boat  stopped  near  the  farm  of  the  widow  Fenwick,  a 
good  Catholic,  whom  they  were  happy  to  visit.  M. 
Badin  continued  his  journey  by  land  from  this  point, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  visit  on  the  way  many  of  his  old 
friends,  Catholic  emigrants  from  Kentucky.-)- 

The  Bishops  returne  i  to  the  boat,  where  they  found 
the  comedians  performing  a  play, — that  is,  engaged  in 
a  general  fight  among  themselves, — until  they  were 
separated  by  the  captain.  At  midnight,  on  the  30th, 
they  arrived  at  St.  Genevieve  ;  and  early  next  morning, 

*  Jom-Mxl^-Ibid. 
+  Ibid. 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  175 

they  sent  a  messenger  to  announce  their  coming  to  M. 
De  Andreis. 

Two  hours  afterwards,  "  about  thirty  of  the  principal 
inhabitants  came,  with  several  young  men  on  horse- 
back  and  a  carriage,  to  escort  the  Bishops  into  the 
town.  We  went  to  the  presbytery  to  put  on  our  ponti- 
fical robes:  twenty-four  choir-children  with  the  cross  at 
their  head,  and  four  citizens  bearing  a  canopy,  conduc- 
ted us  to  the  church,  where  after  the  installation  of 
Bishop  Dubourg,  on  a  throne  specially  prepared  for  the 
purpose,  we  sang  the  Te  Beum.  The  whole  day  was 
spent  in  receiving  visits."  * 

On  the  first  day  of  the  year  1818,  Bishop  Dubourg 
celebrated  Pontifical  Mass  at  St.  Genevieve.  The 
journey  was  then  continued  by  Prairie  du  Rocher  and 
Cahokias  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  prelates  arrived  on 
the  5th.  They  were  received  with  great  pomp,  in  the 
best  French  style ;  and  Bishop  Dubourg  was  no  sooner 
known  than  he  was  universally  esteemed  and  beloved. 
He  professed  himself  much  pleased  with  the  disposi- 
tions and  sentiments  of  his  new  flock, — so  different 
from  what  he  had  been  led  to  expect. 

Bishop  Flaget  having  now  completed  his  mission, 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  to  the  Catholics  of  St. 
Louis  on  the  feast  of  the  Epiphany ;  and  on  the  next 
day  he  turned  his  face  homeward.  He  and  M.  Badin 
performed  the  journey  on  horseback,  by  the  way  of 
Kaskaskias  and  Yincennes.  They  were  detained  three 
days  at  the  former  place,  not  being  able  to  cross  the 
river  in  consequence  of  the  running  ice;  and  in  tra- 
versing Illinois  they  passed  three  successive  nights  in 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


176  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

the  open  air  of  the  prairies.*  They  reached  Vincen- 
nes  on  the  27th  of  January ;  and  after  remaining  here 
two  weeks,  attending  to  missionary  duties,  they  con- 
tinued their  journey. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  the  Bishop  found  himself 
once  more  at  his  retired  and  pleasant  home  in  the  sem- 
inary of  St.  Thomas. 

*  A  la  belle  etoile. — Journal — Ibid, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  177 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  LAKES  AND  TO  CANADA. 


1818  —  1819 


Bishop  Dubourg's  kindness — Early  religious  history  of  Canada — 
A  golden  maxim— The  first  missionary— First  martyrs — The 
apostle  of  the  Hurons— Glance  at  the  Jesuit  missions  of  the 
North  —  Trouble  in  Detroit — The  Bishop  departs — Journey 
through  Ohio— Indians — River  Raisin — Detroit — Governor  Cass 
and  General  Macomb — A  solemn  reconciliation — Falls  of  Niag- 
ara— Montreal — Quebec — The  village  of  the  Algonquins — The 
great  Indian  treaty  of  St.  Mary's — Colonel  Johnson — The  Bishop 
sick  with  fever — Missionary  labors  at  Detroit  and  river  Raising- 
Returns  homeward— Swearing  boatmen — Pittsburgh — Its  early 
religious  history — Cincinnati — Early  missions  of  Ohio — Recep- 
tion at  home. 

Bishop  Dubourg  kindly  consented  to  take  charge  of 
the  missions  of  Illinois,  scattered  along  the  Eastern 
borders  of  the  Mississippi.  He  also  offered  to  the 
Bishop  of  Bardstown  the  services  of  four  of  his  priests 
for  the  missions  of  Indiana  and  Michigan,  until  the 
latter  could  be  able  to  make  permanent  arrangements 
for  the  attendance  of  these  districts.  Accordingly,  on 
the  25th  of  April,  1818,  we  find  MM.  Blanc  and  Jean- 
jean  appointed  resident  missionaries  for  Vincennes; 
and  MM.  Bertrand  and  Janvier  for  Detroit. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  the  two  first  named  clergymen 
12 


178  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

took  their  departure  from  Kentucky  for  Vincermes, 
escorted  by  Rev.  G.  J.  Chabrat.  Rev.  M.  Blanc  was 
to  have  charge  of  the  parish;  and  the  Rev.  M.  Jean- 

j,n  was  sent  to  found  a  college.  But  owing  to  a  mis- 
understanding with  a  portion  of  the  population — long 
called  the  Vincennes  faction — the  attempt  to  establish 
the  college  proved  a  failure.  On  learning  this,  Bishop 
Dubourg  recalled  M.  Jeanjean,  in  January,  1819,  di- 
recting him  to  repair  to  New  Orleans. 

After  his  departure,  M.  Blanc  was  left  alone  for 
three  months;  when   the  Rev.  M.  Ferrari,  a  Lazarist, 

as  associated  with  him  in  this  mission.  In  February, 
1 820,  he  was  himself  recalled,  and  sent  to  New  Orleans, 

During  his  stay  at  Vincennes,  he  had  built  two  log 
chapels;  one  in  Davis  county,  seven  miles  from  Liver- 
pool— now  Washington  ; — and  the  other  on  the  Illinois 
side  of  the  Wabash,  twelve  miles  from  Vincennes, 
where  there  was  a  French  settlement.* 

The  mind  of  Bishop  Flaget  was  greatly  relieved  by 
this  timely  succor;  and  he  was  now  able  to  turn  his 
attention  towards  a  far  distant,  but  highly  interesting 
portion  of  his  charge, — the  French  settlements  scatter- 
ed along  the  lakes,  and  the  neighboring  Indian  tribes, — 
which  he  had  not  yet  been  able  to  visit.  Of  his  jour- 
ney to  these  quarters  we  propose  to  treat  in  the  present 
Chapter. 

We  find  on  this  subject  the  following  passage  in  the 
Annates  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi:  | 

c  Following  the  traces  of  this  journey  of  seven  hun- 
dred leagues,   one  would   say,  that  wherever  Bishop 

*  Those  facts  were  furnished  by  Archbishop  Blanc  himself, 
t  For  September,  1850— p.  941.     French  Life— p.  56, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  179 

Flaget  pitched  his  tent,  he  there  laid  the  foundations 
of  a  new  church,  and  that  each  one  of  his  principal 
halts  was  destined  to  become  a  bishopric.  There  is 
Vincennes,  in  Indiana;*  there  is  Detroit,  in  Michi- 
gan ;  there  is  Cincinnati,  the  capital  f  of  Ohio ;  there 
are  Erie  J  and  Buffalo,  on  the  borders  of  the  lakes ; 
there  is  Pittsburgh,  which  he  evangelized  in  returning 
to  Louisville,  after  thirteen  months  absence; — after 
having  given  missions  wherever,  on  his  route,  there 
was  a  colony  of  whites,  a  plantation  of  slaves,  §  or  a 
village  of  Indians." 

Nearly  two  centuries  had  elapsed,  since  some  of  the 
missionary  stations  which  the  Bishop  was  now  prepar- 
ing to  visit  had  been  first  established ;  most  of  them 
were  considerably  over,  a  century  old.  The  French 
who  peopled  Canada, — or  New  France, — were  imbued 
with  no  small  portion  of  that  missionary  spirit  so  re- 
markable in  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  conquerors  of 
Mexico  and  South  America.  The  conversion  and  sal- 
vation of  the  aborigines  held  as  prominent  a  place  in 
their  thoughts,  as  their  physical  subjugation  to  the 
power  of  their  respective  sovereigns.  The  golden 
maxim  of  Champlein,  the  founder  of  New  France ; — 

UTHE    SALVATION    OF    A    SOCTL    IS    WORTH    MORE    THAN    THE 

conquest  of  an  empire," — was  adopted  and  acted  od 
by  all  the  Catholic  pioneers  of  the  new  world. 

The  first  missionary  among  the  Indians  of  the  Nortb^ 

*  He  did  not  visit  Vincennes  on  this  journey. 

f  Principal  city. 

%  Not  yet  a  bishopric. 

\  We  believe  that,  on  this  excursion,  he  met  with  no  ''plantation 
of  slaves." 


180  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

of  whom  we  read,  was  Le  Caron,  a  Franciscan  friar. 
As  early  as  the  year  1616,  this  courageous  priest  pene- 
trated the  wilderness,  and  preached  successfully  to  the 
Iroquois  and  Wyandots,  whose  wigwams  were  erected 
on  the  rivers  running  into  Lake  Huron.  The  Jesuit 
missionaries  followed,  and  extended  their  labors  among 
the  tribes  dwelling  in  the  far  West  and  North-west ;  on 
the  borders  of  Lake  Superior,  and  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi. 

For  nearly  a  century  and  a  half,  these  fearless  cham- 
pions  of  the  cross  endured  almost  incredible  sufferings 
and  privations  in  the  discharge  of  their  heroic  duties  ; 
until  every  where  the  wilderness  became  vocal  with  the 
praises  of  the  true  God  uttered  by  Indian  lips,  in  all 
the  uncouth  idioms  of  the  North-west.  A  volume 
would  be  required  to  unfold  in  detail  all  these  edifying 
missionary  enterprises,  with  their  surprising  results.* 
Our  limits  and  purpose  will  allow  us  barely  to  allude 
to  some  of  the  principal  persons  and  epochs  in  this  in- 
teresting history. 

In  1631:,  Fathers  Anthony  Daniel  and  John  De  Bre- 
bceuf,  S.  J.,  established  missions  among  the  Hurons. 
They  both  cheerfully  laid  down  their  lives  with  their 
flocks,  whom  thev  would  not  abandon  in  the  hour  of 
peril,  though  entreated  by  them  to  seek  safety  in  flight. 
On  the  4th  of  July,  1613,  one  of  the  Huron  missions 
was  invaded  by  the  fierce  Iroquois,  and  Father  Antho- 

*  Those  who  are  curious  to  pursue  this  interesting  study,  are  re- 
ferred to  the  following  works:  Bancroft's  United  States,  vol.  iii., 
chapter  20  ;  The  Early  Jesuit  Missions  of  North  America,  transla- 
ted from  the  Lettres  Edifiantes  by  Rev.  J.  Ingraham  Kip;  and  a 
valuable  work  on  the  same  subject  by  Dr.  O'Callaghan,  of  New 
York.  4 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  181 

ny  Daniel  was  massacred  with  his  faithful  children  ; 
the  first  martyr  of  the  North. .  The  same  fate  befell 
Fathers  John  De  Breboeuf  and  Gabriel  Lallement,  in  a 
similar  irruption  of  the  Iroquois,  on  the  16th  of  the 
following   March.     F.  De    Breboeuf  was  justly    called 

THE  APOSTLE    OF    THE    HlTRONS. 

The  Jesuit  missionaries  visited  Sault  St.  Marie  in 
1640.  In  1660  they  penetrated  the  wilderness  along 
Lake  Superior;  where  the  zealous  pioneer,  F.  Mesnard, 
after  havino;  labored  successfully  for  the  conversion  of 
the  Indians,  perished  a  wanderer  in  the  woods.  In 
1665,  we  find  F.  Allouez  evangelizing  the  savages  on 
Green  Bay;  and  in  1668,  the  mission  of  Sault  St. 
Marie  was  regularly  established  by  FF.  Claude  Dablon 
and  James  Marquette. 

Father  Marquette  founded  the  mission  of  Point  St. 
Ignatius,  opposite  Mackinaw,  in  1671 ;  after  which 
he  set  out  on  his  famous  journey  westward,  to  discover 
the  Great  Rivei\  of  which  he  had  heard  his  red  chil- 
dren speak  in  terms  of  glowing  eulogy.  He  entered 
on  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1673;  and  descended  the  mighty  stream  in  a  canoe  as 
far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  He  then  retraced 
his  steps;  and,  sending  a  messenger  to  convey  the  in- 
telligence to  the  Governor  of  Canada,  the  humble  mis- 
sionary  went  to  bury  his  honors  in  the  woods  of  the 
North-west,  among  his  beloved  savages  ;  where  he  soon 
after  died.  Prairie  du  Chien  was  established  as  a  mis- 
sionary post  in  167r>. 

The  French  seem  to  have  visited  Michigan  as  early 
as  the  year  1610,  and  missionaries  went  thither  occa- 
sionally soon  afterwards ;  but  no  priest  appears  to  have 


182  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

been  stationed  at  Detroit  before  1701.  We  find  Rev. 
M.  I)e  la  Halle  residing  there  in  1703,  and  M.  Hubert 
in  1782.  The  latter  became  subsequently  Bishop  of 
Quebec. 

After  the  suppression  of  the  Jesuits  in  1773,  the 
Bishop  of  Quebec  was  compelled  to  provide  for  their 
various  missions,  so  far  as  his  resources  would  permit. 
But  for  the  want  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  priests,  many 
of  those  flourishing  missionary  establishments  gradu- 
ally languished,  and  some  of  them  were  almost  entirely 
abandoned,  or  merged  into  others.  After  the  departure 
of  the  Jesuits,  the  mission  of  Green  Bav  was  without 
a  priest  for  twenty-seven  years.* 

After  his  consecration  in  1790,  Bishop  Carroll  took 
charge  of  all  those  missions  of  the  North  and  West 
which  lav  within  his  Diocese,  embracing  the  whole  of 
the  United  States.  He  sent  the  Be  v.  Gabriel  Richard 
to  Detroit  in  1798,  where  he  remained  thirty-four 
vears,— until  his  death  in  1832.  From  Detroit,  this 
worthy  priest  occasionally  visited  Green  Bay,  and  most 
of  the  other  Northern  missionary  stations. 

Before  the  year  1817,  difficulties,-  threatening  an 
open  schism,  had  sprung  up  among  the  Catholics  of 
Detroit;  and  on  the  21th  of  February,  of  this  year. 
Bishop  Flaget  had  issued  a  Pastoral  Letter,  strongly- 
denouncing  the  course  adopted  by  the  disaffected  fac- 
tion, and  interdicting  their  church. f  The  intelligence 
of  this  sad  condition  of  affairs  gave  him  much  concern, 
and  hastened  his  departure  for  Detroit. 

*  These  facts  are  gathered  from  the  works  alove  indicated,  and 
from  various  articles  in  the  Catholic  Cabinet  of  St.  L  mis. 

f  Journal — Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  183 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1818,  he  departed  from  St. 
Thomas1  for  his  distant  mission.  Tie  was  accompanied 
by  the  Rev.  MM.  Bertrand  and  Janvier,  and  two  young 
men  froins:  to  Detroit,  named  Godfroi  and  Knaojs.  The 
party  performed  the  entire  journey  on  horseback. 
They  went  by  the  way  of  Frankfort,  Georgetown,  and 
Cincinnati.  The  night  before  their  arrival  at  the  last 
named  city,  they  were  hospitably  entertained  by  a  tav- 
ern keeper  named  Gaines.  The  Bishop  hereupon 
remarks:  "  Like  St.  Francis  of  Sales,  I  admire  Provi- 
dence which  inspires  certain  persons  to  receive  travel- 
ers for  a  consideration ;  for  there  are  circumstances  in 
which  the  money  paid  out  is  as  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  services  received."  * 

lie  reached  Cincinnati  on  the  19th,  and  remained 
there  two  days;  during  which  he  made  arrangements 
for  the  purchase  of  a  lot  and  the  building  of  a  church, 
visited  several  Catholic  families,  and  baptized  one 
child.  He  was  astonished  at  the  rapid  improvement 
of  the  city ;  but  he  was  saddened  at  the  thought,  that 
while  he  saw  so  many  fine  temples  erected  by  the  Pro- 
testants, the  Catholics  had  not  even  a  chapel  wherein 
to  assist  at  the  true  worship.  There  were,  at  that  time, 
but  few  Catholics  in  the  city. 

Continuing  his  journey,  he  passed  through  the  beau 
tiful  valley  of  the  Miami,  which  he  greatly  admired. 
"  The  beautiful  country  of  the  Miami !  What  industry 
in  these  Germans!  If  thesa  good  people  had  as  much 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  they  would  become 
great  saints."  f 

*  Journal,  May  18,  1818. 
-j-  ibid— May  21. 


184  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE.    TTMES    AND 

Passing  through  Dayton  and  Springfield,  he  had  the 
happiness  to  say  Mass  at  Urbana  on  the  24th  of  May. 
Here  he  was  much  perplexed  on  account  of  hi?  ignor- 
ance of  the  remaining;  route,  which  lav  through  a 
country  thinly  settled.  He  had  recourse  to  prayer, 
and  committed  himself  and  party  to  the  care  of  Provi- 
dence. Fortunately  a  young  officer,  named  Gwynn, 
was  going  to  Detroit,  and  he  kindly  offered  his  services 
as  guide.  At  Solomon's  town,  May  25th,  he  met  sev- 
eral Indian  women,  with  whom  he  could  not  converse, 
for  want  of  an  interpreter.  He,  however,  made  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  which  they  immediately  repeated, 
with  joy  beaming  on  their  countenances.*  The  night 
was  passed  at  Fort  Mc Arthur;  and  on  the  26th  he 
reached  Fort  Finley.  Here  he  found  several  Catholic 
Indians,  among  whom  lie  distributed  pictures  and 
beads;  and  he  baptized  an  Indian  girl.f 

The  Indians  expressed  their  gratitude  by  the  follow- 
ing token:  "One  of  the  Indian  women,  advanced  in 
years,  brought  me  one  or  two  pounds  of  sugar,  giving 
me  to  understand  that  it  was  a  little  mark  of  grati- 
tude from  the  whole  village  for  the  visit  I  had  paid 
them." 

The  following  description  of  the  tavern  at  Fort  Fin- 
ley,  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  privations  which 
the  travelers  had  to  endure: 

"All  the  members  of  this  family,  without  exception, 
were  infected  with  a  cutaneous  eruption. J  The  moth- 
er, with  hands  that  were  disgusting,  made  up  the  corn 
bread  which  we   were  to  eat :  the  eldest  daughter,  on 


*  Journal.  May  25.  f  Ibid. 

+  Jj,  gaie — vulgo — the  itch! 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  185 

her  side,  cut  the  lard  which  was  to  serve  at  supper,  and 
we  all  drank  out  of  the  same  vases  used  by  these  afflic- 
ted persons.  There  was  one  sleeping  room  for  fourteen 
or  fifteen  persons.  The  travelers  had  to  spread  their 
covering  on  a  very  rough  floor,  and  to  sleep  the  best 
they  could.  Thanks  to  God  neither  sleep  nor  appetite 
failed  me  in  this  hotel,  and  I  remarked  with  pleasure, 
that  my  traveling  companions  were  as  much  privileged 
as  myself."  * 

The  roads  were  now  exceedingly  bad,  and  rendered 
almost  impassable  by  mud  and  water.  The  party  en- 
camped on  the  night  of  the  27th  in  the  woods. f  On 
the  28th,  they  arrived  at  the  Rapids  of  the  Miami  of 
the  Lakes,  and  found  two  towns  springing  up  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  river.  Their  next  station  was  the 
river  Raisin,  where  they  remained  three  days,  till  the 
last  of  the  month.  The  Bishop  found  the  church  and 
altar  at  this  place  in  so  wretched  a  condition,  that  he 
could  not  say  Mass ;  he,  however,  preached  on  the  31st, 
and  enjoined  a  public  penance  on  a  man  who  had  mar- 
ried out  of  the  Church.  He  has  this  entry  in  his 
Journal: 

"  Took  tea  with  Mr.  Anderson,  a  member  of  Con- 
gress, and  a  Presbyterian  in  Religion.  I  found  in  his 
face  the  imprint  of  piety;  nothing  could  be  more  edi- 
fying and  religious  than  the  conversation  of  this  excel- 
lent man.  I  should  be  much  surprised,  if  he  and  all 
his  family  do  not  become  Catholics."  J 

At  ten  miles  distance  from  Detroit,  (June  1,)  he  was 

*  Journal,  May  27. 
f  A  la  belle  etoile, 
%  Ibid, 


186  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

met  by  an  escort  on  horseback,  who  conducted  him 
into  the  city  in  procession,  with  great  pomp.  On  the 
following  day  he  was  called  on  by  Governor  Cass  and 
General  Macomb,  who  both  paid  him  the  greatest  pos- 
sible attention  during  his  stay.  He  returned  their 
visit ;  and  the  Governor  promised  to  extend  every  aid 
in  his  power,  both  pecuniary  and  personal,  towards  the 
promotion  of  the  missions  among  the  Indians. 

He  was  likewise  visited  by  many  of  the  Indians, 
who  expressed  a  lively  joy  at  seeing  their  great  Father. 
From  the  day  of  his  arrival,  the  Bishop  conceived  the 
purpose  of  proposing  the  erection  of  an  episcopal  see 
in  Detroit,  the  condition  of  whose  Catholic  population 
he  found  greatly  improved,  from  what  it  had  been  ten 
years  previously.* 

The  first  object  of  his  solicitude  was  to  heal  the 
Bchism  above  alluded  to.  A  difficulty  had  existed  for 
a  Ions:  time  between  a  congregation  established  on  the 
"North-east  coast,"  f  and  M.  Richard,  the  pastor  of 
Detroit;  and  as  we  have  seen,  the  Bishop  had,  more 
than  a  year  previously,  interdicted  the  church  of  the 
disaffected  party.  His  efforts  for  bringing  about  a 
reconciliation  were  now  crowned  with  complete  suc- 
cess. He  found  the  "  chiefs  of  the  party"  in  good 
dispositions. 

At  his  first  interview  with  them,  they  promised,  in  the 
name  of  the  congregation:  1.  To  remove  their  dead 
from  the  street  and  lot ;  2.  To  contribute  towards  the 
erection  of  the  new  church  in  Detroit;  and  3.  Not  to 

*  Journal,  June  5. 

f  La  cote  de  Nord-est" — shore  would,  perhaps,  be  a  preferable 
rendering. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  187 

speak  of  the  past,  but  to  bury  it  in  oblivion.  On  his 
part,  the  Bishop  promised:  1.  To  raise  the  interdict 
on  their  church  ;  2.  To  permit  burials  in  their  ceme- 
tery ;  and  3.   To  send  them  a  priest  once  a  month. 

The  preliminaries  of  the  reconciliation  having  been 
thus  satisfactorily  adjusted,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  party 
having  signed  his  Pastoral  in  the  name  of  the  people, 
the  Bishop  determined  to  render  the  ceremony  of  re- 
moving the  interdict  as  public  and  solemn  as  possible. 
For  this  purpose,  on  Tuesday,  the  9th  of  June,  he  was 
conducted  to  their  church  in  grand  procession.  The 
discharge  of  cannon  announced  the  approaching  cere- 
mony. The  music  of  the  regimental  band  mingled 
with  that  of  the  chanters  in  the  procession.  Addresses 
were  delivered  in  English  and  in  French.  An  affec- 
ting public  reconciliation  took  place  between  the  schis- 
matics and  their  venerable  pastor,  M.  Richard,  who 
shed  tears  of  joy  on  the  occasion.  A  collection  of 
$500  was  taken  up  on  the  spot, — which  the  Bishop 
considered  a  substantial  omen  of  a  permanent  peace. 

On  the  same  day,  the  Bishop  dined  with  Governor 
Cass ;  and  on  the  following,  with  General  Macomb. 
Returning  from  the  house  of  the  latter,  the  horses  took 
fright  on  the  brink  of  the  river,  and  he  was  thrown 
from  the  carriage  down  a  precipice  into  the  water.  He 
was  not  dangerously  wounded,  but  he  received  a  severe 
contusion  on  the  right  shoulder,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  never  recovered.  The  first  symptom  of  his 
approaching  dissolution,^  few  months  before  his  death, 
was  this  shoulder  turning  black. 

He  was  copiously  bled  by  a  physician ;  and  on  this 
occasion   he  records  the  following  pious  sentiment; — 


188  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIEE,    TIMES    AND 

"Lord!  I  have  often  wished  to  shed  my  blood  for  Thy 
glory ;  but,  my  God,  are  not  these  finely  conceived 
resolutions  merely  speculative,  which  would  end  in 
nothing,  or,  perhaps,  would  turn  to  my  confusion,  did 
the  occasion  present  itself  to  put  them  in  execution  ( 
Vouchsafe,  then  in  inspiring  me  with  a  sincere  wish, 
(for  martyrdom,)  to  give  me  also  the  grace  to  realize 
the  desire."  * 

While  in  Detroit,  he  preached  in  English,  much  to 
the  gratification  of  the  American  residents.  "  After 
the  ceremony,  many  gentlemen  and  ladies  wished  to 
see  me.  O  my  God  !  What  is  there  in  me  to  rivet  the 
attention  of  these  people  ! "?  \  This  admirable  simpli- 
city, combined  with  the  most  sincere  humility,  furnish- 
es a  key  to  his  character.  He  could  not  perceive  in 
himself  the  many  shining  qualities,  which  all  others 
admired. 

For  the  more  effectual  instruction  of  the  French 
Catholics,  he  and  M.  Richard  adopted  the  method  of 
holding  Conferences  ;  the  latter  putting  questions  on 
religious  subjects,  and  he  being  the  respondent.  The 
people  were  much  moved  and  edified  at  this  simple  and 
striking  mode  of  imparting  religious  knowledge.  He 
often  adopted  this  practice,  with  much  fruit,  in  his  sub- 
sequent missions  ;  chiefly  among  the  French  congrega- 
tions of  the  North. 

On  the  17th  June,  he  left  Detroit  in  a  sailing  vessel, 
with  M.  Bertrand,  on  his  way  to  Montreal  and  Quebec. 
He  reached  Buffalo  on  the  23rd,  but  did  not  go  ashor  ■. 
On  the  24th,  he  visited  Fort  Erie  and  the  Falls  of  Ni- 
agara.    He  greatly  admired  the  sublime  spectacle  pre- 

*  Journal,  June  10.  f  Ibid.  -June  7. 


CHARACTER    OF    RISHOP    FLAGET.  189 

sented  by  the  falling  waters  ;  and  he  thought  of  thetor- 
rents  of  divine  grace,  which,  though  stronger  than  this 
mighty  cataract,  yet  do  not  make  so  deep  an  impression 
upon  the  hearts  of  men — more  impervious  to  grace  than 
the  rocks  to  the  waters.  His  description  and  impres- 
sions of  the  mighty  waterfall  are  worthy  of  being  pre- 
served. 

"  These  Falls  present  the  most  grand  and  sublime 
spectacle,  which  a  mortal  can  contemplate  on  earth. 
Xo  words  can  express  the  sensations  produced  on  the 
soul  by  those  torrents  of  water,  forming  a  sheet  nearly 
a  mile  wide,  and  falling  perpendicularly  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  The  rising  vapors,  while  hiding  from 
your  view  a  portion  of  the  cataract,  cause  to  arise  in  the 
imagination  ideas  of  a  gulph,  of  an  abyss,  which  fill 
you  with  a  religious  fear,  and  seize  you  with  a  feeling 
of  solemn  awe,  never  before  felt.  Until  our  arrival,  the 
sun  had  been  hidden  by  clouds,  and  it  continued  so  for 
a  time,  while  we  were  devouring  with  our  eyes  a  spec- 
tacle so  astonishing  ;  when  lo  !  on  a  sudden,  the  solar 
rays  pierced  the  clouds,  causing  us  to  enjoy  the  sight  of 
numerous  rainbows  formed  amidst  the  vapors  ascending 
from  the  abyss.  The  masses  of  water,  falling  into  the 
depths  below,  rebound,  boiling,  from  the  gulph  ;  and 
you  would  believe  that  you  saw,  through  the  vapor,  a 
river  of  milk  flowing  on  to  a  great  distance.  It  is  im- 
possible for  the  coldest  soul  not  to  become  warmed  at 
the  sight  of  this  wonder.  c  God  is  wonderful  in  the 
highest' — great  is  the  Lord,  and  exceedingly  to  be 
praised  !  Alas  !  (said  I,  to  myself,)  the  torrents  of  grace, 
much  more  extended,  and  much  more  voluminous  than 
this  cataract  of  waters  falling  with  so  much  force  before 


190  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


my  eyes,  are  flowing  each  instant  into  the  hearts  of 
men,  and  most  of  those  hearts  are  not  more  penetrated 
by  them  than  are  the  hard  rocks  upon  which  these  wa- 
ters fall !  Is  not  this  the  case  with  my  own  heart  ? 
O  God  !  do  not  permit  this  I "  * 

On  the  25th,  he  took  a  steamboat  plying  between 
Queenstown  and  Kingston,  preaching  in  English  and 
French  at  the  latter  place.  July  2nd,  he  embarked  for 
Montreal  in  a  vessel  twenty-four  feet  by  six.  The 
weather  was  exceedingly  warm,  and  the  navigation  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  was  impeded  by  rapids,  very  danger- 
ous to  the  navigator.  On  the  5th,  he  arrived  at  Mon- 
treal, and  lodged  with  his  brother  Sulpicians  in  the 
seminary.  His  heart  "was  inebriated  with  joy,"  f  at 
being  once  more  in  a  Catholic  city,  and  in  the  midst  of 
his  brethren. 

On  the  9th,  he  took  a  steamer  for  Quebec,  enjoying 
on  the  journey  the  company  of  the  coadjutor  Bishop  of 
Montreal.  At  Quebec  he  was  very  kindly  received  in 
the  seminary.  He  passed  several  clays  very  agreeably 
and  usefully  in  visiting  the  several  churches  and  insti- 
tutions of  this  ancient  city.  One  of  his  pilgrimages 
was  to  see  the  relics  of  those  two  servants  of  God, 
FF.  De  Brebceuf  and  Lallement,  who  had  been  burnt 
to  death  by  the  Iroquois  in  1649. 

He  could  not  sufficiently  admire  the  various  religious 
establishments  : — "  0  my  God  !  What  pleasure  for  a 
Catholic  heart,  to  see  so  many  monuments  of  piety  and 
and  religion  in  a  country  so  remote  !  The  Seminary, 
the  Sisters  Hospitalers — I  shall  never  forget  them — the 

*  Journal,  June  24.  t  Ivre'  dejoie. 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  191 

Cathedral,  &c.  I  have  seen  too  many  edifying  objects, 
not  to  be  a  gainer.''* 

lie  blessed  God,  that  by  transferring  the  government 
of  Canada  from  the  French  to  the  English,  he  had  pre- 
served the  Church  there  from  external  and  internal 
ruin  !  "  There  are  no  philosophers  in  the  congregation 
of  M.  Mignault.  In  general,  the  Canadians  have  pre- 
served much  of  their  ancient  simplicity.1'  f 

He  left  Quebec  on  the  14th,  and  visited  many  places; 
in  all  of  which  he  was  well  received,  and  "  loaded  with 
favors  and  presents."  Every  where  on  his  journey,  he 
was  accompanied  by  Canadian  priests.  On  the  20th, 
he  returned  to  Montreal,  where  he  was  once  more  hap- 
py in  the  bosom  of  the  seminary.  "  My  God  !  how 
many  thanks  should  I  not  render  Thee,  for  having 
always  given  me  a  decided  relish  for  the  exercises  of  a 
seminary,  in  spite  of  the  distractions  in  which  I  am 
forced  to  live  !  "  J  He  visited  the  charming  country 
house  of  the  Sulpicians,  and  the  churches  and  institu- 
tions of  Montreal,  and  he  was  forcibly  struck  with  the 
good  comportment  of  the  people  at  divine  worship. 

On  the  21st,  he  went  to  the  congregation  of  St.  Ann, 
to  visit  M.  Malaud,  an  old  schoolmate,  whom  he  had  not 
seen  for  thirty-one  years.  Here  a  large  band  of  Algon- 
quins  came  to  visit  him  and  to  receive  his  blessing. 
They  bore  before  them  a  crimson  banner,  inscribed  with 
the  Ave  Maria  of  the  Sulpicians  ;  and  falling  on  their 
knees,  appeared  full  of  humility  and  faith.  They  con- 
ducted him  to  their  village  ;  and  on  his  arrival,  he  was 
saluted  with  firing  of  cannon,  while  all  the  inhabitants 
were  on  their  knees  to  receive  his  benediction. 


*  Journal,  July  12.  f  Ibid,.  %  Ibid.  July  20. 


192  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

At  his  Mass,  on  the  28th,  the  Indians  chaunted  can- 
ticles in  two  responding  choirs,  and  the  Bishop  was 
moved  even  to  tears.  Afterwards  they  amused  him 
with  an  exhibition  of  the  sports  and  exercises  peculiar 
to  their  tribe.  He  next  visited  their  "  superb  Calvary," 
carved  in  wood.  He  announced  to  them  his  ardent 
wish  to  be  u in  communion  of  prayers"  with  them,  and 
to  send  missionaries  to  such  of  their  brethren  as  were 
within  the  boundaries  of  his  own  jurisdiction.  Their 
night  prayers  were  likewise  sung  in  two  choirs. 

On  his  departure,  they  accompanied  him  in  their 
pirogues,  running  races  to  exhibit  their  dexterity  at  the 
paddle.  The  Bishop  dismissed  them  with  his  blessing, 
and  an  affectionate  parting  address,  in  which  he  said  : 
"  My  heart  is  full  of  honey,  and  it  is  impossible  for  me 
to  be  better  pleased  with  anything  I  have  ever  seen  or 
heard."*  Returning  to  Montreal,  he  took  a  touching 
leave  of  his  Sulpician  brethren  ;  and  departed  for  De- 
troit on  the  2nd  of  August.  He  visited  several  priests 
on  his  way,  and  passed  through  Cornwallis  and  Pres- 
cott.  On  the  steamer,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
the  Governor  General  of  Canada,  who  treated  him  with 
great  politeness  and  attention.  On  the  14th,  he  arrived 
at  Buffalo,  where  he  remained  a  week  before  he  could 
continue  his  journey.  The  town  had  been  burnt  in  the 
late  war,  and  there  was  in  it  no  church  and  no  priest. 

On  tlie  steamer  from  Buffalo  to  Cleveland,  he  was 
subject  to  many  privations,  and  annoyed  by  the  bad 
company  into  which  he  was  necessarily  thrown.  The 
horrid  blasphemies  with  which  his  ears  were  hourly 
saluted,   ceased   onlv   during  a  dreadful  storm  which 


*  Journal.  July  29. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  193 

threatened  the  steamer  with  shipwreck.  He  reached 
Cleveland  on  the  25th,  after  a  four  days'  passage.  On 
the  27th,  he  safely  arrived  at  Detroit. 

There  was,  at  this  time,  a  general  assembly  of  the 
Indians  of  the  North-west,  held  at  St.  Mary's,  for  the 
purpose  of  entering  into  a  treaty  with  the  American 
government.  There  were  present  at  it  about  10,000 
Indians  of  nine  different  tribes.  The  Bishop  deter- 
mined to  go  thither,  in  order  to  seek,  by  all  means  in 
his  power,  to  interest  our  government  in  the  Indian 
missions ;  and  also,  to  recover  for  the  Church,  if  possi- 
ble, the  possessions  of  the  ancient  Jesuit  missions.* 

On  the  3d  of  September,  he  set  out  on  this  benevo- 
lent mission,  accompanied  by  MM.  Bertrand  and  Jan- 
vier; and  he  arrived  at  St.  Mary's  on  the  9th:  He 
was  immediately  waited  on  by  Governor  Jennings, 
Judge  Bark,  and  other  distinguished  persons,  who 
showed  him  every  attention.  Colonel  John  Johnson, 
the  oldest  Indian  agent,  was  specially  kind  to  him ; 
and  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to  procure  him  com- 
fortable accommodations.  The  Bishop  pressed  upon 
his  attention  the  importance  to  the  interests  of  the 
government  itself, — to  say  nothing  of  higher  consider- 
ations,— of  the  Indians  having  Catholic  missionaries, 
and  desired  him  to  exert  his  influence  with  the  differ- 
ent tribes  to  induce  them  to  apply  to  the  Governor  for 
such  instructors.  How  far  he  was  successful  in  this 
and  in  the  other  objects  of  his  mission,  we  are  not 
informed.  But  we  have  no  doubt  that  his  represen- 
tations carried  with  them  great  weight ;  and  that  pro- 

*  Journal,  September  3. 
*  13 


194  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AtfD 

bably  some  of  the  later  Indian  missions  owed  no  little 
of  their  success  to  the  influence  which  he  then  exerted. 

Col.  Johnson  could  not  forget  the  impression  the 
prelate  then  made  on  his  mind,  and  he  still  speaks  of 
him  in  the  highest  terms  of  eulogy.  He  writes  as  fol- 
lows, on  the  Bishop's  presence  and  bearing  at  the  treaty ; 

"  The  death  of  this  venerable  prelate  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  which  lately  happened  at  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, at  an  advanced  age,  reminds  me  of  times  and 
seasons  during  my  long  intercourse  with  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  North-west — a  race  which  dire  necessity 
has  compelled  to  seek  new  homes  in  the  far  West. 
The  largest  and  most  important  treaty  held  with  the 
natives,  since  that  of  Greenville,  in  1795,  by  General 
Wayne,  was  the  one  concluded  at  St.  Mary's,  in  1818 — 
thirty-two  years  ago.  Bishop  Flaget  was  in  attendance 
at  this  treaty  during  the  whole  time  of  its  continuance, 
a  period  of  about  seven  weeks.  The  Indians  present 
on  the  occasion  numbered  about  ten  thousand,  consis- 
ting of  Miamies,  Potowattamies,  Chippewas,  Ottawas, 
Delawares,  Shawanoese,  Wyandotts,  Senecas,  and  Kick- 
apoos.  It  fell  to  my  lot,  as  the  oldest  agent  in  the 
service  acting  under  the  authority  of  the  commissioners 
of  the  United  States,  to  make  all  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  the  treaty.  This  included,  of  course,  the 
opmfortable  accommodation  of  the  good  Bishop.  I 
procured  him  a  horseman's  tent,  a  sufficiency  of  blank- 
ets, a  man  to  attend  to  his  wants,  sent  him  breakfast 
and  supper  from  the  officers'  mess,  he  dining  regularly 
with  us  at  the  public  table,  By  invitation,  the  Bishop 
performed  divine  service  and  preached  every  Sabbath. 
Many  of  the  sub-agents,  interpreters,  and  Indians  were 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  195 

of  the  Catholic  persuasion,  and  occupied  much  of  his 
time  in  attending  to  their  spiritual  wants.  His  con- 
duct throughout  his  sojourn  with  us  was  so  marked  by 
the  affability,  courtesy,  and  kindness  of  his  manners, 
with  the  dignity  of  the  christian  and  gentleman,  that 
he  won  all  hearts.  Added  to  this,  he  possessed  a  fine 
proportioned  and  commanding  person ;  few  persons 
excelled  him  here,  when  in  the  prime  of  his  years. 
Previous  to  the  departure  of  the  Bishop,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  raise  a  collection  for  him.  One  hundred  dol- 
lars were  speedily  made  up,  and  the  undersigned  was 
charged  with  the  delivery  of  the  money.  The  Bishop 
peremptorily  refused  to  receive  any  of  it,  stating  that 
we  had  treated  him  so  kindly  he  was  largely  our  debtor. 
When  departing  on  horseback,  he  stopped  at  my  tent, 
which  was  some  distance  from  his  own,  and,  dismoun- 
ting to  bid  farewell,  he  took  me  in  his  arms.  After 
many  thanks  for  my  attentions  to  him,  he  said :  '  I 
have  nothing  better  to  bestow  than  the  blessing  of  a 
Christian  Bishop;'  and,  after  imparting  that  in  the 
most  affectionate  manner,  he  bade  me  adieu.  I  have 
never  seen  him  since."  * 

At  the  time  of  the  treaty,  St.  Mary's,  with  its  sur- 
rounding Indian  encampment,  presented  a  singular 
spectacle ;  bringing  together  in  a  small  compass  a  curi- 
ous medley  of  persons  and  things.  Ten  thousand 
Indians,  divided  out  into  as  many  different  quarters  as 

*  See  his  Letter  in  the  Catholic  Telegraph  &  Advocate,  February 
23d,  1850.  The  Colonel  is  mistaken  in  supposing  that  the  Bishop 
remained  during  the  whole  continuance  of  the  treaty,  about  seven 
weeks:  he  arrived  September  9th,  and  left  October  6th,  as  appears 
from  his  Journal — Ibid. 


196  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

there  were  tribes;  bodies  of  American  soldiers  en- 
camped at  intervals  among  them ;  the  hall  of  assembly, 
where  the  Talks  were  held  with  the  various  bands  of 
chieftains;  the  stores,  restaurants,  and  houses  for  the 
interpreters :  all  these,  with  the  constant  din  and  Ba- 
bel-like confusion,  made  the  little  place  a  scene  of  re- 
markable interest  to  the  beholder.  The  Bishop  and 
M.  Bertrand  became  ill  with  the  fever,  which  prevailed 
to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  place ;  and  for  several 
days  before  his  departure  he  suffered  greatly  from  want 
of  the  comforts  so  necessary  to  the  sick ;  and  which  it 
was  scarcely  possible  to  obtain  amidst  the  confusion  of 
that  multitudinous  throng. 

With  the  malady  still  on  him,  he  left  the  encamp- 
ment, on  the  6th  of  October,  and  reached  Detroit  on 
the  11th.  The  fever  proved  obstinate,  and  he  was  for 
some  weeks  in  a  very  suffering  condition  from  its 
effects.  He  was  often  confined  for  days  to  his  room, 
and  sometimes  to  his  bed.  Yet  he  did  not  discontinue 
his  missionary  labors ;  he  visited  the  various  neighbor- 
ing congregations,  administering  the  sacraments,  and 
holding  conferences  with  one  of  the  clergy.  On  the 
1st  of  Xovember,  he  gave  confirmation  to  two  hundred 
persons  at  Detroit. 

Being  somewhat  recovered  on  the  17th,  he  started 
for  the  river  Raisin,  where  he  devoted  nearly  six  weeks 
to  aiduous  missionary  duties.  He  here  gave  a  course 
of  instruction  to  the  children  preparing  for  first  com- 
munion, and  held  conferences  for  the  instruction  of  the 
people.  Finding  that  abuses  and  scandals  had  crept 
into  this  and  several  of  the  other  congregations,  he 
thought  it  expedient  to  exercise  the  rigor  of  ecclesias- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  197 

tical  discipline  against  some  who  had  given  public 
scandal.  Thus,  he  publicly  excommunicated  a  man 
who  had  married  out  of  the  Church,  and  caused  two 
females — sisters — who  had  been  unfortunate,  to  do 
public  penance.  They  were  called  to  the  altar-railing ; 
where,  kneeling,  they  humbly  confessed  their  fault,  and 
implored  pardon  for  the  public  scandal  they  had  given, 
and  bowing  down  kissed  the  floor.  The  Bishop  here- 
upon gave  them  a  fatherly  and  fervid  exhortation ;  and 
"the  ceremony  made  many  weep." 

He  returned  to  Detroit  on  the  30th  of  December; 
and  he  saw  with  lively  joy  that  the  glorious  cross  was 
already  planted  on  the  steeple  of  the  new  church  of 
St.  Ann.  He  remained  in  the  city  throughout  the 
entire  winter  and  spring,  until  after  Easter ;  making 
occasional  excursions  to  the  neighboring  congregations. 
He  now  finished  a  course  of  spiritual  exercises  in  the 
church  of  the  North-eastern  shore,  which  had  been 
commenced  before  his  visit  to  the  river  Raisin. 

This  retreat  seems  to  have  produced  abundant  fruits. 
Old  sinners  were  reclaimed ;  inveterate  enmities  were 
healed  by  reconciliation  ;  and  some  scandalous  females 
were  admitted  to  public  penance,  amidst  the  tears  and 
sobs  of  the  congregation.  Among  its  fruits,  the  prelate 
relates  the  following:  A  man  who  had  been  a  fiddler 
by  profession  refused  thirty  dollars  for  two  nights'  play- 
ing at  balls,  "in  order  to  conform  to  my  command; 
though  he  was  poor,  and  had  a  wife  and  ten  children."  * 

He  gave  conferences  throughout  the  Lent,  himself 
being  always  the  respondent.  This  favorite  mode  of 
instruction  he  considered  peculiarly  well  adapted  to  a 

*  Journal,  February  12,  1819. 


198  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


people,  whose  slender  opportunities  had  not  allowed 
them  to  make  much  advancement  in  religious  knowl- 
edge. Wherever  he  went,  he  had  the  happiness  to 
perceive,  operated  under  his  eyes,  a  thorough  reforma- 
tion of  morals,  and  a  new  impulse  given  to  .Religion. 
He  preached  every  Sunday  in  English  to  an  audience 
mostly  Protestant ;  and  he  was  heard  with  much  respect 
and  attention,  but,  he  feared,  "  with  little  fruit."  * 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1819,  he  revisited  the  river 
Raisin,  where  he  gave  a  retreat,  which  was  followed  by 
the  conversion  of  some  great  sinners.  He  here  admin- 
istered confirmation,  and  made  arrangements  for  the 
erection  of  a  new  church.  In  May,  he  returned  to 
Detroit,  and  prepared  for  his  journey  homeward. 

lie  had  now  finished  his  mission  ;  and  he  was  much 
consoled  by  the  great  amount  of  good  God  had  been 
pleased  to  accomplish  through  his  ministry.  He  esti- 
mated the  number  of  Catholics  then  in  Detroit  and  the 
vicinity,  at  between  four  and  five  thousand:  how  many 
there  were  in  the  other  congregations  which  he  visited, 
we  are  not  informed. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  he  bade  an  affectionate  adieu 
to  the  clergy  and  people  of  Detroit,  and,  accompanied 
by  some  young  men  for  his  seminary,  took  a  steamer 
for  Erie,  which  town  he  reached  on  the  last  day  of  the 
month.     Thence  he  traveled  by  Waterford  and  French 

if 

creek  to  the  Alleghany  river,  which  he  descended  in  a 
keel-boat  to  Pittsburgh. 

The  boatmen  were  much  addicted  to  profane  swear- 
ing, greatly  to  the  annoyance  of  the  Bishop.  One  eve- 
ning on  landing,  they  remarked  to  him,  apologetically, 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  199 

that  they  seldom  thought  of  God.  "I  believed,  on  the 
contrary,"  rejoined  the  Bishop,  with  a  smile,  "that 
you  thought  of  him  often,  as  you  have  His  holy  name 
so  constantly  on  your  lips  !  "  The  men  understood  and 
profited  by  the  rebuke,  so  gently  administered. 

He  remained  but  two  days  at  Pittsburgh  ;  and  he 
says  nothing  of  the  religious  condition  of  the  city. 
He  merely  remarks  that  there  was  a  church  in  which 
he  offered  up  the  holy  sacrifice.  Here  he  found  the 
Rev.  William  Byrne,  a  sub-deacon,  on  his  way  to  the 
Diocese  of  Bardstown.  He  also  met  at  this  place  Mr. 
Joseph  Haseltine,  a  convert  lately  from  Canada,  to 
whom  he  administered  confirmation,  and  whom  he  sub- 
sequently had  the  happiness  to  ordain  priest  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

We  will  avail  ourselves  of  this  occasion,  to  furnish 
some  facts  in  regard  to  the  early  religious  history  of 
Pittsburgh  and  Western  Pennsylvania,  which  have 
been  derived  from  an  authentic  source.*  Bishop 
Flaget,  it  appears,  had  passed  by  Pittsburgh  on  his 
return  from  Canada,  chiefly  with  a  view  to  dispose  of 
some  property  owned  by  a  Mr.  Marie,  an  uncle  of 
Bishop  David.  The  house  formerly  belonging  to  this 
man  is  vet  standing,  and  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
city. 

The  priest  stationed  at  Pittsburgh  in  1819,  was  the 
Rev.  F.  X.  O'Brien;  and  the  church  of  which  he  was 
pastor  was  dedicated  to  St.  Patrick.  The  building  is 
still  standing,  though  it  has  since  been  enlarged  by 
the  addition  of  a  transept. 


*  We  are  indebted  to  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  O'Connor,  Bishop  of 
Pittsburgh,  for  the  interesting  summary  of  facts  which  follows. 


200  SKETCHES    OF    THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


The  first  mission  established  in  what  is  now  the 
Diocese  of  Pittsburgh,  was  at  the  place  where  the 
Benedictine  monastery  near  Youngstown  is  at  present 
located.  This  missionary  station  was  founded  in  1789 ; 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  French  settlements  on 
the  borders  of  the  lakes,  and  along  the  banks  of  the 
Wabash  and  Mississippi  rivers,  it  was  probably  the 
first  place  where  Mass  was  ever  celebrated  West  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains.  The  Catholics  of  Pittsburgh 
were  attended  for  several  years  from  Youngstown. 
Another  mission  was  established  on  Sugar  creek ;  and 
it  is  believed  that  Father  Whelan,  who  was  subse- 
quently sent  to  Kentucky,  was  stationed  here  for  some 
time. 

The  Loretto  mission  was  founded  by  the  Rev.  Deme- 
trius A.  Gallitzin,  about  the  year  1799.  Under  the 
pastoral  charge  of  this  learned,  pious  and  devoted  mis- 
sionary, who  had  sacrificed  a  princely  title  and  fortune 
in  embracing  the  Catholic  faith,  Loretto  became  an 
important  point  in  the  early  missions  of  Western 
Pennsylvania.  His  works  yet  remain ;  and  his  name 
is  held  in  benediction  by  the  Catholics  of  that  vicin- 
ity. He  wTas  one  of  those  devoted  and  truly  apostolic 
men,  who  laid  the  foundations  of  Religion  in  Korth 
America. 

The  Rev.  F.  X.  O'Brien  resided  at  Brownsville, 
when  he  first  came  to  the  West ;  and  from  that  place 
he  attended  Pittsburgh,  where  there  was  as  yet  no 
church.  In  1809  or  1810,  he  went  thither  to  remain 
as  resident  pastor.  St.  Patrick's  church  was  commen- 
ced in  1810.  About  the  year  1820,  Rev.  Mr.  O'Brien 
returned  to  Maryland ;  and  died,  some  time  afterwards, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  201 

probably  at  Annapolis.  He  was  succeeded  at  Pitts- 
burgh by  Father  Maguire ;  who,  having  remained  there 
alone  for  some  years,  was,  about  the  year  1831,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  J.  O'Reilly.  The  latter  clergyman  was 
succeeded  in  the  pastoral  charge,  in  1841,  by  the  pres- 
ent Bishop  of  Pittsburgh. 

The  city  of  Erie  is  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old 
French  fort  of  Presqu'  Isle, — some  remains  of  which 
are  still  to  be  there  seen.  There  seems  to  have  been 
no  resident  priest  at  this  place  before  the  year  1837  or 
1838 ;  about  which  date  a  small  frame  church  was 
erected.  In  1840,  a  German  church  was  built,  which 
has  since  been  placed  under  the  pastoral  charge  of  the 
Jesuits.  A  spacious  church  for  the  English  congrega- 
tion was  erected  in  1849. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  the  Bishop  left  Pittsburgh  in 
a  keel-boat,  and  descended  the  Ohio  river  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  arrived  on  the  21st  of  the  same  month. 
Here  he  found  that  the  new  church  was  under  roof, 
and  that  it  had  already  been  used  for  divine  service. 
It  was  a  frame  edifice  55  feet  by  25 ;  the  lot,  about  120 
by  118  feet,  had  been  purchased  for  a  small  amount, 
payable  in  five  or  six  annual  installments ;  and  there 
remained  unpaid  on  the  work  already  done  about  $100. 
The  congregation  was  then  composed  of  only  five  or 
six  families ;  and  the  church  was  'situated  about  two 
miles  out  of  town.  It  was  moved  into  the  city  on  roll- 
ers about  the  year  1823,  during  the  absence  of  Bishop 
Fenwick  in  Europe ;  and  it  was  placed  on  the  site  of 
the  present  St.  Xavier's  church.* 

The  Bishop  speaks  of  the  condition  and  prospects  of 

*  These  details  were  furnished  by  F.  N,  D.  Young, 


202  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


5 


Catholicity  in  the  city  as  follows:  "It  is  a  great  mis- 
fortune that  no  Catholics  come  to  settle  in  the  neigh- 
borhood  of  this  splendid  city.  At  present,  there  are 
no  other  Catholics  in  Cincinnati  than  laborers  and 
clerks,  and — such  as  are  to  be  converted.  Yet,  I  think 
that  nothing  should  be  neglected  to  establish  Religion 
here ;  for  the  mercy  of  God  is  great,  and  when  He 
pleases,  He  can  multiply  His  children."  * 

Truly  has  He  multiplied  His  children  in  Cincinnati; 
and  the  Bishop  lived  to  see  his  anticipations  more  than 
realized !  Considering  its  humble  beginnings,  the  pro- 
gress of  Religion  in  this  city  and  throughout  Ohio  has 
been,  indeed,  marvelous.  That  citv  in  which,  thirty- 
two  vears  ago,  there  was  but  a  mere  handful  of  Catho- 
lies,  is  now,  thanks  to  the  mercy  of  God,  a  full  third, 
perhaps  nearly  half,  Catholic! 

The  first  missionary  to  Ohio  was  Father  Edward 
Fenwick,  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic,  who  subsequent- 
ly became  the  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati.  Residing  at 
the  convent  of  St.  Rose,  in  Kentucky,  he  made  frequent 
excursions  to  Ohio;  and  as  the  number  of  Catholics 
increased,  he  afterwards  devoted  the  most  of  his  time 
to  this  growing  mission. 

We  find  very  different  statements  as  to  the  time 
when  Father  Fenwick  first  visited  Ohio.  The  French 
account  of  the  early  missions  of  Ohio,  published  at 
Paris  in  1824,  says  that  he  first  penetrated  into  that 
State  in  the  year  1808.  A  writer  in  the  Catholic  Tele- 
graph f  fixes  the  date  at  1810  ;  and  he  tells  a  somewhat 
romantic  story  of  the  manner  in  which  the  pioneer 
missionary  found  three  Catholic  families  in  the  forests, 

*  Journal,  June  21.  f  Volume  iii.,  p.  86. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  203 

by  hearing  at  a  distance  the  sound  of  their  axes.  An- 
other writer  in  the  U.  S.  Catholic  Magazine  judiciously 
corrects  this  mistake,  on  the  authority  of  Bishop  Fen- 
wick  himself;  who,  in  a  Letter  written  *  from  Bordeaux 
to  Father  Badin  then  in  Paris,  expressly  states  that  he 
first  visited  Ohio  in  1814-t 

The  fact  is,  that  Bishop  Flaget  himself,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  had  discovered  those  three  Catholic  fam- 
ilies in  Ohio,  consisting  of  twenty  individuals,  when 
he  was  on  his  way  to  Baltimore,  in  1812  ;  and  he  had 
promised  to  send  them  a  Catholic  priest,  at  least  once 
a  year.  On  his  return  to  Kentucky  in  the  spring  of 
1813,  he  did  not  forget  his  promise.  It  was  he  who 
gave  Father  Fenwick  the  information  in  regard  to  the 
existence  of  Catholics  in  the  neighboring  State,  and 
who  deputed  him  to  attend  to  their  spiritual  wants. 
The  prelate  could  not  have  made  a  better  choice. 
Father  Fenwick  was  admirably  suited  for  the  post  of 
pioneer  missionary  in  a  new  region,  through  whose 
waving  forests  Catholics  were  at  that  early  day  but 
thinly  scattered. 

In  the  year  1815,  he  visited  Cincinnati,  Chilicothe, 
and  many  other  parts  of  the  State.  At  the  close  of 
the  following  year,  he  came  to  St.  Thomas',  to  report 
the  state  of  the  mission  to  the  Bishop.  The  number 
of  Catholics  had  meantime  so  greatly  increased,  that 
at  least  four  priests  were  then  needed  in  Ohio.  J  In 
1817,  Father  Fenwick  reported  that  he  had  found  at 

*  Early  in  August,  1823. 

f  See  three  articles  in  the  sixth  volume  of  the  U.  S.  Catholic 
Magazine,  to  which  our  attention  was  called  by  the  Archbishop  of 
Cincinnati,  to  whom  we  are  also  indebted  for  other  favors. 

X  Journal,  December  6,  1816. 


204  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Gallipolis  many  children  eighteen  years  old  who  had 
not  been  baptized.  At  no  great  distance  from  this 
town,  there  were  sixteen  Catholic  families. 

The  Bishop  was  much  afflicted  at  not  being  able  im- 
mediately to  meet  the  pressing  wants  of  this  interesting 
mission ;  but  Father  N.  D.  Young, — ordained  Decem- 
ber 10, 1817, — was  associated  with  Father  Fenwick  not 
long  afterwards.  He  went  to  Ohio,  for  the  first  time, 
in  November,  1818.  The  two  missionaries  had  to  mul- 
tiply themselves  to  meet  all  the  calls  made  on  their 
ministry.  They  were,  under  Bishop  Flaget,  the  found- 
ers of  Religion  in  Ohio. 

In  1819,  Father  Fenwick  reported,  that  eight  clergy- 
men would  scarcely  suffice  for  this  mission ;  and  that 
three  were  needed  for  Perry  county  alone.  The  church 
of  St.  Joseph,  near  Somerset,  was  established  Decem- 
ber 6th,  1818;  and  it  was  the  first  erected  in  Ohio.* 
This  congregation  was  then  composed  of  only  eight  or 
ten  families.  About  a  year  later,  sixty  families  were 
attached  to  it:  and  there  were,  moreover,  thirty  fami- 
lies around  Zanesville ;  thirty  in  Knox  county ;  and  as 
many  in  Stark  county. f 

Our  saintly  prelate  was  rejoiced  at  the  blessings  with 
which  God  was  pleased  to  crown  the  zeal  of  the  two 
Dominican  missionaries.  He  ascribed  their  success,  in 
a  great  measure,  to  the  circumstance  that  "  they  preach- 
ed little,  but  prayed  the  more."  J 

*  It  was  originally  a  log  building,  erected  by  the  Messrs.  Dittoe, 
on  the  suggestion  of  Bishop  Flaget.  A  stone  addition  was  after- 
wards put  up ;  and  the  logs  having  decayed,  they  were  replaced  by 
brick: — so  that  the  church  is  now  partly  of  stone  and  partly  of  brick. 

f  These  statistics  are  derived  from  Father  Fenwick's  correspon- 
dence with  Bishop  Flaget. 

X  Journal,  March,  1820. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  205 

Bishop  Flaget  reached  Bardstown  and  St.  Thomas' 
on  the  30th  of  June,  1829.  His  reception  at  the  semi- 
nary is  thus  related  by  himself  in  his  Report  to  the 
Bope,  already  quoted  : 

u  Bishop  David,*  who  had  been  advised  beforehand 
of  my  arrival,  came  to  meet  me  at  the  head  of  his 
seminarians.  He  began  to  address  me  a  few  words, 
but  his  tears,  more  eloquent  than  any  language,  pre- 
vented him  from  continuing.  Mine  followed  not  less 
abundantly ;  we  all  embraced  one  another  with  afiec- 
tion.  My  heart  was  so  full  of  joy,  that  I  forgot  entire- 
ly the  sufferings  and  fatigue  inseparable  from  a  journey 
of  at  least  seven  hundred  leagues, f  of  which  the  greater 
part  had  been  traversed  in  the  discharge  of  mission- 
ary duties." 

*  Not  yet  consecrated.  f  Nearly  2,100  miles. 


206 


SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


CHAPTER    IX. 


COADJUTOR— OATHEDRAL SEMINARY CONSECRATION    OF 

BISHOP    FENWICK. 


1819  —  1822. 


Scruples  of  conscience — How  solved— Father  David — His  charac- 
ter— Presented  for  the  bishopric  of  Philadelphia — Escapes  the 
nomination—Appointed  Coadjutor — His  objections  to  accep- 
ting—The Cathedral — Laying  corner-stone,  and  solemn  dedica- 
tion— Consecration  of  Bishop  David — The  seminary  removed — 
Impressions  of  a  clerical  traveler— Arrival  of  a  Propagandist — 
Correspondence  concerning  Bishops  for  Cincinnati  and  Detroit — 
Father  Fenwick  appointed  Bishop  of  Cincinnati,  and  consecra- 
ted— His  labors  in  Ohio  blessed — -Condition  of  his  Diocese — His 
zeal,  and  death— Bishop  Flaget's  love  for  his  priests — Rev.  Mr. 
Abell— Rev.  M.  Hosten — Rev.  M.  Derigaud. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1817,  Bishop  Flaget 
began  to  entertain  scruples  concerning  the  propriety  of 
continuing  his  Journal.  The  thought  occurred  to  him, 
that  the  practice  of  daily  recording  his  own  acts  and 
sentiments  was  little  more  than  mere  vanity  and  self- 
love.  In  this  doubt,  he  applied  to  his  intimate  friend 
and  enlightened  confessor,  Father  David;  who  at  once 
dispelled  his  scruple,  and  counseled  him  to  continue 
the  work.  From  thenceforward,  however,  the  prelate 
resolved  to  make  a  note  of  his  acts  only,  and  to  omit 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  207 

all  pious  sentiments  and  reflections;* — a  resolution 
which,  we  are  very  happy  to  find,  he  afterwards  forgot 
to  observe. 

Father  David  was  endowed  with  solid,  rather  than 
brilliant  talents ;  and  his  profound  ecclesiastical  learn- 
ing was  ever  guided  in  its  application  by  sound  discre- 
tion and  great  good  sense.  His  piety  was  solid  and  well 
grounded,  his  zeal  unbounded,  and  his  willingness  to 
labor  commensurate  with  his  earnest  desire  to  do  good. 
He  was  eminently  practical,  and  he  went  straight  to 
his  point ;  and  withal,  he  was  as  humble  as  a  child ; 
always  as  ready  to  own  his  own  faults,  as  he  was  can- 
did in  reminding  those  under  his  charge  of  theirs. 
All  who  knew  him  well,  esteemed  and  loved  him.  He 
grew  in  your  opinion  upon  nearer  acquaintance. 

He  was  from  the  Diocese  of  Nantes,  in  France ;  and 
was,  like  our  prelate,  a  Sulpician.  As  we  have  already 
seen,  he  came  to  America  in  the  same  ship  with  M. 
Flaget,  in  1792 ;  and  from  that  date  they  were  almost 
inseparable  companions,  and  intimate  friends  in  Christ 
Jesus.  Content  with  his  offices  of  simple  missionary 
and  superior  of  the  seminary,  Father  David  shrank 
from  honors,  aware  of  their  great  danger  and  heavy 
responsibility  ;  but  honors  were  thrust  upon  him. 

As  early  as  the  beginning  of  the  year  1815,  Arch- 
bishop Carroll  had  sent  his  name  to  Rome,  as  one  emi- 
nently suitable  to  fill  the  important  see  of  Philadelphia, 
wmich  was  then  vacant.f  The  humble  ecclesiastic  was 
alarmed  ;  he  wrote  to  Rome  an  earnest  letter  of  remon- 


*  Journal,  1817 — in  initio. 

f  The  Letter  of  the  Archbishop  announcing  this  step  was  receiv- 
ed by  Bishop  Flaget  May  15,  1815. — Journal — Ibid. 


208  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

strance,  setting  forth,  in  the  strongest  terms,  his  utter 
unfitness  for  the  place.  Bishop  Flaget  united  his 
efforts  with  those  of  his  friend,  with  whose  services  he 
could  not  easily  dispense;  and  their  joint  influence 
proved  effectual  in  preventiDg  the  appointment. 

The  following  extract  from  a  Letter  of  the  Bishop, 
written  in  1826,  would  make  it  appear,  that  Philadel- 
phia was  not  the  only  important  see  which  the  humili- 
ty of  Father  David  prevented  him  from  filling:  M  My 
dear  Coadjutor,  who  has  been  as  necessary  to  me  in  the 
administration  of  my  Diocese,  as  the  eyes  are  to  the 
head,  has  sacrificed  two  bishoprics  in  our  great  cities 
of  America  to  be  the  lowly  Coadjutor  of  the  exceed- 
ingly poor  Bishop  of  Bardstown."  * 

The  vastness  of  his  Diocese,  his  frequent  absence 
from  home,  and  his  own  advancing  years,  prompted 
Bishop  Flaget  to  apply  for  a  Coadjutor;  and  though 
Father  David  was  a  few  years  his  senior,  yet,  as  the 
health  of  the  latter  was  still  sufficiently  robust,  the 
Bishop  believed  him  to  be  the  most  suitable  person 
whom  he  could  select.  Accordingly,  he  made  the  ap- 
plication to  Rome,  and  his  petition  was  favorably  re- 
ceived . 

The  Bulls  nominating  J.  B.  M.  Da vtd  Bishop  of 
Mauricastro  in  jxirtibus,  and  Coadjutor  of  the  Bishop 
of  Bardstown,  were  dated  July  4th,  1817,  and  they 
reached  Kentucky  on  the  25th  of  the  following  Novem- 
ber, j-  Yet  almost  two  years  elapsed  before  his  consecra- 
tion ;  during  the  greater  part  of  which  time  Bishop 

*  French  Life — p.  96.     The  other  bishopric,  as  was  said  above, 
was  probably  that  of  New  Orleans 
f  Journal,  in  loci*. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  209 

Flaget,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  two  preceeding  Chap- 
ters, was  absent  on  distant  visitations. 

One  reason  of  the  delay  was  the  reluctance  of  Father 
David  to  accept  the  appointment.  He  entertained 
serious  scruples  of  conscience  on  the  subject,  which  he 
frankly  laid  before  the  Holy  See.  As  these  reasons  for 
not  accepting  will  furnish  us  with  a  clue  to  his  charac- 
ter, and  as  they  are  withal  edifying,  wTe  lay  them  before 
our  readers. 

1.  He  dreaded  the  responsibility  of  the  office,  which 
he  felt  was  greatly  above  his  strength.  2.  He  had 
himself  advised  the  Bishop  to  ask  for  a  Coadjutor,  and 
he  feared  lest  he  might  have  had  some,  at  least  indirect 
agency  in  his  own  nomination.  3.  The  reasons  set 
forth  in  the  Bulls  for  giving  the  Bishop  a  Coadjutor, — 
his  age  and  infirmities,  &c, — applied  more  strongly 
still  to  himself,  as  he  was  both  older  and  more  infirm 
than  Bishop  Flaget. 

Cardinal  Litta,  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  replied  in 
the  name  of  the  Holy  See,  and  strongly  advised  him  to 
accept;  alleging  that  those  clauses,  usual  in  such  docu- 
ments where  the  appointment  of  a  Coadjutor  is  in 
question,  were  not  intended  to  be  interpreted  in  their 
strictest  and  most  literal  acceptation,  and  that,  more- 
over, the  Pontiff  healed  whatever  deficiencies  might  be 
supposed  to  exist  in  the  premises. 

The  scruples  of  the  newly  elect  were  dispelled  by 
this  authoritative  advice  and  declaration ;  but  his  pov- 
erty was  such  that  he  had  not  the  means  to  provide 
immediately  what  was  necessary  for  his  consecration ; 
and  this  was  another  reason  for  the  delay.  In  a  letter 
to  his  friends  in  France,  he  frankly  stated  this  reason, 
14 


210  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AKD 

and  asked  for  assistance.  This  holy  poverty,  so  sin 
cerely  cherished  by  him,  and  so  often  extolled  as  one 
of  the  evangelical  counsels  in  his  discourses,  lie  carried 
with  him  to  the  grave ;  leaving  nothing  behind  him 
at  his  death,  but  a  few  books  and  manuscripts, — and 
the  sweet  odor  of  his  virtues. 

Though  nearly  nine  years  had  elapsed  since  his  ap- 
pointment to  the  see  of  Bardstown,  the  Bishop  had  as 
yet  no  cathedral,  to  which  the  other  churches  of  his 
Diocese  might  look  up  as  to  a  mother,  and  in  which 
the  sublime  offices  of  our  holy  Religion  might  be  suit- 
ably performed.  Among  his  many  solicitudes,  that 
connected  with  the  supplying  of  this  important  want 
was  not  the  least. 

We  have  seen,  that  he  thought  anxiously  on  this 
subject  very  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Kentucky.  In 
his  poverty,  and  amid  the  many  pressing  needs  of  his 
Diocese,  it  seemed  rashness  to  engage  at  that  time  in 
an  undertaking  so  far  above  his  means.  He  had  a 
great  horror  of  debt,  and  he  justly  thought  that  Provi- 
dence did  not  call  on  him  to  involve  himself  in  inextri- 
cable pecuniary  difficulty. 

In  1816,  Mr.  John  Rogers,  an  able  architect  from 
Baltimore,  proposed  to  him  to  embark  in  the  underta- 
king, alleging  and  endeavoring  to  prove  its  practica- 
bility. The  reluctance  of  the  Bishop  was  at  length 
overcome  by  the  forcible  representations  of  MM.  David 
and  Chabrat,  who  counseled  him  to  trust  largely  in 
divine  Providence ;  and  he  at  length  gave  his  consent. 

uThat  which  has  occupied  us  most,"  writes  lather 
David,*  "  is  the  building  of  a  cathedral  at  Bardstown. 

*  Letter  dated  November  20,  1817 — sup.  cit. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  211 

Though  the  Bishop  had  conceived  this  design  immedi- 
ately on  his  arrival,  he  had  not,  however,  yet  ventured 
on  its  execution:  but  Providence  has  at  length  over- 
come all  obstacles  in  a  wonderful  manner.  A  good 
Catholic  carpenter  from  Baltimore  has  offered  his  ser- 
vices for  this  purpose ;  and  the  amount  of  the  first  sub- 
scription was  found  to  be  from  twelve  to  fourteen 
thousand  dollars.  Bardstown  alone,  which  scarcely 
equals  in  size  one  of  our  large  villages  in  France,  sub- 
scribed five  thousand  dollars." 

The  result  of  the  subscription  cheered  the  Bishop, 
who  considered  it  a  mark  of  the  approval  of  heaven. 
Yet  he  writes:  "I  keep  myself  within  the  limits  of  a 
holy  indifference  as  to  success.  I  would  heartily  wish 
to  live  at  the  see  which  Koine  has  established ;  but  still 
more  I  wish,  that  Thy  will,  O  God,  should  be  done ! 
4  That  no  flesh  may  glory  in  thy  sight ; '  but  that  all 
glory  be  given  to  thee  !  "  * 

The  corner-stone,  of  the  cathedral  was  laid  July  16, 
1816 ;  and  Father  David  preached  on  the  occasion,  to 
a  very  large  audience,  a  luminous  discourse,  explana- 
tory of  the  impressive  ceremonial.  Four  priests  from 
St.  Rose,  and  all  the  seminarians,  were  in  attendance. 
Two  years  afterwards,  the  edifice — a  fine  structure  in 
the  Roman  Corinthian  style — was  almost  completed. 
On  the  7th  of  August,  1819,  the  Bishop  removed  to 
Bardstown,  with  his  Coadjutor  elect.  He  left  St. 
Thomas'  with  regret ;  and  he  often  visited  the  place 
afterwards,  to  bury  himself  in  deeper  solitude.  He 
found  his  apartment  in  Bardstown  "too  handsome  and 

*  Journal,  1816. 


212  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


too  vast  for  a  Bishop,  who  should  regard  himself  as  one 
of  those  of  the  primitive  Church.""  * 

On  the  following  da}-  the  cathedral  was  solemnly 
consecrated,  in  conformity  with  the  rites  prescribed  in 
the  Pontifical;  Bishop  David  preaching  during  the 
consecration,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Abeil  at  the  Mass.  The 
collection  taken  up  amounted  to  ninety  dollars.  There 
was  an  immense  concourse  present  at  the  imposing 
ceremony ; — the  first  of  the  kind  ever  performed  in  the 
West. 

On  the  feast  of  the  Assumption,  a  week  late*',  Bishop 
David  was  consecrated  in  the  new  cathedral  by  Bishop 
Flaget,  who  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  MM.  Nerinckx 
.and  Wilson,  0.  S.  D.  The  consecration  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  M.  Chabrat.  This  was  the  first  epis- 
copal consecration  which  took  place  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany mountains. 

Bishop  David  changed  nothing  in  his  rigid  manner 
of  life,  with  the  exception  that  he  now  became  still 
more  exact  and  laborious.  In  spite  of  the  new  cares  and 
responsibility  devolved  on  him,  he  continued  to  direct 
the  exercises  of  the  seminary  as  superior,  devoting  sev- 
eral hours  each  day  to  the  duties  of  this  office  and  to 
teaching  theology.  He,  moreover,  gave  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  time  to  the  forming  of  the  new  sister- 
hood of  Nazareth,  of  which  he  was  the  founder.  When 
we  add  that  he  was  for  a  considerable  time  chief  pastor 
and  organist  of  the  cathedral,  and  that  he  visited 
monthly  four  stations  attached  to  the  cathedral  congre- 
gregation,  besides  occasionally  attending  that  of  St. 
Thomas,  of  which  he  had  long  been  pastor;  we  will 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  213 

probably  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  his  time  was 
fully  employed,  and  that  he  had  little  leisure  for  recre- 
ation. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  the  seminary  was  removed 
from  St.  Thomas'  to  Bardstown,  now  the  residence  of 
of  the  two  Bishops.  These  occupied  apartments  in  the 
same  building  with  the  seminarians;  and  for  many 
years  they  ate  at  the  same  table,  and  as  far  as  possible, 
performed  all  the  spiritual  exercises  with  them.  It 
was  a  well  organized  family,  in  which  the  fathers  lived 
in  the  midst  of  their  children.  "  This  day,"  says  the 
Bishop,  "should  form  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the 
Church  in  Kentucky ;  for  I  dare  hope  that  from  this 
house  will  go  forth  priests  who  will  sustain  and  propa- 
gate the  faith.  What  embarrassment,  however,  in 
providing  for  temporal  wants,  under  such  circumstan- 
ces !  Every  thing  consists  in  acting  with  great  liberty 
of  spirit,  and  in  reposing  confidence  without  bounds  in 
God."'* 

On  the  Sundays  and  festivals,  the  Bishops  appeared 
in  the  cathedral,  surrounded  by  their  seminarians 
robed  in  surplices;  and  all  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Church  were  performed  with  great  exactness  and  even 
splendor.  All  present  were  greatly  edified  by  the  ap- 
pearance and  deportment  of  the  clergy  and  young  can- 
didates for  the  holy  ministry.  The  Protestants  were 
also  much  impressed  with  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of 
our  ceremonial.  We  cannot  do  better,  while  on  this 
subject,  than  to  furnish  our  readers  with  the  impres- 
sions the  service   as  then  performed  in   the  cathedral 

*  Journal,  September  21,  1819. 


214  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

made  on  the  mind  of  an  intelligent  clerical  stranger, 
who  was  at  the  time  on  a  visit  to  Kentucky . 

"  I  have  just  arrived  from  Kentucky,  whither  I  went 
to  fulfill  certain  commissions  towards  the  holy  Bishop 
Flaget  and  some  members  of  his  clergy.  The  prelate 
showed  me  his  famous  establishments  and  his  cathe- 
dral. Accompanying  me  himself  on  horseback,  he 
made  me  visit  his  convents,  his  seminaries,  and  his 
colleges :  for  we  must  already  speak  in  the  plural  num- 
ber of  all  these  establishments,  scattered  in  the  midst 
of  the  forest.  I  avow  to  you,  sir,  that  if  ever  I  was 
penetrated  with  deep  feeling,  it  was  while  assisting  at 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  in  the  cathedral  on  Sunday.  Tor- 
rents of  tears  flowed  from  my  eyes.  The  ceremonies, 
all  performed  with  the  greatest  exactness  according  to 
the  Roman  rite;  the  chant  at  once  grave  and  touching; 
the  attendant  clergy  pious  and  modest : — every  thing 
impressed  me  so  strongly,  that  I  almost  believed  myself 
in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  finest  churches  of  Rome, 
which  I  had  before  thought  could  not  be  equalled  any 
where  else  in  the  world.  From  the  bottom  of  my 
heart,  I  poured  forth  prayers  to  God  for  this  worthy 
Bishop,  for  France,  and  for  those  who,  by  their  gener- 
osity, had  contributed  to  have  the  good  God  so  well 
worshiped  in  the  midst  of  the  waving  forests."  * 

The  Bishop  himself  thus  writes  on  the  same  subject: 
"  Nothing  could  be  more  astonishing,  and   edifying 
at  the  same  time,  than  to  see  the  Bishop  officiating 
pontifically  in  his  cathedral,  with  deacon  and  sub-dea- 
con both  students  of  the  seminary,  surrounded  by  more 


*  From  Annales  de  la  Propagation.  &c,  vol,  ii.,  p.  24.     Number 
for  May,  1826. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  215 

than  fifteen  young  seminarians,  tonsured  or  in  minor 
orders,  clad  in  cassock  and  surplice,  and  singing  as  well 
as  if  they  had  been  trained  in  Paris  itself.  Many 
priests  have  already  been  reared  in  the  seminary ;  their 
piety  and  talents  would  render  them  distinguished  even 
in  Europe ;  and  some  of  them  are  excellent  preachers 
and  very  good  controversialists."  * 

Cheered  by  the  hope  of  soon  having  priests  enough 
from  his  own  seminary,  to  supply  the  wants  of  his  ex- 
tensive Diocese,  and  relieved  of  a  portion  of  his  heavy 
charge  by  the  appointment  of  Bishop  Dubourg,  and 
the  kind  and  timely  aid  received  from  him  towards 
providing  his  most  distant  missions ;  consoled,  more- 
over, with  the  thought,  that  in  his  absence  Eeligion 
could  not  suffer,  with  so  able  and  vigilant  a  Coadjutor 
as  Bishop  David,  Bishop  Flaget  was  now  much  more 
easy  in  mind,  and  more  happy  than  he  had  ever  been 
since  his  consecration.  That  kind  Providence  in  which 
he  had  always  so  confidingly  trusted,  had  come  visibly 
to  his  assistance.  But  ten  years  of  his  episcopal  career 
had  passed,  and  already  every  thing  wore  a  new  aspect. 

Two  events,  which  occurred  in  the  year  1821,  contri- 
buted much  to  enhance  the  consolation  with  which  his 
soul  already  abounded.  The  first  was  the  arrival  in 
his  Diocese  of  a  young  priest  from  the  Propaganda, 
(September  23d,)  with  whose  first  appearance  he  was 
greatly  pleased, f  and  whose  piety,  zeal,  and  extensive 
theological  attainments,  proved  an  invaluable  treasure 
to  him  for  many  years.  This  young  ecclesiastic,  shortly 
afterwards  permanently  attached  to  the  Diocese,  is  too 

*  From  Annales,  &c. — p.  40. 
j-  Journal,  September  23,  1821. 


216  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE.    TIMES    AND 


well  known  to  all  our  readers  to  require  being  named 
by  us  in  these  Sketches. 

The  second  iovful  occurrence  of  this  year  was  the 
intelligence,  that  Father  Edward  Fenwick  had  been 
appointed  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati.  The  Bishop  had 
long  and  anxiously  thought  on  the  subject  of  proposing 
the  erection  of  this  and  other  sees  in  the  West.  He 
and  Bishop  Dubourg  had  been  for  some  time  engaged 
in  correspondence  on  the  subject.  New  bishoprics 
were  needed  at  Cincinnati,  Yincennes,  and  Detroit ; 
as  Bishop  Flaget  had  written  to  Bishop  Dubourg  on 
the  30th  of  December,  1819.*  The  reply  of  the  latter 
was  received  in  the  following  April.  Great  difficulty 
existed  in  settling  on  the  precise  sees  to  be  proposed ; 
still  greater,  in  finding  suitable  persons  to  fill  them.f 

At  first,  it  had  been  determined  to  propose  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Gallitzin  for  the  see  of  Cincinnati ;  but  when  this 
worthy  clergyman  was  made  acquainted  with  the  in- 
tention of  the  two  prelates,  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Flaget, 
peremptorily  declining  the  appointment,  and  alleging 
such  reasons,  prompted  by  his  humility  and  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  he  found  himself  placed,  as 
caused  them  to  abandon  the  idea  of  farther  insisting  on 
his  being  nominated. 

They  then  agreed  in  presenting  Father  Fenwick  for 
Cincinnati,  and  the  Holy  See  acted  with  promptness 
on  the  recommendation.  They  probably,  at  the  same 
time,  united  in  recommending  the  distinguished  Jesuit, 
Father  Grassi,  for  Detroit.  In  a  letter  to  our  prelate, 
Bishop  Dubourg  writes  as  follows:  "M.  Inglesi  writes 
to  me  from  Borne,  that  the  nomination  of  M.  Grassi 

*  Journal — Ibid.  t  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  217 

for  Detroit  has  met  with  difficulties ;  but  not  so  that  of 
Father  Fen  wick  for  Cincinnati.  M.  Sibourd  will  not 
be  my  Coadjutor,'1  &c* 

The  Bulls  erecting  the  see  of  Cincinnati,  and  nomi- 
nating Father  Fen  wick  its  first  incumbent,  dated  19th 
June,  arrived  in  Kentucky,  October  13th,  1821 ;  while 
the  zealous  apostle  of  Ohio  was  buried  in  its  forests, 
seeking,  according  to  his  own  phrase,  after  "the  stray 
sheep."  He  was  surprised  on  learning  that  he  had 
been  thought  of  in  connection  with  so  responsible  an 
office.  He  at  first  expressed  great  reluctance  to  accept, 
but  was  finally  induced  to  yield  to  the  pressing  wants 
of  that  mission,  and  the  reasons  alleged  by  those  to 
whom  he  applied  for  advice. 

The  new  Diocese  comprised  the  State  of  Ohio ;  and 
its  first  Bishop  was  likewise  charged  with  the  spiritual 
administration  of  the  territories  of  Michigan  and  the 
North-west,  until  new  bishoprics  could  be  founded 
therein.  It  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  an  effort 
should  have  been  made  to  locate  the  new  see  at  Somer- 
set, instead  of  Cincinnati ;  and  it  is  perhaps  still  more 
so,  that  Bishop  Dubourg  should  have  preferred  Chili- 
cothe  to  either  of  the  above  cities,  as  being  more 
central. f  It  was  owing  principally  to  the  strong  repre- 
sentations and  great  personal  influence  of  Bishop  Flaget, 
that  Cincinnati  was  eventually  selected.  The  result 
has  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  advice  given  on  the  sub- 
ject by  our  enlightened  and  saintly  prelate ;  whom  the 
Holy  See  rightly  judged  to  be  better  acquainted  with 
the  state  of  affairs  than  any  one  else. 

*  Letter,  August  9,  1-821. 

f  In  a  Letter  on  the  subject  to  Bishop  Flaget,  in  1820. 


218  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Dr.  Fenwick  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Flaget,  assis- 
ted by  FF.  Wilson  and  Hill,  at  St.  Rose,  on  the  13th  of 
January,  1822.*  Bishop  David  preached  the  consecra- 
tion sermon.  Towards  the  end  of  the  ensuing  March, f 
he  departed  to  take  possession  of  his  see.  That  he 
was  worthy  of  the  place,  his  subsequent  life  amply 
demonstrated.  He  labored  u  in  season  and  out  of  sea- 
son ; "  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration,  his  Dio- 
cese presented  an  aspect  totally  different  from  what  it 
had  been  at  the  commencement  of  his  episcopal  career. 
Besides  his  brethren  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic  at  St. 
Rose,  he  was  enabled  to  enlist  many  others  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  new  missions.  Among  these  was  the  Rev. 
F.  Rese,  a  Propagandist,  afterwards  first  Bishop  of 
Detroit. 

Father  Hill,  a  Dominican,  and  a  convert  of  an  illus- 
trious family  in  England,  labored  for  several  years,  with 
devoted  zeal  and  great  efficiency,  on  the  missions  of 
Ohio.  After  sacrificing  every  worldly  consideration  on 
the  altar  of  divine  love,  he  never  once  faltered  in  his 
purpose  "  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  salvation  of 
souls."  He  died,  in  odor  of  piety,  at  Canton,  Ohio, 
September  3,  1828,  in  the  midst  of  his  labors ;  and  he 
was  buried,  at  his  own  request,  under  the  eves  of  the 
church  of  which  he  had  been  pastor. 

Bishop  Fenwick  had  made  it  a  condition  for  his  ac- 
ceptance of  the  episcopal  office,  that  the  Rev.  Father 
Wilson  of  St.  Rose's  convent,  provincial  of  the  Domin- 
icans, should  accompany  him  to  Ohio,  as  theologian 
and  Vicar  General.  Accordingly,  this  distinguished 
ecclesiastic  and  Father  Hill  went  with  him  to  Cincin- 

*  Journal — Ibid,.  |  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  219 

nati,  when  he  repaired  thither  to  take  possession  of  his 
See.  He  was  solemnly  installed  by  Bishop  Flaget, 
who  delivered  one  of  his  most  impressive  and  touching 
discourses  on  the  occasion.  Father  Wilson  having  been 
compelled  to  return  to  Kentucky,  about  six  months 
afterwards,  Father  Hill  was  chosen  Yicar  General ; 
which  office  he  continued  to  fill  till  his  death.* 

During  the  early  years  of  his  administration,  Bishop 
Fenwick  was  much  distressed  at  his  want  of  missiona- 
ries ;  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  used  every  possible 
effort  to  supply  the  want.  For  this  purpose  he  applied 
to  the  Propaganda,  asking  for  the  services  of  the  young 
propagandist  above  mentioned  ;  stating  that  his  Diocese 
had  much  more  need  of  him  than  that  of  Bardstown, 
which  was  already,  in  a  great  measure,  supplied. 

When  Bishop  Flaget  heard  of  this  application,  he 
was  much  distressed,  and  immediately  wrote  to  Rome 
an  energetic  letter  on  the  subject ;  stating  that,  though 
disposed  to  assist,  to  the  best  of  his  power,  the  new 
Diocese  of  Cincinnati,  he  could  not  bear  the  thought  of 
being  deprived  of  the  services  of  one,  so  necessary  for 
his  support  in  his  declining  years,  f  His  protest  was 
successful  at  Rome. 

We  will  avail  ourselves  of  this  occasion  to  throw  to- 
gether such  additional  facts  connected  with  the  early 
administration  of  Bishop  Fenwick,  as  we  have  been  able 
to  gather  from  the  materials  within  our  reach. 

After  having  labored  for  little  more  than  a  year  in 

*  Several  of  these  details  were  furnished  orally  by  the  nephew  of 
Bishop  Fenwick,  the  Rev.  N.  D.  Young,  0.  S.  D. 

f  He  entreated,  that  "  D.  — —  senectutis  meae  baculus  firmissi- 
mus,  oculusque  acutissimus,  apud  me  remaneat,  et  ad  exitum 
meuin  vel  Coadjutoris  mei,  Coadjutor  ipse  consecretur/' 


220  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AISTD 

his  new  Diocese,  and  having  been  forcibly  struck  with 
the  want  of  every  requisite  for  a  complete  and  solid 
missionary  establishment,  he  determined  to  visit  Eu- 
rope, and  to  lay  the  condition  of  his  missions  before  the 
Holy  Father  at  Rome.  He  accordingly  left  Cincinnati 
on  the  30th  of  May.  1S23  ;  and  he  arrived  at  Bordeaux 
in  France,  on  the  6th  of  August  following.  .The  Very 
Rev.  M.  Badin  was  then  in  Paris,  on  business  connected 
with  the  Diocese  of  Bardstown  ;  and  to  him  the  good 
prelate  wrote,  a  few  days  after  his  arrival,  setting  forth 
the  circumstances  under  which  he  had  accepted  the 
episcopacy,  and  the  destitute  state  of  his  Diocese.  We 
cannot  do  better  than  to  republish  the  greater  portion 
of  this  valuable  document,  which  abounds  with  inter- 
esting facts : 

"  Having  in  so  many  instances  of  my  life  experienced 
the  fatherly  care  and  protection  of  God,  the  bestower  of 
all  good  gifts,  I  confidently  hope  that  the  same  divine 
Providence  will  continue  through  the  remainder  of  my 
arduous  undertaking  to  accompany  me.  It  has  supplied 
me,  upon  loan,  with  the  sum  precis  ly  necessary  for  my 
voyage  to  this  place,  and  no  more,  in  order  to  keep  me 
always  in  dependence.  Our  poor  backwoods  are  now 
so  miserable,  that  I  could  not  have  a  sous  (cent)  given 
me,  neither  by  my  brethren  in  the  episcopacy,  nor  by 
the  priests  of  Kentucky  or  of  my  own  Diocese.  Indeed 
I  esteemed  myself  happy  to  borrow,  without  interest,  of 
a  Catholic  lavman,  the  sum  of  about  five  hundred  francs 
(one  hundred  dollars),  now  almost  exhausted. 

"  I  am  really  sorry,  my  dear  sir,  that  you  cannot  con- 
veniently join  and  accompany  me  to  Rome.  My  object 
in  going  is  to  resign,  if  allowed,  my  dignity  to  better 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  221 

hands  and  superior  heads  ;  if  not  allowed,  to  beg  for 
means  of  subsistence,  and  all  necessary  supplies  for  the 
mission,  especially  funds  to  build  a  church  in  Cincin- 
nati, and  to  pay  for  the  lot  I  have  purchased.  I  have 
already  raised  for  my  cathedral  at  present,  a  wooden 
chapel,  fifty  feet  by  thirty.  I  had  not  then  a  sous  of 
money, — all  has  been  done  on  credit ;  and  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  expenses  remains  still  to  be  paid  for.  The 
object  of  my  journey  is  also  to  procure  means  for  secur- 
ing, in  the  vicinity  of  my  episcopal  town,  the  domain 
of  a  small  tract  of  land,  and  a  large  convenient  house, 
well  calculated  for  a  seminary.  *     Moreover,  I 

wish  to  obtain  a  Bishop  for  Detroit,  and  a  Coadjutor  for 
myself,  and  some  good  divines,  in  case  my  resignation 
be  not  accepted. 

"  I  wTish  you,  also,  my  dear  sir,  to  contribute  your 
mite  towards  relieving  my  distresses.  I  mean,  and  beg, 
that  you  draw  up  and  have  printed  a  short  and  clear 
description  of  my  condition,  of  the  extent  and  wants  of 
my  Diocese,  of  the  number  and  scattered  situation  of 
the  poor  Catholics,  &c.  When  I  came  first  to  the  State 
of  Ohio,  nine  years  ago,  I  discovered  only  three  Catho- 
lic families  from  Limestone  (Maysville,)  to  Wheeling. 
Now  the  State  contains  not  less  than  eight  thousand* 
There  are  also  ten  or  twelve  thousand  in  Michigan. 
Moreover,  there  are  in  Ohio  two  thousand  Indians,  liv- 
ing on  the  Seneca  River,  some  of  whom  are  Catholics, 
and  those  are  obliged  to  cross  Lake  Erie,  to  reach  Mai- 
den and  Sandwich  in  Canada,  in  order  to  have  their 
children  baptized,  and  their  marriages  celebrated  by  a 

*  He  means,  no  doubt,  Catholics — not  JatuiUes. 


222  SKETCHES   OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Catholic  priest.  In  the  wilderness  watered  by  the  San- 
dusky river,  there  are  two  settlements  of  white  people, 
one  of  Catholics,  and  the  other  of  Methodists,  upon  the 
two  opposite  sides  of  the  river.  I  intend,  if  possible, 
to  have  two  missionaries,  traveling  continually  from 
place  to  place,  especially  devoting  their  labors  and  ser- 
vices among  the  Indians.     *     *     * 

"  I  think  we  may  count  two  or  three  hundred  converts 
since  I  reside  in  Ohio.  Five  wooden  churches  are  ac- 
tually built,  and  four  more  are  building.  The  popula- 
tion of  Ohio,  according  to  the  last  census,  is  six  hun- 
dred thousand  souls.  Catholics  are  to  be  found  in  eve- 
ry county ;  and  I  have  met  with  many  Germans  and 
Swiss.  I  offer  to  God  many  prayers  for  some  zealous 
and  disinterested  German  priests.  I  say  disinterested, 
for  all  missionaries  must  depend  entirely  upon  divine 
Providence.  Although  a  Bishop,  I  have  no  revenue 
but  the  rent  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  pews  in  the  Cincin- 
nati chapel,  which  produce,  at  most,  a  yearly  income  of 
eighty  dollars. 

"  You  know  a  little  of  my  exertions,  sacrifices,  and 
labors  in  Kentucky :  that  I  devoted  my  whole  paternal 
estate,  and  all  I  could  collect,  scrape  up  and  save  ;  that 
I  debarred  myself  of  comforts  and  even  of  necessaries ; 
that  I  undertook  long  and  painful  jaunts  to  found  and 
promote  the  establishment  of  St.  Kose  ;  and  behold  I 
am  now  deprived  of  all  right  and  claim  on  the  Order ; 
being  taken  out  of  it — assumjitus  ex  ordine  in  ejpisco- 
jpatum  !  I  was  obliged  by  my  rule  and  vows  to  render 
an  account  of  all  property,  even  of  books  and  furniture, 
that  I  had  been  allowed  to  use. 

"  When  I  took  possession  of  the  Diocese,  I  had  to 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  223 

rent  a  house  to  live  in,  and  to  send  to  market  for  the 
first  meal  we  took  in  the  episcopal  town — no  provision 
whatever  having  been  made  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
Bishop.  I  had  not  a  sous,  but  what  the  good  people  of 
St.  Rose's  congregation  in  Kentucky  had  given  me  by 
subscription, — four  or  live  hundred  dollars  in  paper 
money,  which  was  depreciated  to  one  half  in  the  Ohio 
State. 

"  I  had  but  six  congregations,  when,  eighteen  months 
ago,  I  first  went  to  reside  in  Cincinnati ;  and  now  there 
are  twentv-two,  at  least,  that  I  have  visited.     *     * 

"  You  will  conceive  how  great  is  the  want  of  mission- 
aries in  my  extensive  Diocese,  when  you  learn  that  I 
possess  only  seven  priests,  and  have  neither,  seminary, 
professors,  nor  schools.  The  Rev.  Messrs.  Hill  and 
Stephen  Montgomery,  O.  S.  D.,  are  charged  with  the 
western  congregations  and  all  scattered  Catholics  as  far 
as  Yevay  in  the  Indiana,*  Fort  St.  Mary's,  Lake  Erie, 
Chilicothe,  &c.  Rev.  Mr.  Young,  my  nephew,  and  two 
confreres  ordained  by  me,  extend  their  rides  and  mis- 
sionary duties  in  the  East  to  Marietta,  St.  Clairville, 
New  Lisbon,  &c."  f 

The  truly  apostolic  prelate  unconsciously  paints 
himself  in  this  simple,  but  highly  interesting  letter. 
So  much  devotedness,  and  so  unwavering  a  reliance  on 
Providence,  could  not  tail  of  drawing  down  the  divine 
blessing.  Father  Badin  complied  with  his  request,  and 
published  in  Paris  a  statement  comprising  the  above 

*  In  virtue  of  an  arrangement  with  Bishop  Flaget,  under  whose 
jurisdiction  Indiana  was  placed. 

f  Republished,  from  the  London  Spectator,  (vol.  i.  p.  350,  seqq.) 
in  the  U.  S.  Catholic  Magazine,  (vol.  vi.  p.  29,  seq.,)  for  1847. 


224  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

details  and  making  an  earnest  appeal  to  the  benevo- 
lent in  favor  of  the  destitute  missions  of  Ohio. 

Bishop  Fenwick  proceeded  to  Rome,  where  he  was 
cordially  and  paternally  welcomed  by  the  reigning 
Pontiff,  Leo  XII.,  who  generously  presented  him  with 
a  splendid  tabernacle,  a  chalice,  candlesticks,  and  other 
altar  furniture  for  his  cathedral,  besides  the  munificent 
sum  of  twelve  thousand  Roman  crowns  (dollars.)  He 
also  *•  directed  the  Cardinal  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda 
to  recommend  him,  not  only  to  the  association  lately 
commenced  at  Lyons,  but  also  to  the  friends  of  religion 
in  general,  and  especially  to  those  whose  wealth  ena- 
bled them  to  be  liberal  patrons  of  the  foreign  missions, 
xlnimated  by  the  example  of  the  sovereign  Pontiff  and 
the  letters  of  the  Cardinal  Prefect,  other  members  of 
the  Sacred  College,  especially  Cardinal  Fesch,  uncle  of 
Napoleon  Buonaparte,  conferred  on  the  amiable  prelate 
the  most  substantial  marks  of  their  regard  for  himself, 
and  of  their  sympathy  for  the  destitution  of  his  flock. 
The  king  of  France,  and  the  wealthy  and  generous 
Catholics  of  his  kingdom,  as  wdl  as  those  of  Sardinia, 
Belgium,  Spain,  and  Germany,  emulated  the  noble  pre- 
cedent thus  given  them  in  the  eternal  city  ;  and  the  de- 
jected Bishop,  who  had  landed  on  the  shores  of  Europe 
very  much  in  the  condition  of  *  the  sower  who  had 
sowed  in  tears,'  returned,  like  that  sower,  *  with  joyful- 
ness,'  having  gathered  a  rich  harvest."  * 

As  we  will  not  have  occasion  in  the  sequel  to  revert 
to  this  subject,  we  may  be  permitted  to  furnish  here 
such  additional  details,  in  regard  to  the  history  of  the 

*  From,  the  first  of  three  well  written  articles  on  the  Missions  of 
Ohio,  in  the  U.  S.  C.  Magazine — sup.  cit. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  225 

Diocese  of  Cincinnati  as  may  be  deemed  of  more  inter- 
est, up  to  the  death  of  its  first  Bishop  in  1832. 

The  ample  funds  which  the  prelate  collected  in  Eu- 
rope were,  immediately  after  his  return,  judiciously  ap- 
plied to  the  more  pressing  wants  of  his  infant  Diocese. 
Among  these,  one  of  the  most  urgent  was  a  cathedral 
in  Cincinnati.  The  edifice,  one  hundred  feet  long  by 
fifty  wide,  long  used  for  this  purpose,*  was  dedicated  to 
God,  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Peter,  on  the  first  Sun- 
day of  Advent,  1826.  The  hearts  of  the  faithful  were 
filled  with  a  holy  joy,  on  beholding  this  handsome 
structure,  with  its  splendid  altar  furniture,  reared  for 
the  worship  of  the  Most  High ;  and  they  contrasted  it 
with  the  humble  wrooden  building,  unfinished  and  un- 
furnished, in  which  they  had  hitherto  convened  to 
assist  at  the  holy  sacrifice. 

New  churches  were  soon  erected  in  almost  every 
portion  of  the  Diocese.  The  number  of  Catholics  rap- 
idly increased,  especially  in  Cincinnati.  This  will 
appear  from  the  following  statistics,  belonging  to  the 
time  of  the  Jubilee :  which  was  proclaimed  in  the  cath- 
edral of  Cincinnati  on  Christmas  day,  1826,  and  termi- 
nated there  on  the  following  New  Year's  day  ;  and  was 
during  the  ensuing  year  published,  with  most  abundant 
fruits,  throughout  the  Diocese.  In  Cincinnati,  two 
hundred  persons  approached  the  holy  table,  during  this 
season  of  grace,  in  place  of  the  eleven  communicants, — 
the  highest  number  only  five  years  previously  ! 

The  Bishop  visited  the  whole  Diocese  during  this 
year  ( 1827 ).     He  was  preceded  by  two  zealous  mission- 

*  The  present  church  of  St.  Xavier. 
15 


226  SKETCHES   OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES  AND 

aries — the  Rev.  Messrs.  Mullon  and  Young— who  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  visitation.  They  gave  retreats 
in  the  principal  congregations ;  and  had  the  consolation 
to  find  their  labors  crowned  with  the  greatest  success. 
In  Lancaster  there  were  sixty  communicants  ;  there 
were  four  hundred  at  St.  Joseph's,  forty  at  St.  Barna- 
bas, ninety  in  Zanesville,  fifty  at  St.  Dominic's,  and  one 
hundred  in  Canton.  Besides  the  reclaiming  of  many 
hardened  sinners,  numerous  converts  were  every  where 
received  into  the  Church.* 

We  have  already  spoken  of  Father  Hill.  Another 
zealous  Dominican,  a  native  of  Spain,  deserves  special 
mention,  as  one  of  the  most  laborious  and  efficient  early 
missionaries  of  Ohio.  The  Rev.  Raphael  Munos,  in 
1824,  obtained  permission  from  his  superior,  and  from 
the  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  to  attach  himself  to  the 
Diocese  of  Cincinnati.  For  several  years  he  devoted 
himself  to  this  arduous  mission,  with  a  zeal  truly  apos- 
tolic. He  spared  no  labor  nor  pains  in  instructing  the 
ignorant.  He  was  the  father  of  the  poor.  After  an 
absence  of  two  or  three  years  in  Kentucky,  whither  he 
was  sent  to  be  prior  of  St.  Rose's  convent,  he  returned 
to  Cincinnati ;  where  he  died  in  the  midst  of  his  labors, 
July  18,  1830,  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age.  He 
was  a  doctor  of  divinity,  and  was  associated  with  Fath- 
er Hill  in  the  office  of  Yicar  General  of  the  Diocese.f 

Bishop  FenwLck  passed  none  of  his  time  in  idleness. 
For  him  the  sweetest  recreation  consisted  in  the  dis- 
charge of  laborious  missionary  duty.  Every  where  he 
appeared  at  the  head  of  his  clergy,  animating  their  zeal, 

*  Second  paper  in  U.  S.  C.  Magazine — sup.  cit. 
t  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  227 

even  more  by  his  example  than  by  his  simple  but  elo- 
quent words,  glowing,  as  they  were,  with  the  love  of 
God  and  of  the  neighbor.  His  visitation  extended  to 
Michigan  and  the  North-western  territory.  Here  he 
felt  as  much  at  home,  while  dwelling  amidst  the  wig- 
wams of  the  savages,  as  when  sojourning  among  the 
more  polished  inhabitants  of  the  towns.  Whithersoev- 
er he  went,  he  was  received  with  a  hearty  welcome;  and 
he  labored  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostle.  The  Indians 
loved  and  revered  him,  as  a  father.  God  consoled  his 
paternal  heart,  by  the  numerous  conversions  and  the 
abundant  harvest  of  souls  he  failed  not  to  gather,  in 
every  town  and  village  of  his  extended  charge. 

At  Detroit,  he  had  the  happiness  to  embrace  that 
venerable  pioneer  missionary  of  Michigan, — the  Rev. 
Gabriel  Richard  ;  who  had  been  stationed  there,  as  res- 
ident pastor,  since  1799.  After  thirty-three  years  of  ard- 
uous missionary  toil,  this  indefatigable  apostle  of  the 
North  and  Northwest,  died,  like  a  good  soldier,  at  his  post. 
In  September,  1832,  he  was  attacked  with  the  cholera, 
while  attending  his  parishioners  who  were  seized  with 
this  terrible  disease ;  and  after  receiving  the  last  rites 
of  the  Church,  he  calmly  expired  on  the  13th  of  that 
month.  He  went  to  receive  the  reward  of  his  labors  in 
heaven. 

The  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati  was  destined  to  follow 
in  his  foot-steps,  and  to  fall,  like  him,  a  victim  of  char- 
ity. He  also  died  of  the  effects  of  cholera,  while  en- 
gaged in  his  visitation  ;  which  his  zeal  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  interrupt,  though  he  felt  that  the  seeds  of 
death  were  already  sown  in  his  system.  He  had  been 
taken  ill  at  Sault  St.  Marie ;  but,  continuing  his  jour- 


228  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


ney,  he  died  at  Wooster,  on  the  25th  of  September, 
1832.  He  had  said  Mass  and  written  two  letters  on  the 
previous  day.  At  his  death,  the  number  of  Catholics 
in  his  Diocese  was  estimated  at  nearly  forty  thousand  ; 
many  of  whom  were  converts. 

We  will  close  this  Chapter  with  a  few  examples  illus- 
trating a  distinguished  trait  in  the  character  of  our 
holy  prelate, — his  love  for  his  priests.  He  always 
viewed  them  with  a  tenderness  of  feeling  equal  to  that 
which  a  parent  exhibits  towards  his  children.  He  re- 
joiced in  their  success,  and  wept  with  them  in  their 
affliction.  In  time  of  sickness,  he  was,  as  often  as  pos- 
sible, at  their  bed-side,  discharging  all  the  duties  of  a 
tender  nurse.  And  yet,  in  cases  of  sacerdotal  delin- 
quency, fortunately  of  very  rare  occurence,  he  could 
wield  the  rod  of  discipline,  though  it  pained  him  to 
do  so  even  more  than  it  did  the  objects  of  his  just 
chastisement. 

In  July,  1820,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Abell  was  grievously 
sick  in  Breckenridge  county,  and  his  dangerous  illness 
was  lingering.  The  Bishop  immediately  left  all  things, 
and  flew  to  his  succor.  He  remained  with  him  for  six 
weeks,  affording  him  every  possible  consolation  and 
service,  and,  as  he  tells  us,  feeling  as  much  agony  in 
his  sufferings  as  the  patient  himself.*  At  length,  to 
the  inexpressible  joy  of  the  prelate,  Mr.  Abell,  whose 
case  had  been  pronounced  desperate  by  the  physicians, 
slowly  recovered. 

Another  instance  is  exhibited,  in  his  attendance  on 
the  Rev.  M.  Hosten,  a  young  Belgian  priest  of  great 
promise,  whom  he  had  recently  ordained.     In  this  case, 

*  Journal — ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  229 

however,  to  his  unutterable  grief,  the  patient  died. 
Kev.  M.  Hosten  was  ordained  September  24,  1820, 
with  several  others  ;  and  in  June  of  the  following  year, 
he  was  destined  for  the  mission  of  Louisville,  of  which 
place  he  was  the  first  resident  pastor.  He  was  installed 
in  his  new  mission  by  the  Bishop  himself,  on  the  17th 
of  August. 

But  the  ways  of  God  are  inscrutable.  This  zealous 
clergyman  had  scarcely  entered  upon  his  missionary 
duties,  when  he  was  suddenly  called  away  from  this 
world.  Having  left  all  to  follow  Christ,  he  was  proba- 
bly already  ripe  for  heaven.  While  devoting  himself 
day  and  night  to  the  visitation  of  those  sick  with  the 
prevailing  typhoid  fever,  he  caught  the  disease  him- 
self, and  died  of  it,  on  the  30th  of  October  following. 
The  Bishop  was  with  him  for  several  days  before  his 
death,  attending  to  all  his  wants,  and  solacing  his 
soul  with  the  last  sacraments,  as  a  preparation  for  eter- 
nity. 

Several  years  later,  he  fulfilled  the  same  office  of  pa- 
rental nurse  towards  the  Rev.  M.  Derigaud.  This 
worthy  priest  had  come  to  America  with  the  Bishop  in 
1810  ;  and  on  their  arrival  in  Kentucky  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  he  had  entered  the  seminary.  Though  then 
thirty  years  of  age,  he  completed  his  studies,  and  was 
ordained  January  1,  1817.  He  was  employed  on  the 
missions,  and  in  the  college  of  St.  Joseph ;  was,  for  a 
time,  superior  of  the  preparatory  seminary  at  St.  Thom- 
as ;  and  finally  presided  over  the  new  brotherhood,  es- 
tablished by  the  Bishop  in  1826. 

In  the  spring  of  the  ensuing  year,  he  removed  with 
the  brothers,  about  eight  in  number,  to  St.  Bernard's, 


230  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

in  Casey  county.     His  health  having  been  long  delicate, 
he  did  not  survive  many  months. 

The  Bishop,  who  loved  him  tenderly,  was  inconsola- 
ble at  his  dangerous  illness.  Earnestly  did  he  pray  for 
his  recovery,  should  such  be  the  holy  will  of  God.  He 
went  to  see  him,  and  remained  with  him  till  he  breathed 
"his  last.  He  then  had  his  remains  removed  to  St. 
Thomas1 ;  where  they  were  solemnly  interred. 

In  his  Journal,  the  Bishop  has  written  a  high  eulogy 
of  this  good  priest,  saying,  that  he  had  never  in  his 
whole  life  given  him  a  moment's  trouble  or  uneasi- 
ness.* 

To  secure  a  support  for  his  missionaries  in  their  old 
age,  the  Bishop  once  proposed  a  plan,  which  the  event 
proved  was  impracticable.  It  was,  that  his  clergy 
should  hold  all  things  in  common,  like  religious  orders ; 
and  that  the  superabundance  of  some  should  supply  the 
wants  of  others. f 

We  close  this  Chapter  with  an  extract  from  the  holy 
prelate's  Report  to  the  Pontiff  in  1836,  which  will  be 
found  to  bear  upon  our  present  subject : 

u  I  come  now  to  speak  of  my  clergy.  Oh  !  may 
God  bless  them !  ]\Iay  he  bless  their  continual  sac- 
rifices and  generous  devotedness,  without  which 
there  would  be  nothing  remaining  of  all  that  now 
exists  in  my  Diocese  !  But,  alas  !  these  young 
priests,  whom  I  love  as  myself ;  these  priests  so 
zealous  and  so  charitable,  become  soon  exhausted  ; 
on  them  old  age  and  infirmities  come  prematurely — 

*  Journal,  Jan.  17,  1322.    He  had  always  given  him  satisfaction, 
"  Sans  une  melange  d'amertume."        * 
f  Ibid.     Conference,  Sep.  2,  1822. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  231 

the  evident  result  of  their  long  journeys  and  painful 
missions  ; — already  many  are  enfeebled,  and  are  left 
almost  without  resource.  Whither  will  they  go,  after 
labors  so  glorious  ?  Alas  !  I  know  not  ;  and  this  it 
is  which  causes  my  desolation  !  " 


232  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


CHAPTER    X. 


VISITATIONS ADMINISTRATION NEW    BISHOPRICS . 


1819  —  1  826. 


Pastoral  solicitude — In  ccelo  quies — Journey  to  Yincennes — Amu- 
sing incident — Visit  to  Tennessee — Religious  statistics — Preach- 
er Vardiinan —  Protestant  liberality  —  Dressing  a  preacher — 
Another   iournev    to  Vincennes — Administration — Clerical   re- 

«.'  at 

treats  and  conferences — Loving  the  laws  of  the  Church — Matri- 
.  monial  dispensations — Public  penance — Two  anecdotes — Recon- 
ciling enmities — Management  of  temporals — Two  visits  by 
Bishop  Dubourg — Correspondence  on  new  bishoprics — At  St. 
Louis  and  Pittsburgh — Dr.  Gallitzin — New  Archbishopric  in  the 
West — Bishops  of  Boston  and  of  New  York — Bishop  Dubourg 
leaves  America — His  character — The  Propagation  of  the  Faith — 
fnglesi. 

The  solicitude  of  all  the  churches  weighed  heavily 
on  the  mind  of  Bishop  Flaget.  Ko  sooner  does  he  re- 
turn from  one  journey,  than  he  is  compelled  to  start 
out  on  another.  Repose — he  looked  for  none  this  side 
of  heaven.     His  motto  was:  In  ccelo  quies — In  heaven 

REST. 

Our  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  enter  into  all  the 
details  of  his  numerous  visitations ;  nor  would  this  be 
either  useful  or  interesting  to  our  readers.  From  some 
remarks  already  made  on  the  subject  in  a  previous 
Chapter,  we  may  be  able  to  estimate  the  general  char- 
acter of  those  episcopal  missionary  excursions.     They 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  233 

were  all  much   alike ;  animated  by  the  same  devoted 
zeal,  and  utter  disregard  of  every  personal  comfort. 

But  our  narrative  would  be  incomplete,  without 
some  mention  of  the  longer  and  more  important  jour- 
neys, which  the  Bishop  performed  for  the  visitation  of 
his  still  immense  Diocese.  Hence  we  shall,  in  the 
present  Chapter,  give  a  brief  account  of  an  excursion 
he  made  to  Tennessee  in  1821  ;  and  of  two  journeys 
to  Vincennes  in  1819 — 1823: — taking  them  up  in  the 
order  of  time. 

Though  Bishop  Dubourg  had  sent  two  priests  to 
Vincennes  in  1818,  yet  this  was  understood  as  only 
a  temporary  accommodation  ;  and  the  Bishop  of  Bards- 
town  was  still  charged  with  the  missions  of  Indiana. 
The  last  priest  from  the  Diocese  of  New  Orleans,  who 
labored  in  this  State,  was  the  Rev.  M.  Dahmen ;  and 
he  was  withdrawn  November  1,  1821.*  The  Bishop, 
as  we  shall  see,  was  reduced  to  great  straits  in  provi- 
ding a  pastor  for  Yincennes. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  1819,  the  Bishop  started 
for  Louisville,  on  his  visitation  to  Indiana.  He  was 
accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Abell,  lately  ordained. 
On  the  22d,  he  left  New  Albany,  and  on  the  25th,  we 
find  him  at  Washington  ;  where  there  were  then  only 
twelve  or  fifteen  Catholic  families,  including  those  in 
the  neighborhood.  He  was  in  Yincennes  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  and  remained  there  till  the  6th  of  Decem- 
ber. He  here  divided  his  time  between  the  settlement 
of  temporal  affairs,  and  the  usual  duties  of  the  holy 
ministry.  Rev.  Mr.  Abell  preached  several  times,  to 
the  great  delight  and  edification  of  the  English  portion 

m     «  I    .  !■■■■-  J  r-  _     _  ii  .       ,  I  .      .      mi  u  ..  ,  I    ii.     i.i  !■■     ■     ii  .      .  ...  i|  *■■«». 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


234  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

of  the  inhabitants.  Having  given  confirmation,  the 
Bishop  started  for  home,  by  the  way  of  Princeton, 
Evansville,  and  the  lower  part  of  Kentucky.  He  does 
not  give  us  any  information  concerning  Evansville ; 
but  at  Princeton,  he  found  a  few  Catholics,  whose  faith 
was  very  weak. 

A  ludicrous  incident  occurred  during  this  or  a  sub- 
sequent journey  through  Indiana,  vhich  we  may  as 
well  relate  in  this  place.  It  may  serve  to  amuse  our 
readers,  to  indicate  the  social  progress  of  Indiana  at 
that  early  period,  and  to  relieve  somewhat  the  heavier 
topics  treated  of  in  these  Sketches. 

The  Bishop  and  Mr.  Abell  put  up  for  the  night  at  a 
way-side  house  of  entertainment,  which  was  a  one 
story  log  cabin,  with  a  garret,  or  loft,  approached  by  a 
ladder.  The  prelate  and  his  companion  lodged  in  this 
garret,  the  floor  of  which  was  covered  with  loose 
boards ;  while  the  family  and  some  wagoners  occupied 
the  lower  room.  The  Bishop  had  an  alarm-watch,  and 
he  set  it  so  as  to  go  off  at  four  o'clock, — his  usual  hour 
for  rising.  In  the  morning  the  watch  created  quite  an 
alarm  among  the  occupants  of  the  lower  floor.  Sev- 
eral sprang  to  their  feet  in  fright;  when  a  more  know- 
ing, or  a  more  drowsy  wagoner  calmed  them,  with  the 
complimentary  explanation :  "  Lie  still,  you  fools  !  it 
is  only  the  old  priest's  watch  which  has  basted!  "  * 

On  this  journey  he  also  visited  Harmony,  Indiana, 
then  flourishing  under  the  administration  of  the  found- 
er, Mr.  Rapp.  He  lamented  that  so  much  industry 
and  energy  were  wasted  on  objects — to  say  the  least — 

*  It  is  almost  needless  to  say,  that  this  anecdote  is  not  found  in 
the  Bishop's  Journal. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  235 

of  a  merely  temporal  nature.*  It  was  afterwards  sold 
to  Owen,  who  organized  there  a  society  from  which 
Religion,  individual  property,  and  indissoluble  mar- 
riage were  excluded.  When  the  Bishop  passed  by  the 
place  ten  years  later,  the  establishment  had  been  broken 
Up  :  -j- — go  true  is  it,  that  civilized  society  cannot  sub- 
sist, without  having  Religion  as  its  basis. 

On  the  eve  of  Christmas  day,  the  Bishop  reached 
Bardstown ;  and  he  celebrated  a  grand  Pontifical  Mass 
in  his  cathedral  on  that  great  festival  of  the  Church. 

In  March,  1820,  Rev.  MM.  ISTerinckx  and  Chabrat 
started  for  Europe ;  and  the  Bishop  being  compelled  to 
take  charge  of  many  of  their  congregations  during 
their  long  absence,  as  he  had  previously  done  during 
the  first  journey  of  M.  Nerinckx,  could  not  find  time 
to  leave  Kentucky  in  the  course  of  this  year.  His 
time  was  incessantly  employed  in  discharging  the 
duties  of  an  ordinary  missionary. 

When  Bishop  David  was  preparing  for  his  discussion 
with  the  Presbyterian  preacher  Hall,  early  in  the  fol- 
lowing year,  Bishop  Flaget  ordered  public  prayers  to 
be  offered  up  in  the  cathedral  congregation,  to  obtain 
victory  for  the  truth ;  and  also  as  some  reparation  for 
the  blasphemies,  which  would  no  doubt  be  uttered  by 
the  preacher  against  holy  persons  and  things,  especially 
against  the  Blessed  Sacrament. t 

Tennessee  was  a  portion  of  his  Diocese,  which  he 
had  never  as  yet  been  able  to  visit.  As  there  were  but 
few  Catholics  therein,  he  had  delayed  visiting  them, 
until  other  and  more  pressing  calls  would  be  met.     F. 

*  Journal,  1819.  t  Ibid,  1829. 

%  Ibid.,  January,  1821. 


236  SKETCHES   OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Badin  had  already  made  four  missionary  excursions  to 
this  State.* 

In  the  beginning  of  May,  1821,  the  Bishop  set  out 
on  this  journey,  and  proceeded  by  the  way  of  Breckin- 
ridge county,  in  order  to  take  with  him  the  Eev.  Mr. 
Abell,  who  was  there  stationed.  They  said  Mass  in 
Litchfield  on  the  7th,  and  on  the  8th  they  were  in 
Bowlinggreen,  where  they  found  but  five  Catholics. 
They  reached  Kashville  on  the  10th,  and  put  up  with 
a  M.  Mont  Brun,  a  Frenchman,  who  received  them 
with  tears  in  his  eyes.  On  the  following  day,  the  first 
Mass  that  was  ever  offered  up  by  a  Bishop  in  Tennes- 
see, was  celebrated  by  our  prelate,  in  the  house  of  his 
entertainer.  The  Blood  of  the  Lamb,  now  mystically 
shed  on  the  holy  altar,  made  a  potent  appeal  in  behalf 
of  that  infant  mission. 

The  total  number  of  Catholics  in  Nashville  and 
vicinity  did  not  exceed  sixty ;  f  and  there  were  not, 
perhaps,  half  as  many  more  in  all  the  rest  of  the  State. 
The  prospects  for  soon  establishing  a  congregation  here, 
were  certainly  not  very  flattering.  The  Catholics  were 
both  few  and  poor.  Yet  the  Bishop  was  not  dishear- 
tened, and  he  resolved  to  make  the  experiment. 

What  was  his  joy,  when  he  found  that  his  proposal 
was  most  favorably  entertained,  even  by  the  first  Pro- 
testant citizens  of  the  place !  A  liberal  subscription 
was  taken  up,  signed  by  Protestants  as  well  as  Catho- 
lics. A  lot  for  a  church,  70  by  100  feet,  was  offered 
by  a  Mr.  Foster,  grand  master  of  the  Masons.     The 


*  This  fact  he  states  himself  in  a  marginal  note  to  Bishop  Fla- 
get's  Report  to  the  Pope  in  1836. 
f  Journal,  May  20.. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  237 

Protestants  of  the  city  vied  with  one  another  in  show- 
ing every  polite  attention  to  the  Bishop  and  his  com- 
panion. The  late  Hon.  Felix  Grundy,  and  his  amiable 
family,  are  gratefully  mentioned  by  the  prelate  in  his 
Journal.  He  was  even  invited  to  take  tea  with  a  Pres- 
byterian preacher  named  Campbell. 

Many  of  the  first  families  attended  Mass ;  and  a 
large  and  intelligent  concourse  were  assembled  every 
evening  at  the  court  house,  to  hear  the  sermons  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Abell.  They  listened  with  profound  atten- 
tion to  his  eloquent  exposition  and  defence  of  the 
Catholic  doctrine,  on  confession,  on  baptism,  and  on 
several  other  points  little  understood  among  Protes- 
tants. 

The  notorious  Baptist  revivalist— Yardiman — was  in 
Nashville  at  the  time ;  and  he  took  the  alarm.  He 
even  went  so  far  as  to  give  notice,  that  lie  would  hold 
forth  in  the  court  house  on  an  evening,  when  it  was 
known  that  Mr.  Abell  was  engaged  to  preach  therein. 
The  stratagem  did  not,  however,  succeed;  his  friends 
prevailed  on  him  not  to  attempt  preaching,  as  great 
public  indignation,  already  partially  aroused  by  his  at- 
tempt, would  be  likely  to  break  upon  his  head,  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  injure  both  himself  and  his  sect. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Abell  also  preached  in  Franklin,  Ten- 
nessee, where  there  was  one  Irish  Catholic  family ;  and 
in  Columbia,  where  he  made  a  triumphant  answer  to  a 
preacher,  who  had  grossly  attacked  the  Catholic  Reli- 
gion. A  sermon  he  delivered  in  the  latter  place,  on 
the  real  presence,  made  a  great  impression ;  and  sev- 
eral Protestant  lawyers,  and  others  in  the  place,  made 
him  a  present  of  money  and  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  in 


238  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


5 


consideration  of  the  very  handsome  manner  in  which 
he  had  dressed  the  preacher,  who  appears  to  have  been 
both  ignorant  and  unpopular.* 

On  the  journey,  the  Bishop  served  Mr.  Abell's  Mass, 
and  they  mutually  went  to  confession  to  each  other. 
They  departed  for  home  on  the  27th  of  May. 

M.  Chabrat  returned  from  Europe,  July  18th,  1821, 
bringing  with  him  M.  Champomier  for  the  seminary, 
some  young  novices  for  the  religious  life,  and  the  bell, 
weighing  about  one  thousand  three  hundred  pounds, 
destined  for  the  cathedral.  M.  j^serinckx  returned  in 
the  following  December,  with  ten  novices  for  Loretto, 
some  superb  paintings  for  the  cathedral,  and  a  number 
of  other  articles  for  the  convents  and  for  the  missions. 
His  return  was  hailed  with  great  joy  by  his  congrega- 
tions, and  by  the  sisterhood  which  he  had  founded  nine 
years  previously.  During  the  absence  of  these  two 
missionaries,  the  Bishop  frequently  attended  sick  calls 
at  a  great  distance ;  often  as  far  as  Louisville,  where, 
for  some  time  alter  the  death  of  M.  Hosten,  there  was 
no  stationed  pastor. 

M.  Champomier  was  ordained  March  20th,  1823; 
and  two  months  later  he  was  sent  to  Vincennes.  He 
was  the  first  priest  from  the  Diocese  of  Bardstown, 
who  resided  permanently  in  Indiana. 

In  August,  1823,  the  Bishop,  after  having  visited 
with  Mr.  Abell  all  the  missions  lying  in  the  lower  part 
of  Kentucky,  went  again  to  Yincennes,  to  settle  every 

*  His  name  was  M  Conico.  While  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his 
harangue  against  the  Catholics,  Mr.  Abell  arrived,  and  gave  notice 
that  he  would  answer  him  that  evening.  The  sum  presented  him 
was  two  hundred  dollars. 


CHABACTEK    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  239 

thing  connected  with  the  residence  there  of  the  newly 
appointed  pastor.  In  going  and  returning,  he  visited 
Mt.  Pleasant,  where  he  confirmed  thirty-four  persons ; 
also  the  town  of  Washington,  and  two  French  settle- 
ments on  the  Wabash.  He  returned  in  October,  re- 
porting that  the  people  of  Yincennes  ardently  desired 
to  have  amongst  them  an  establishment  of  Sisters,  to 
conduct  a  school.* 

On  the  12th  of  August,  1824,  that  devoted  mission- 
ary, M.  Nerinckx,  died,  in  the  midst  of  his  apostolic 
labors,  at  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri;  whither  he  had 
gone  to  establish  branch  houses  of  his  sisterhood.  He 
calmly  breathed  his  last  in  the  arms  of  the  Rev.  M. 
Dahmen,  who  had  a  few  hours  before  administered  to 
him  all  the  last  Sacraments.  He  contracted  the  fever 
which  terminated  in  his  death  by  exposure  to  the  hot 
sun,  while  attending  a  small  settlement  of  Catholics, 
about  fifteen  miles  from  St.  Genevieve,  who  had  not 
seen  a  priest  for  two  years.  He  died  like  a  good  sol- 
dier, at  his  post ;  and  he  was  no  doubt  "  ripe  for 
heaven."  f 

The  Bishop  was  greatly  affected  by  the  intelligence. 
He  delivered  in  the  cathedral  a  glowing  eulogy  of  the 
good  missionary's  life,  and  held  him  up  as  a  model  of 
every  virtue.  Some  years  previously,  he  had  recorded 
the  following  estimate  of  the  character  of  the  deceased, 
in  his  Journal : 

"If  the  good  M.  Nerinckx  had  done  nothing  else, 

*  Letter  to  Bishop  David  from  Union  county,  Kentucky,  Octo- 
ber, 1823. 

f  From  Bishop  Flaget's  Letter  to  Bishop  England,  published  in 
the  U.  S.  Catholic  Miscellany,  December  8,  1824. 


240  SI  THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

but  to  establish  the  sisterhood  of  Loretto  in  this  coun- 
try, nothing  more  would  have  been  necessary  to  assure 
him  of  salvation  at  the  moment  of  death.  But  when 
we  add  to  this  the  immense  labors  of  his  apostolate,  it 
is  then  that  we  are  led  to  bless  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  rais- 
ing up  such  men  in  these  unhappy  times,  to  serve  as 
models  for  their  coteinporaries."  * 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  multiplied  cares 
and  constant  solicitude  attendant  on  the  episcopal 
office,  especially  in  this  country,  may  form  some  idea 
how  arduous  is  an  administration,  which  embraces  so 
many  subjects,  both  spiritual  and  temporal ;  and  which 
has  to  deal  with  so  many  persons  of  different,  and  often 
incompatible,  dispositions  and  temperaments.  When 
we  add  to  all  this,  the  extreme  nervous  susceptibility 
of  Bishop  Flaget,  and  that  exquisite  delicacy  of  feeling 
which  made  it  most  painful  to  him  to  wound,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  the  feelings  of  others,  even  in  the 
necessary  discharge  of  duty;  we  will  still  be  better 
able  to  appreciate  the  sufferings  he  must  have  endured 
in  administering  a  Diocese,  where  every  thing  was  to 
be  formed,  and  where  the  materials  for  the  work  were 
often  rude  and  unpolished.  From  what  has  been  inci- 
dentally stated  in  previous  Chapters,  some  opinion  may 
be  formed  of  the  Bishop's  administration.  We  propose 
now  to  furnish  a  few  additional  facts  and  incidents 
illustrative  of  the  same  subject. 

The  first  care  of  his  administration  regarded  his 
clergy.  The  wish  nearest  to  his  heart  was,  that  they 
might  be  u  models  of  the  flock,"  and  indued  with  all 
the  virtues  of  the  apostles.     The  good  work  which  was 

*  Journal,  1815. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  241 

to  extend  to  the  farthest  extremities  of  his  Diocese, 
bringing  "the  peace  of  Christ"  to  the  hearts  of  men, 
was  to  begin  in  the  sanctuary  itself.  The  people  would 
be  like  their  priests ;  and  the  latter  should  be  holy,  in 
order  that  the  former  might  become  good  Christians. 

To  secure  this  desirable  result,  he  enacted  a  decree 
in  September,  1822,  that  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese 
should  meet  annually  in  spiritual  retreat ;  at  the  close 
of  which,  conferences  would  be  held  on  various  sub- 
jects connected  wTith  the  exercise  of  the  holy  ministry. 
These  retreats  were  often  conducted  by  Bishop  David ; 
and  the  Bishop  gave  great  edification,  by  performing  all. 
the  exercises  at  the  head  of  his  clergy.  They  produced 
the  most  salutary  results ;  and  the  clergy  went  out  from 
them,  filled  with  renewed  zeal,  courage  and  energy. 

The  first  synod,  or  conference,  held  in  compliance 
with  this  decree,  began  at  Bardstown,  August  5,  1823. 
Several  important  subjects  were  discussed,  and  some 
regulations  adopted  for  the  uniform  administration  of 
the  sacraments.  Though  promulgated  to  the  clergy, 
these  statutes  were  never,  however,  published. 

At  this  conference,  Bishop  David  gave  an  example 
of  candor  and  humility  too  edifying  to  be  omitted. 
Some  misunderstanding  having  existed  in  regard  to  the 
person  who  was  expected  to  prepare  beforehand  the 
matter  for  clerical  deliberation,  Bishop  David  thought 
he  had  been  slighted.  Being  naturally  of  a  hasty  tem- 
perament, he  had  in  consequence  indulged  in  some 
expressions  of  impatience.  The  fault  was  very  slight, 
and  scarcely  remarked  by  the  clergy  ;  but  on  reflection, 
the  contrition  of  the  humble  prelate  was  so  intense  for 
the  scandal  he  thought  he  had  given,  that  nothing  short 
16 


'24:2  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

of  a  public  apology,  made  in  the  most  ample  terms  be- 
fore the  assembled  clergy,  could  put  his  conscience  at 
rest !  The  scene  was  very  touching,  and  it  made  a  deep 
impression. 

Bishop  Flaget  loved  the  laws  of  the  Church,  and 
sought  to  have  them  every  where  respected.  Nothing 
gave  him  more  pain,  than  to  see  any  of  those  holy  regu- 
lations of  discipline  neglected  or  violated  by  Catholics. 
He  granted  matrimonial  dispensations  with  great  reluc- 
tance and  sorrow ;  and  when  circumstances  sometimes 
compelled  him  to  concede  them,  he  did  it  with  fear  and 
trembling;  ejaculating  on  such  occasions:  "Give  me 
strength,  0  my  God,  to  resist  such  violent  and  impor- 
tunate demands: — happy,  a  thousand  times  happy,  are 
those  who  have  to  give  an  account  only  of  themselves  !  "  * 

He  was  much  distressed  at  finding  so  many  persons. 
who  wished  to  marry  before  making  their  first  commu- 
nion ;  f  and  he  most  cordially  hated  mixed  marriages, 
on  account  of  the  evils  usuallv  following  them.  "  If 
there  is  so  much  disorder  on  the  earth,  it  is  because 
there  is  not,  perhaps,  one  marriage  in  a  thousand  which 
is  in  accordance  with  the  will,  and,  above  all,  the 
spirit  of  God.r  J 

Upon  those  who  married  out  of  the  Church,  he  usu- 
ally imposed  a  public  penance,  more  or  less  severe. 
Assisting  a  sick  man  who  had  married  his  first  cousin 
without  a  dispensation,  he  required  from  him, — among 
other  things  laid  down  as  a  condition  for  absolution, — 
a  promise  to  do  public  penance  on  his  recovery,  and  to 
ask  pardon  publicly  for  the  scandal  he  had  given. 

On  occasion  of  an  application  for  a  dispensation  in 

*  Journal,  January  7,  1816.         f  Ibid — 1815.  X  Ibid' 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  243 

this  same  degree  of  kindred,  he  breathed  the  following- 
prayer,  which  came  warm  from  his  heart:  u  Vouch- 
safe, O  my  God,  to  enlighten  me,  that  I  may  do  nothing 
to  weaken  the  discipline  of  the  Church :  my  only  de- 
sire is,  to  be  a  conscientious  depository  of  faith  and  dis- 
cipline, in  order  to  be  found  after  my  death  among  the 
faithful  servants.'1  *  This  application  troubled  him  so 
far,  as  to  make  him  sick,  f 

Called  to  visit  a  sick  drunkard,  he  induced  him:  1. 
To  beg  pardon  for  his  excesses ;  2.  To  promise  to  do 
public  penance  on  recovery;  3.  To  permit  him  (the 
Bishop)  publicly  to  beg  pardon,  in  his  name,  of  the 
congregation  which  he  had  scandalized  ;  4.  To  pay  his 
salary,  which  he  had  neglected;  and  5.  To  be  recon- 
ciled to  his  wife,  whom  he  had  ill-treated.  J 

He  admired  greatly  the  simple,  solemn,  and  impres- 
sive music  of  the  Gregorian  chant;  and  feared  lest  it 
might  not  be  sufficiently  appreciated  after  his  death: 
"  After  the  death  of  the  two  Bishops,  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  English  and  worldly  airs  will  take  the  place  of  the 
the  grave  Gregorian  chant."  § 

His  sternness  and  severity  were  only  occasional ;  the 
habitual  feature  in  his  administration,  as  in  his  charac- 
ter, was  the  greatest  mildness,  sweetness,  and  charity 
to  all  persons,  no  matter  how  humble  or  disagreeable. 
He  strove  earnestly,  with  the  apostle,  to  make  himself 
"all  to  all,  to  win  all  to  Christ." 

He  had  a  happy  tact  for  spiritual  direction,  and  could 
give  an  advice  disagreeable  to  nature  in  the  most  pleas- 
ant manner  imaginable.     The  following  incident,  which 

*  Journal,  January  22,  1816.  f  Ibid. 

I  Ibid—March  1,  1816.  I  Ibid— March  1825. 


244  SKETCHES   OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

he  often  related,  may  serve  as  an  instance  of  this  trait 
of  character: 

Among  his  penitents  was  a  very  pious  and  discreet 
lady,  who  aspired  to  high  perfection.  She  found  the 
holy  prelate  too  mild  and  indulgent,  and  often  begged 
him  to  impose  on  her  heavier  penances.  She  frequent- 
ly addressed  him  in  these  words:  "Father,  try  me!  * 
The  Bishop  said  nothing;  but  some  time  afterwards, 
being  in  need  of  a  suitable  veil  for  the  chalice,  he  pur- 
chased the  silk,  and  requested  the  lady  to  make  it  up 
according  to  his  directions.  She  joyfully  undertook  to 
perform  this  service,  and  in  a  few  days  brought  him  the 
veil  prepared  in  the  very  best  style.  She  expected  a 
compliment  for  her  diligence  and  skill  in  needle-work ; 
but  what  was  her  surprise  when  she  saw  the  prelate  re- 
ceive the  article  with  coldness,  and  even  an  air  of  suspi- 
cion !  After  having  carefully  examined  and  measured  the 
cloth,  he  turned  to  her,  and  coolly  asked :  "  Madam !  is 
this  all  ?  I  purchased  such  an  amount  of  silk ;  is  it  all 
here  % r  Her  face  reddened  in  an  instant,  and  she  ex- 
claimed, in  evident  passion:  "Do  you  take  me  for  a 
thief  V'  The  prelate  hereupon  laughed  outright;  and, 
with  an  arch  expression  of  graceful  sweetness,  rejoined, 
imitating  her  tone :  "  Father  !  do  try  me !  "  The  lady 
immediately  understood  the  rebuke ;  and  she  no  doubt 
derived  profit  from  the  severe  trial,  which  proved  to  her 
conclusively  that  she  had  not  as  yet  attained  to  perfec- 
tion. 

We  may  as  well  relate  here  another  anecdote,  which 
will  show  that  the  prelate  had  frequently  need  of  both 
gravity  and  patience  in  his  administration : 

An  old  lady,  over  whom  more  than  sixty  summers 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  245 

had  passed,  once  applied  to  him  for  advice  in  a  matter 
of  grave  importance.  She  had  received  a  proposal  of 
marriage,  and  she  wished  to  know  how  she  should  act 
on  an  occasion  so  critical !  Having  listened  patiently 
to  her  case,  the  Bishop  promptly  advised  her  to  reject 
the  offer,  and  to  spend  her  remaining  clays  in  prepara- 
tion for  death,  which  could  not  be  far  distant.  He  en- 
tered into  an  elaborate  argument  to  convince  her  of  the 
soundness  of  his  advice ;  and  as  she  heard  him  with 
seeming  attention  and  interest,  he  entertained  hopes 
that  he  had  succeeded.  At  the  close  of  his  discourse, 
the  aged  lady  rose  abruptly  from  her  seat,  and  turning 
to  him,  replied  rather  sharply:  "  If  such  be  your  ad- 
vice, I  shall  not  follow  it !  '  She  hastily  withdrew, 
leaving  the  prelate  in  a  curious  state  of  suspense  be- 
tween laughter  and  annoyance  at  her  strange  behavior. 
She  married  in  effect;  but  early  in  the  morning  after 
her  espousals,  she  was  astonished  to  find  that  her  hus- 
band had  escaped  with  one  of  the  finest  horses  in  her 
stable !  He  and  the  steed  were  never  heard  of  after- 
wards ;  and  the  good  lady  had  abundant  leisure  to  be 
convinced  that  the  Bishop  had  given  her  good  advice.* 

He  was  often  eminently  successful  in  healing  divi- 
sions and  reconciling  inveterate  enmities.  His  patience 
and  sweetness  on  these  trying  occasions  won  the  hearts 
of  the  litigants,  and  they  placed  themselves  entirely  in 
his  hands,  to  be  moulded  like  wax.  We  will  present 
one  or  two  examples  of  this. 

In  1817,  he  went  to  Scott  county,  chiefly  to  settle  a 
long-standing  dispute  and  enmity  between  two  of  the 

*  This  anecdote  was  related  by  the  prelate  himself,  in  his  own 
happy  manner,  which  we  regret  we  cannot  better  imitate. 


L'J.  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

principal  heads  of  families  in  the  congregation;  which 
had  been  much  disedined  and  agitated  by  this  unseeru- 
lv  quarrel.  On  arriving,  he  and  Father  Badin  were 
engaged  for  two  whole  weeks  in  examining  facts  and 
papers  on  both  sides,  without  coming  to  any  satisfac- 
tion result.  The  disputants  seemed  farther  than  ever 
from  an  accommodation.  At  last,  one  of  them  re- 
marked, with  some  bitterness  of  tone,  that  "He  wished 
he  had  burned  all  his  papers,  and  never  brought  up  the 
matter  for  adjudication." 

The  Bishop  seized  eagerly  on  the  hint,  and  at  once 
earnestly  exhorted  them  both  to  burn  their  papers,  and 
to  forget  the  past.  They  could  not  resist  his  touching 
appeal,  uttered  with  so  much  fatherly  feeling;  they 
immediately  promised  to  act  on  the  advice.  The  next 
morning,  the  Bishop  said  Mass  in  the  house  of  one  of 
these  men,  the  other  being  present.  One  of  them  was 
placed  to  the  right,  and  the  other  to  the  left  of  the 
altar;  and  before  the  communion,  the  Bishop  turned 
roun  1  and  addressed  them  one  of  his  most  fervid  ex- 
hortations. After  Mass,  the  papers  were  solemnly 
burned ;  the  two  enemies  shook  hands  ;  and  the  feud 
was  terminated, — much  to  the  joy  and  edification  of 
all  present,  many  of  whom  could  not  restrain  their 
tears.* 

In  1823,  another  angry  discussion  arose  in  the  same 
congregation,  in  regard  to  the  management  of  the 
church  land  and  property.  The  Bishop  visited  the 
place,  accompanied  by  M.  Chabrat.  At  first,  he  was 
insulted  by  different  persons,  who  wrote  him  imperti- 
nent letters.     But  by   mildness,  combined   with  firm- 

*  Journal,  March  7,  1817. 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  247 

n.ess,  he  soon  overcame  every  obstacle;  the  whole 
congregation  consented  to  the  arrangement,  settled  by 
writings,  by  which  the  Bishop  was  recognized  as  the 
sole  manager  of  the  property,  with  the  right  to  appoint 
an  agent.  Some  persons  who  had  threatened  to  de- 
mand back  the  money  they  had  subscribed  for  the 
church  and  land,  burned  their  papers,  and  agreed  to 
the  adjustment.* 

It  may  be  remarked  here,  en  passant,  that  this  con- 
gregation, once  the  most  flourishing  in  the  Diocese  in 
point  of  numbers  and  wealth,  has  since,  by  emigration 
to  other  parts  of  the  State  and  to  Missouri,  so  far 
dwindled  down,  that  it  is  now  one  of  the  smallest. 
God  did  not  bless  the  spirit  of  dissension  which  had  in 
early  times  been  there  so  often  exhibited. 

A  similar  difficulty,  which  was,  however,  soon  sup- 
pressed, manifested  itself  about  the  same  time  in  the 
congregation  of  Holy  Cross, — the  oldest  in  the  State. 
Here  a  small,  but  clamorous  portion  of  the  congrega- 
tion made  the  absurd  demand  on  the  Bishop,  that  the 
people  should  be  permitted  to  elect  an  overseer  for  the 
farm,  and  that  the  latter  should  be  empowered  to  nom- 
inate the  pastor !  The  Bishop  clicl  not  yield  to  indig- 
nation; but  by  mildly  stating  the  absurdities  of  the 
suggestion,  the  disaffected  were  won  over ;  and  peace 
again  reigned  in  the  congregation. 

For  the  management  of  temporalities,  the  Bishop 
adopted  the  plan  of  appointing  himself  certain  pious 
and  respectable  members  of  each  congregation  to  act 
as  trustees ;  or,  as  was  oftener  the  case,  of  sanctioning 
the  appointment  of  persons  selected  for  this  office  by 

*  Journal,  February  1823. 


_'  \  s  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

the  local  pastors.  These  trustees  had  no  control  over 
their  clergyman;  but  they  were  expected  to  relieve 
hi  in  of  the  disagreeable  office  of  asking  for  his  own 
support,  and  of  all  anxiety  about  temporal  affairs. 

The  church  property  was  deeded  to  the  Bishop,  in 
trust,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  each  particular  congre- 
gation ;  and  subsequently  a  charter  of  incorporation 
was  obtained  from  the  Legislature,  allowing  the  Bishop 
to  transmit  such  trust  property,  and  also  real  estate 
owned  by  himself  in  fee  simple,  to  his  successors  in 
office.* 

As  was  stated  in  the  previous  Chapter,  Bishop  Fla- 
get,  as  early  as  December,  1819,  had  begun  a  corres- 
pondence with  Bishop  Dubourg  on  the  subject  of  new 
episcopal  sees  at  Cincinnati,  Detroit,  and  Yincennes. 
The  only  result  of  this  correspondence  was  the  appoint- 
ment of  Father  Fenwick  to  Cincinnati.  The  chief 
difficulty  consisted  in  finding  suitable  candidates.  The 
subject  was  renewed  in  1822.  In  July  of  this  year, 
the  Bishop  of  Bardstown  received  a  letter  from  Bishop 
Dubourg,  who  "was  in  great  humor  to  make  new 
Bishops ; "  f  proposing  one  for  St.  Louis,  one  for  Yin- 
cennes, and  another  for  Florida.  This  prelate  paid 
Bishop  Flaget  a  visit  in  Kentucky  during  the  following 
September ;  and  they  conferred  together  at  length  on 
the  subject  of  the  new  bishoprics,  and  on  other  matters 
of  importance.  J 

Shortly  after  the  departure  of  his  venerable  friend, 
Bishop  Flaget  wrote  to  Rome,  asking  a  Bishop  for  De- 
troit, and  requesting  the  Holy  Father  to  assign  the 
missions  of  Illinois  to  Bishop  Dubourg,  and  those  of 

*  In  1842,  f  Journal— 76id.  |  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  249 

Indiana  to  Bishop  Fenwick,  until  permanent  arrange- 
ments could  be  made  for  them.  For  reasons  with 
which  we  are  unacquainted,  this  application  was  un- 
successful. Rome  acts  slowly  and  warily,  and  only 
after  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  whole  merits  of  the 
case.  The  see  of  Detroit  was  not  erected  until  more 
than  ten  years  afterwards,  and  that  of  Yincennes  at  a 
still  later  period.  The  Bishop  was  compelled  to  bear 
for  many  years  longer  a  responsibility,  the  extent  and 
amount  of  which,  he  felt,  were  too  great  and  too  much 
for  any  one  man. 

In  January,  1823,  our  prelate  was  cheered  by  a  visit 
from  the  new  Bishop  of  Cincinnati,  with  whom  he  con- 
ferred on  the  state  of  the  Ohio  missions,  already  pre- 
senting a  nattering  aspect.  In  the  April  following,  he 
had  another  visit  from  Bishop  Dubourg,  to  meet  whom 
he  went  to  Louisville.  Here  the  Bishop  of  New 
Orleans  preached  to  a  large  audience  in  the  court 
house,  on  the  interpretation  of  scripture  and  confes- 
sion ;  much  to  the  joy  of  the  Catholics,  and  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  Protestants.  On  his  return  to  St.  Louis, 
the  prelate  took  with  him  additional  sisters  from  Loret- 
to,  for  the  establishment  lately  erected  at  Bethlehem. 
The  Rev.  D.  Mulholland  was  then  pastor  of  the  congre- 
gation in  Louisville. 

In  December  of  this  year  (1823),  the  Bishop  received 
the  joyful  intelligence,  that  Dr.  Joseph  Rosati  had 
been  named  Coadjutor  of  the  Bishop  of  New  Orleans ; 
and  that  after  the  lapse  of  three  years,  the  Bishop  elect 
would  be  transferred  to  St.  Louis,  as  the  first  Bishop  of 
that  city.  The  intelligence  was  subsequently  confirm- 
ed.    Dr.  Rosati  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Tenagria 


250  SKETCHES    OF    THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

and  Coadjutor  of  Bishop  Dubourg  at  New  Orleans, 
March  25th,  1824 ;  and  he  became  Bishop  of  St.  Louis 
in  1«27. 

From  the  Bishop's  correspondence  with  Dr.  Dubourg 
we  gather  that  it  was  question  of  proposing  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  see  at  Pittsburgh,  as  early  as  1S25.  On 
this  subject  the  Bishop  of  New  Orleans  writes  as  fol- 
lows: 

a  Should  you  judge  it  opportune  to  demand  the 
erection  of  a  see  at  Pittsburgh,  embracing  the  territory 
bordering  on  the  Alleghany  (Western  Pennsylvania) 
and  a  portion  of  Virginia,  I  will  unite  with  you: — but 
1st.  You  should  define  very  distinctly  the  boundaries 
of  the  new  Diocese ;  2dly.  The  Archbishop  and  the 
Bishop  of  Philadelphia,  who  are  both  interested,  should 
be  consulted,  and  should  unite  in  the  petition ;  3dly.  I 
would  propose  the  Prince  Gallitzin  as  first  on  the  list, 
and  Mr.  Maguire  as  second.  I  think  the  first  place 
due  to  the  former,  in  consequence  of  his  long  and  use- 
ful services,  and  for  the  good  he  has  effected  in  those 
quarters ;  and  because  he  has  already  a  large  establish- 
ment which  would  be  very  useful  to  the  new  bishop- 
ric." * 

We  do  not  learn  whether  the  application  was  actually 
made  to  Rome  at  this  time ;  but  we  gather  from  a  pre- 
vious letter  of  Bishop  Dubourg,  that  he  had  before 
petitioned  the  Holy  See  to  have  Dr.  Gallitzin  appoin- 
ted a  titular  Bishop  (in  part  thus),  as  a  mark  of  the 
estimation  in  which  the  Holy  See  held  his  distinguished 

services  and  great  sacrifices  in  the  cause  of  Religion. f 
g —^ — 

*  Letter  dated  New  Orleans,  November  28.  1825. 

f  Latin  letter  to   Rome,  without  date,  written  about  the  year 

1822. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  251 

He  had  also  proposed  the  same  eminent  ecclesiastic  as 
the  first  Bishop  of  Detroit;  though  in  the  second  place 
on  the  list,  Father  Grassi  having  been  the  first.* 

While  on  this  subject  of  new  bishoprics,  we  will 
mention  a  few  other  facts,  in  which  we  feel  the  more 
free,  as  the  parties  concerned  are  all  now  dead ;  and, 
we  trust,  gone  to  their  eternal  reward. 

The  Bishops  of  Bardstown  and  Xew  Orleans,  the 
only  prelates  in  the  West  and  South  until  1822,  took  a 
conspicuous  part  in  arranging  the  preliminaries  for  the 
erection  of  new  se.s  and  the  appointment  of  new 
Bishops,  not  only  for  this  portion  of  the  Union,  but 
also  for  the  Eastern  States.  Though  the  latter  prelate 
was,  it  would  appear,  a  man  of  superior  talents  to,  and 
equal  address  with,  the  former,  jet  he  always  greatly 
deferred  to  his  judgment,  illumined  as  he  knew  it  to 
be,  by  his  great  sanctity  of  life  and  confirmed  spirit  of 
prayer. 

As  early  as  1819,  a  correspondence  was  opened  be- 
tween the  two  Bishops  on  the  establishment  of  an 
archbishopric  in  the  West,  consequent  upon  the  erec- 
tion of  Cincinnati  into  a  see.  Bishop  Dubourg  pro- 
posed that  the  new  archiepiscopal  see  should  be  located 
either  at  Bardstown  or  St.  Louis. f 

In  the  Latin  Letter  to  Rome,  above  quoted,  he  strong- 
ly and  most  energetically  urged  upon  the  Holy  See  the 
appointment  of  such  persons  only,  for  Bishops  in  the 
United  States,  as  were  already  fully  acquainted  with 
our  missions,  and  as  would  be  properly  recommended 
by  the  American  prelates.  For  the  new  Diocese  of 
St.  Louis,  he  proposed   M.  Brute  as  the  first,   md  M. 

*  Same  Letter.  f  October  21,  1819. 


252  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Rosati  as  the  second  on  the  list ;  and  he  suggested  that 
the  new  Diocese  should  embrace  Missouri,  Illinois, 
and  the  portion  of  Arkansas  north  of  the  river  bearing 
the  same  name. 

Not  being  in  possession  of  the  Letters  written  to 
Bishop  Dubourg  by  our  prelate,  we  are  not  prepared  to 
say  how  far  the  latter  concurred  in  these  recommenda- 
tions ;  which  were  only  partially  adopted  by  the  Holy 
See.  He  probably  dissented,  in  part  at  least,  from- the 
suggestions  of  his  venerable  colleague. 

Shortly  after  his  consecration  in  Rome,  Bishop  Du- 
bourg had  applied  to  the  Holy  See  to  dissolve  the  con- 
nexion which  bound  his  see  to  the  province  of  Havana, 
and  to  make  him  a  suffragan  of  Baltimore.  But  the 
application  was  unsuccessful; — Borne  being  very  slow 
in  changing  existing  arrangements.*  He  seems  to  have 
remained,  and  to  have  considered  himself  a  suffragan 
of  the  Archbishop  of  Havana,  so  long  as  he  continued 
in  America.  As  late  as  the  spring  of  1826, — a  very 
short  time  before  his  final  departure,  —  he  wrote  to 
Bishop  Flaget,  expressing  some  surprise  that  he  had 
not  been  consulted  in  regard  to  the  erection  of  the  new 
See  of  Mobile ;  but  he  deemed  the  probable  reason  of 
the  omission  to  have  been,  that  he  belonged  to  the  prov- 
ince of  Havana.  He,  however,  cordially  approved  the 
appointment  of  Dr.  Portier ;  who  was  consecrated  Nov. 
5,  1820. 

Bishop  Flaget  exerted  a  strong  influence  in  having 
the  Rev.  B.  J.  Fenwick,  his  favorite  pupil  at  George- 
town, appointed  to  the  see  of  Boston,  and  Dr.  Dubois 

*  Letter  from  Europe,  written  in  February  or  March,  1816 — sup. 
cit. 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  253 

to  that  of  New  York.*  Bishop  Dubourg  dissented 
from  him  in  opinion  on  these  nominations.  He  had 
recommended  Father  Fenwick  for  New  York,  where  he 
thought  he  was  much  more  needed,  and  might  do  far 
more  good  than  in  Boston.  Even  after  the  appoint- 
ment of  this  ecclesiastic  to  Boston  had  been  made 
known,  he  asked  Bishop  Flaget  to  unite  with  him  in 
an  earnest  petition  to  Borne,  to  have  the  new  Bishop 
transferred  to  New  York  ;  suggesting  also,  that  for  a 
time  Boston  might  still  be  administered  by  him,  until  a 
suitable  Bishop  could  be  chosen  for  that  city.  He 
doubted  whether  M.  Dubois,  so  long  accustomed  to  col- 
leges, would  suit  for  New  York ;  which  required,  he 
thought,  an  American  Bishop,  or  one  whose  native 
tongue  was  English. j- 

In  May,  1826,  Bishop  Dubourg  left  his  Diocese,  and 

*  This  is  still  farther  confirmed  by  the  fact,  that  Archbishop  Ma- 
rechal  addressed  to  him  a  letter  of  fraternal  complaint,  that  he  had 
deprived  the  archdiocese  of  Baltimore  of  the  services  of  two  clergy» 
men  so  distinguished  as  Drs.  Fenwick  and  Dubois.  In  his  answer 
to  the  Archbishop,  our  prelate  urges  the  necessity  of  the  case,  and 
the  general  good  of  the  Church.  In  the  same  letter,  he  opposes  the 
nomination  of  Dr.  Chabrat  to  the  See  of  Vincennes,  on  the  ground 
that  he  could  not  then  dispense  with  his  valuable  services.  He 
concludes  his  letter  to  the  Archbishop  in  this  amiable  way  : 

"  This  is  assuredly  a  long  letter,  well  worthy  a  sexagenarian.  I 
have  sought  in  it  to  explain  my  thoughts,  and  by  no  means  to  give 
pain.  Therefore,  should  there  be  in  it  the  least  thing  calculated 
to  wound  your  delicacy,  I  disapprove  of  it ;  for  no  one  in  the  world 
has  for  you  more  sincere  and  more  true  sentiments  of  esteem,  re- 
spect, and  affection,  than  your  all-devoted  servant  and  brother," 
&c. 

This  extract,  and  the  substance  of  the  letter,  were  furnished  by 
the  Archbishop  of  Baltimore. 

f  Letter,  November  5,  1825. 


25  4  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

went  to  Europe  on  ecclesiastical  business.*  He  never 
turned  ;  but  died  Archbishop  of  Besancon  in  1833. 
Bis  eminent  talents,  his  holiness  of  life,  and  his  long 
services  on  the  American  missions,  had  richly  entitled 
him  t<>  this  promotion.  He  was  one  of  the  most  bril- 
liant ornaments  of  our  hierarchy. 

t/ 

After  his  departure,  his  Coadjutor,  Bishop  Rosati, 
administered  the  Diocese  of  New  Orleans,  until  the 
appointment  of  another  Bishop  for  that  city.  The 
Bulls,  appointing  him  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  and  admin- 
istrator of  New  Orleans,  dated  July  14,  reached  him 
November  1,  1826. 

Bishop  Flaget  had  already  written  to  Rome,  asking 
the  translation  of  Dr.  Rosati  to  St.  Louis,  and  the  nom- 
ination of  the  Rev.  Leo  de  Nekere,  as  successor  to  Bish- 
op Dubourg  at  New  Orleans.  Of  the  appointment  and 
consecration  of  the  latter,  we  will  speak  more  appropri- 
ately in  the  next  Chapter. 

We  may  as  well  mention  here,  that  Bishop  Flaget  not 
only  felt  a  lively  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Religion 
throughout  the  United  States,  but  also  took  an  active 
part  in  promoting  it  by  his  influence,  which  was  con- 
siderable,  both  at  home  and  with  the  Holy  See.  Thus 
we  find  that  he  wrote  several  Letters  to  Rome  on  the 
Hogan  case,  in  which  he  fully  stated  his  opinion,  and 
advised  prompt,  but  prudent  action,  to  put  an  end  to 
the  scandal. 

^Y  l-  find  also,  that  his  solicitude  extended  occasion- 

t  He  reached   St.   Louis  on   the  eve  of  Ascension  day,  May  3. 

-  •  On  the  following  day  he  preached  ;  and  immediately  after 
M  188  went  to  the  steamboat, — to  which  he  would  permit  no  one  to 
accompany  him, — on  his  way  to  France. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  255 

ally  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  Union.  Thus  in  1824, 
the  Propaganda  consulted  him  with  regard  to  a  differ- 
ence which  had  existed  for  some  time  between  the  Sul- 
picians  of  Canada  and  the  Bishop  of  Quebec. 

We  will  close  this  Chapter  by  mentioning  an  inci- 
dent belonging  to  the  period  of  which  we  are  writing  ; 
and  which  is  sufficiently  striking,  as  tending  to  show 
that  God  not  unfrequently  draws  goodout  of  evil.  A  man 
of  fine  address  and  insinuating  manners,  named  Inglesi, 
had  so  far  won  on  the  confidence  of  Bishop  Dubourg,  as 
to  be  sent  to  Europe  by  him,  with  full  authority  to  solicit 
contributions  for  his  Diocese  in  his  name.  This  man — a 
clergyman — proved  subsequently  how  utterly  unworthy 
he  was  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him ;  but  while  at  Lyons 
in  1822,  he  suggested  the  formation  of  a  Society  for  the 
aid  of  foreign  missions,  and  he  plead  the  cause  with  so 
much  earnestness  and  eloquence,  that  soon  afterwards 
the  foundations  were  laid  of  that  famous  Association 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  which  has  since  done 
so  much  for  the  advancement  of  Religion.  The  pro- 
ceeds of  the  first  year's  collection, — not  very  large, — 
were  divided  between  China,  and  the  Bishops  of  New 
Orlea'hs  and  Bardstown.  The  portion  which  was  as- 
signed to  the  last  named  prelate  was  six  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  ninety-three  francs,  or  about  one  thousand 
three  hundred  dollars.  This  first  distribution  took 
place  in  1823.* 

*  These  facts  are  derived  from  the  correspondence  between  Bish- 
ops Flaget  and  Dubourg. 


256  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    ANT) 


CHAPTER    XI. 


THE   JUBILEE   OF    1825-7 THE   CHOLERA NEW   COADJUTOR, 


1826  —  1834. 


Why  this  Jubilee  was  solemn  —  Conferences — Discomfiture  of 
Sneed — Effects  of  Jubilee— Bishop  Flaget  consecrates  Archbish- 
"YVhitfield,  and  goes  to  the  first  Provincial  Council — His  meeting 
with  Bishop  England— Charles  Carroll  of  Carrolton — The  Bishop 
in  Court— His  speech  on  the  occasion- — Offers  his  resignation — 
Consecration  of  Bishop  Kenrick — Bishop  England  in  Kentucky — 
Bishop  Flaget's  eloquence— He  is  sad — How  consoled — Arrival 
of  the  Jesuits — Meets  Bishop  Rosati  at  Arincennes — Goes  to  St, 
Louis — His  resignation  accepted — Excitement  in  Kentucky — He 
is  reinstated — The  Cholera— His  devotedness— He  is  seized  with 
the  malady — His  new  Coadjutor  consecrated — -Consecration  of 
Bishops  Purcell,  Rese,  Brute,  Miles,  and  De  Neckere — Anecdote 
of  Bishop  England. 

Two  circumstances  rendered  the  Jubilee  of  1825-7 
peculiarly  impressive  and  solemn  throughout  the  world ; 
and  one  made  it  especially  so  in  the  Diocese  of  Bards- 
town.  Besides  being  proclaimed  at  the  stated  time,— 
the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  this  century, — it  was 
commemorative  of  the  accession  of  Leo  XII.  to  the  ponti- 
fical throne  ;  and  it  had,  for  this  Diocese,  the  additional 
attraction  of  novelty.  It  was  the  first  occasion  on  which 
the  Catholics  of  the  West  were  ever  called  upon  to 
unite  with  their  brethren  throughout  Christendom  in 
solemn  thanksgiving  and  prayer,  and  in  offering  a  holy 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  257 

violence  to  the  throne  of  grace  :  while,  by  the  Keys  of 
St.  Peter,  in  the  hands  of  his  successor,  the  treasures  of 
the  Church  were  freely  opened  to  all,  and  the  fountains 
of  grace  were  flowing  abundantly  into  the  hearts  of  the 
fervent  and  the  repentant.  This  season  of  benediction 
marked  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  flock  committed 
to  the  charge  of  Bishop  Flaget ;  and  its  happy  results 
filled  the  heart  of  the  holy  prelate  with  joy  and  conso- 
lation. 

The  Holy  See  allowed  the  Bishop  two  years  for  pro- 
mulgating the  Jubilee  in  the  various  portions  of  his 
extensive  Diocese ;  while  six  months  were  allotted  to 
each  congregation  for  gaining  the  Indulgence. 

The  good  work  began  in  the  sanctuary.  The  priests 
who  were  to  announce  the  blessings  of  the  Jubilee  were 
themselves  first  to  receive  its  fruits  in  their  own  hearts ; 
that  being  themselves  inflamed  with  divine  charity, 
they  might  enkindle  every  where  that  "fire  which 
Christ  came  to  cast  on  earth."  The  exercises  for  the 
clergy  began  at  Bardstown  on  the  1st  of  September, 
1826  ;  and  they  closed  on  the  8th, — the  feast  of  the  Na- 
tivity of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

On  the  following  Sunday,  September  10,  the  Jubilee 
was  promulgated  in  the  cathedral.  During  the  week 
the  attendance  was  very  large,  embracing  Protestants 
as  well  as  Catholics.  Besides  the  usual  devotional  ex~ 
ercises  and  sermons,  a  method  of  instruction  was  adop 
ted, — new  in  Kentucky, — which  awakened  great  atten 
tion,  and  produced  the  most  happy  results.  This  was 
the  conference  between  two  clergymen  on  doctrinal  and 
moral  subjects  ;  one  asking  questions  or  making  objec- 
tions, and  the  other  answering  them.  In  these  confer  - 
17 


258  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    ANT> 

ences,  at  Bardstown  and  throughout  the  Diocese,  the 
Rev.  F.  P.  Kenrick  was  generally  the  respondent. 
This  zealous  clergyman  was  taken  ill,  while  preaching 
the  Jubilee  in  Spencer  county  in  October,  1826  ;  and 
the  exercises  were  in  consequence  interrupted  for  several 
months.  His  illness  was  grievous  and  lingering,  and 
at  one  time  it  was  thought  to  be  dangerous  ;  but  God 
preserved  him  for  greater  labors. 

Even  if  our  limits  permitted,  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  give  in  detail  the  various  edifying  facts  con- 
nected with  the  Jubilee  in  Kentucky.  We  will  present 
only  a  few  incidents,  and  some  of  the  general  results. 

In  Springfield,  September,  1827,  the  missionaries 
were  attacked,  at  the  close  of  their  conference,  by  the 
Presbyterian  minister  of  the  town, — the  Be  v.  Mr. 
Sneed.  He  attempted  to  do  away  with  the  favorable 
impression  made  on  the  Protestant  mind  by  their  lumin- 
ous expositions  of  Catholic  doctrine  ;  and  he  thought 
that,  by  a  few  remarks,  he  would  easily  succeed  in  dem- 
olishing Purgatory,  and  in  proving  that  the  Catholic 
Church  is  the  great  apostacy  foreshadowed  by  St.  Paul ! 
His  argument  to  sustain  the  latter  position  was  singu- 
lar, and  we  believe  original : — 

••  St.  Paul  says  '  the  mystery  of  iniquity  already  work- 
eth  ;'  *  but  you  know,  my  friends,  that  Protestantism, — 
in  its  present  form  and  shape, —  did  not  exist  until 
many  centuries  after  his  time  ;  therefore,  he  must  have 
meant  the  Catholic  Church,  or  'popery,'  by  the  'mys- 
tery of  iniquity'  '  !  He  added  that  those  who  believed 
in  the  doctrine  of  Purgatory  leaned  on  a  broken  reed  ; 
and  alleged  the  hackneyed   argument   about  the  tree 

*   II.  Thessalonians,  ii  :  7. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  259 

falling,  either  to  the  north  or  to  the  south,  and  there 
lying. 

Rev.  Mr.  Kenrick's  reply  was  to  the  point,  and  most 
triumphant,  even  in  the  estimation  of  Protestants.  He 
took  up  the  preacher's  admission  with  regard  to  the 
modern  origin  of  Protestantism,  deducing  therefrom  an 
unanswerable  argument  as  to  the  divine  character  of 
Catholicity,  and  the  confessedly  human  invention  of 
Protestantism.  He  suggested,  however,  an  important 
amendment  to  Mr.  Sneed's  modification, — "in  its  pres- 
ent form  and  shape," — submitting  to  the  audience,  that 
the  plural  number  would  have  been  much  more  con- 
formable to  the  truth.  This  opened  a  fine  field  for  des- 
canting on  the  numerous  contradictions,  the  glaring 
inconsistencies,  and  the  endless  variations  of  the  Prot- 
estant sects;  proving  conclusively  to  every  impartial 
mind,  that  Protestantism  is  not,  and  cannot  be  the 
work  of  God.  To  the  minister's  argument  from  the 
falling  of  the  tree,  he  happily  rejoined,  by  reminding 
him,  that  a  tree,  instead  of  always  falling  directly  t 
the  ground,  sometimes  lodges^ — according  to  the  fam- 
iliar parlance  of  the  backwoodsmen,  who  formed  the 
bulk  of  the  audience, — and  falls  finally,  in  the  direction 
in  which  it  started,  only  after  the  interposing  obstacles 
are  removed. 

The  poor  preacher  was  so  thoroughly  demolished, 
that  on  his  attempting  to  rise  again  to  reply,  he  was 
literally  pulled  down  and  prevented  by  some  of  his  own 
party.  This  incident  produced  a  great  sensation  at  the 
time,  and  it  was  long  remembered ;  hence  we  have 
thought  it  worth  preserving. 

Some  other  rencontres  of  the  kind  took  place  during 


260  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


the  preaching  of  the  Jubilee,  with  similar  results. 
Catholicity  was  every  where  in  the  ascendant,  and 
many  Protestants  joined  the  Church.  Yet  some  were 
rendered  only  the  more  obstinate  by  the  manifest  tri- 
umphs of  the  truth.  The  Bishop  records  in'  his  Jour- 
nal the  saying  of  one  among  them, — a  Presbyterian, — 
who  answered  the  overwhelming  arguments  in  favor  of 
Catholicity  with  the  horrible  remark  :  "  If  an  angel, 
descended  from  heaven,  preached  a  doctrine  similar  to 
that  of  the  Irish  priest,  I  would  reject  him  ! ' 

Almost  all  the  Catholics  of  Kentucky  approached  the 
sacraments  during  this  season  of  grace.  The  oldest 
sinners  were  converted.  Great  numbers  of  children 
were  prepared  for  their  first  communion  and  for  con- 
firmation. The  number  confirmed  was  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixteen  ;  while  more  than  six  thous- 
and approached  the  holy  table.  The  heart  of  the  good 
Bishop  was  rejoiced.     He  says  : 

"  With  what  pleasure  have  I  entered  on  this  apostolic 
career  !  And  if  the  consolations  I  at  present  feel  go 
on  increasing,  they  will  afford  me  happiness  enough  for 
this  world.  I  will  say,  with  the  greatest  pleasure, 
c  Now  wilt  Thou,  0  Lord,  dismiss  Thy  servant  in 
peace ' !  at  the  end  of  the  Jubilee, — provided  my  debts 
will  have  been  liquidated  at  that  time."  f 

Early  in  1827,  (January  19,)  he  had  the  happiness  to 
receive  a  visit  from  Bishop  Rosati,  who  ten  years  before 
had  been  an  inmate  of  his  seminary  at  St.  Thomas'. 
His  respected  guest  remained  with  him  for  nearly  two 
weeks ;  which  were  devoted  to  the  interchange  of  infor- 

*  Journal,  September,  1827, 

t  Letter  to  M.  Badin,  dated  September  29,  1826. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  261 

mation  and  advice  in  reference  to  the  condition  of  Rel- 
igion in  their  respective  Dioceses.  So  deeply  was  Bishop 
Rosati  impressed  with  the  sanctity  of  his  revered  friend, 
that  on  taking  his  leave  he  fell  on  his  knees,  and  re- 
fused to  arise  until  he  would  receive  a  blessing.  Bish- 
op Flaget,  taken  by  surprise,  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment  imitated  the  example  of  the  other  prelate ;  and 
the  scene  closed  with  a  mutual  benediction  imparted  to 
each  other,  and  a  parting  embrace.*  To  appreciate  ful- 
ly this  incident,  one  must  be  acquainted  fully  with  the 
faith,  the  humility,  and  the  child-like  simplicity  and 
candor  of  these  distinguished  prelates. 

In  January  of  the  following  year  (1828),  Bishop  Fla- 
get was  invited  to  Baltimore,  to  consecrate  Archbishop 
Whitfield.  Not  viewing  this  invitation  as  a  mere  hon- 
or or  compliment,  but  as  a  call  made  on  him  to  dis- 
charge the  highest  function  of  the  episcopal  office,  he 
at  first  hesitated  whether  he  would  accept.  Though 
his  humility  persuaded  him  that  he  was  not  worthy  to 
fulfil,  so  sublime  an  office,  yet,  upon  reflection,  he  did 
not  feel  at  liberty  to  decline.  He  accordingly  set  out 
for  Baltimore,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  M.  Evremond 
Harissart;  who,  with  his  friend  M.Fouche,  had  arrived 
from  France,  nearly  five  years  previously. 

The  consecration  was  set  for  the  day  of  Pentecost ; 
and  on  Ascension  day  Bishop  Flaget  entered  into  a  re- 
treat with  the  Archbishop  elect ;  in  order  to  purity  his 
heart,  and  elevate  his  soul  to  God,  in  preparation  for  the 
solemn  function  he  was  about  to  perform.  He  was  con- 
soled by  the  thought,  that,  eighteen  hundred  years  be- 
fore, the  Apostles  were  engaged  with  the  Blessed  Yir- 

*  Journal — ib. 


262  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE.    TIMES    AND 

li'in  in  a  similar  retreat,   in  order  that  they  "  might  be 
clothed  with  strength  from  on  high." 

Pentecost  dawned  ;  and  with  a  most  lively  faith,  and 
caws  overflowing  with  devotion,  he  went  to  perform  the 
solemn  ceremony  which  was  to  give  a  new  Archbishop 
to  the  Catholic  Church  in  America.  "  This  Sunday  of 
Pentecost,"  he  says,  "  was  the  most  grand,  the  most 
august,  the  most  honorable  day,  that  ever  shone  on  the 
Bishop  of  Bardstown."  * 

His  numerous  friends  in  Baltimore  welcomed  most 
cordially  the  venerable  prelate  ;  whose  joy  on  the  occa- 
sion was,  however,  diminished  by  the  reflection,  that 
so  many  of  his  old  acquaintances  had  descended  to  the 
tomb  since  his  last  visit.  Bishop  David  was  still  an 
object  of  constant  inquiry.  The  arrival  of  the  Rev.  Mr 
Abell  from  France,  where  he  had  passed  the  last  two 
years,  gave  him  great  additional  satisfaction. 

He  made  an  excursion  to  Washington,  where  he  vis- 
ited the  Jesuits,  the  sisters  of  the  Visitation,  and  Mrs. 
Mattingly.  who  had  been  recently  cured  by  the  prayers 
of  Prince  Hohenlohe.  He  also  called  on  the  President 
of  the  U.  States,  on  Mr.  Clay,  and  other  distinguished 
personages,  including  Madame  Iturbide,  ex-Empress  of 
Mexico ;  by  all  of  whom  he  was  most  politely  received. 

At  Frederick,  he  met  his  old  friend  M.  Brute;  and 
at  Emittsburgh  he  was  received  with  open  arms  by 
many  old  friends.  He  passed  several  days  here  most 
pleasantly.  While  visiting  St.  Joseph's,  the  Mother 
house  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  he  records  the  to  him 
consoling  remark,  that,  in  many  respects,  his  own  sis- 
terhood at  Nazareth  would  not  suffer  by  comparison 
with  this  renowned  establishment. 

*  Journal — ib.  f  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  263 

He  returned  to  Baltimore  ;  where  he  informs  us,  his 
friends  were  so  very  kind  and  hospitable  as  to  give  him 
some  uneasiness  of  conscience  on  his  own  account,  and 
in  consequence  of  the  trouble  to  which  they  so  cheer- 
fully put  themselves  for  his  sake.  u  He  felt  like  Dives, 
passing  from  one  feast  to  another."  *  He  celebrated 
pontifically  on  several  occasions,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Abell 
preached. 

At  length,  he  tore  himself  away  from  his  friends  in 
Baltimore,  and  set  out  for  Bardstown,  with  some  nov- 
ices for  Nazareth. 

Soon  afterwards  he  was  called  to  Union  county,  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  State,  on  a  most  disagreeable 
piece  of  business.  He  was  summoned  to  appear  in 
Court,  to  give  evidence  in  a  lawsuit  instituted  by  a  Mr. 
Alvey  against  the  Rev.  M.  Chabrat,  He  had  been  twice 
before  summoned  to  appear  in  the  same  cause,  but 
had  been  unable  to  attend.  The  case  regarded  a 
moneyed  transaction,  of  which  the  Bishop  had  not 
the  slightest  knowledge  or  recollection. 

On  his  arrival  at  Morganfield,  he  was  treated  with 
every  consideration  by  the  lawyers  and  the  court,  and 
was  offered  a  seat  within  the  bar.  The  first  question 
put  to  him  was  :  "  Why  did  you  not  obey  the  two  prev- 
ious summons  of  the  Court  % r  The  Bishop  rose,  and 
bowing  to  the  judge,  replied  with  calmness  and  dignity, 
in  substance  as  follows  : 

He  owed  it  to  the  dignity  of  his  own  office  and  to 
his  respect  for  the  Court  before  which  he  stood,  to  de- 
clare, that  he  loved  the  country  and  respected  its  laws, 
to  be  faithful  to  which  was  his  pleasure  as  well  as  his 

*  Ibid. 


264  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


duty:  that  lie  had,  of  his  own  proper  will  and  choice, 
adopted  this  government,  and  was  therefore  more  of  an 
American  than  those  who  surrounded  him ;  whose 
birth  in  the  country  was  only  the  result  of  accident, 
while  he  had,  on  the  contrary,  after  mature  delibera- 
tion and  reflection  on  the  various  governments  of  the 
earth,  freely  sworn  allegiance  to  this  Republic  at  the 
ripe  age  of  thirty-four  years,  renouncing  thereby  the 
government  under  which  he  was  born,  and  electing  to 
live  and  die  as  a  citizen  of  this.  Being  placed  at  the 
head  of  a  religious  society,  he  had  always  considered  it 
a  duty  to  preach  submission  to  the  laws,  and  to-day  he 
wished  to  teach  this  obedience  by  example. 

Of  the  first  summons,  he  had  been  informed  but  two 
days  before  the  sitting  of  the  Court,  and  he  could  not 
therefore  have  arrived  in  time,  even  had  he  made  the 
attempt.  When  the  second  was  made  known  to  him, 
he  was  on  the  eve  of  a  journey  to  Baltimore  on  official 
duty,  which  he  could  not  neglect  or  postpone.  Now 
he  appeared,  ready  to  obey  the  Court  and  to  oblige  the 
person  who  had  asked  his  evidence ;  and  he  would  not 
betray  his  conscience  for  the  whole  world.  This  per- 
son had  given  a  striking  proof  of  confidence  in  his 
veracity;  since  he  knew  well  that  his  (the  Bishop's) 
evidence  could  not  prove  useful  to  his  own  cause,  with- 
out damaging  that  of  his  friend  M.  Chabrat, 

After  a  few  questions  as  to  his  knowledge  of  the 
transaction  in  question,  the  Court  adjourned ;  and  the 
Bishop's  farther  attendance  was  dispensed  with, — the 
assurance  being  given  him,  that  his  deposition  would 
be  taken,  in  the  event  that  his  evidence  would  be  again 
required.     He   was   treated    by  all   with   the  greatest 


I 

CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  265 

deference,  and  his  dignified  deportment  produced  a 
general  and  profound  sensation.* 

He  visited  several  congregations  on  his  return  to 
Bardstown ;  and  he  gave  the  Jubilee  in  Grayson  and 
Hardin  counties,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ivenrick  and 
other  clergymen.  The  exercises  were  every  where  at- 
tended with  the  usual  consoling  success. 

In  June  1829,  the  Bishop  started  on  his  fifth  visita- 
tion to  Yincennes  and  Indiana.  He  was  accompanied 
in  this  journey  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Abell,  whom  he  in- 
stalled pastor  of  Louisville  on  the  way.  In  New 
Albany,  he  found  only  five  Catholic  families,  and 
eleven  more  in  the  vicinity, — at  the  knobs. .  He  offer- 
ed up  the  holy  sacrifice  in  a  private  house  at  New 
Albany, — the  first  time,  we  believe,  that  Mass  was  ever 
celebrated  there, — and  again  in  a  log  chapel  at  the 
knobs.  The  Jubilee  was  promulgated  throughout  In- 
diana on  this  visitation. 

At  Mt.  Pleasant  and  in  the  neighborhood,  there  were 
about  forty  Catholic  families.  At  the  Jubilee,  there 
were  seventy  communicants,  and  thirty-one  persons 
were  confirmed.  At  Black-Oak-Ridge,  forty-seven  were 
confirmed. 

At  Yincennes,  the  exercises  continued  for  eight  days, 
the  Bishop  preaching  daily.  The  fruits  were  very 
abundant.  Three  hundred  approached  the  holy  table, 
and  ninety-two  were  confirmed.  Rev.  Mr.  Abell 
preached  with  success  at  Washington.  Every  where 
he  had  to  revalidate  marriages,  which  were  null.  On 
leaving,  the  people  assembled  in  great  numbers  at  his 
lodgings,  and  received  his  benediction  kneeling.     Many 

*  This  account  is  condensed  from  the  Journal. 


%(y6  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

accompanied  him  several  miles  of  his  journey,  on  horse- 
back. He  stopped  at  Henderson,  Kentucky,  and  there 
offered  up  the  holy  sacrifice. 

In  September  of  this  year  (1829),  Bishop  Rosati  call- 
ed to  take  him  to  the  first  Provincial  Council  of  Balti- 
more. At  Cincinnati,  they  waited  on  Bishop  Fenwick ; 
and  the  three  prelates  proceeded  in  company  to  Balti- 
more; passing  through  Zanesville,  Wheeling,  Fred- 
erick, and  Washington. 

Bishop  Flaget  was  much  affected  at  once  more  seeing 
his  old  friends,  and  still  more  so,  on  meeting  his  broth- 
er Bishops,  now  assembled  for  the  first  time. 

On  being  introduced  to  Bishop  England,  he  kissed 
his  right  hand,  saying:  "Allow  me  to  kiss  the  hand 
which  has  written  so  many  fine  things."  The  Bishop 
of  Charleston  promptly  returned  the  salutation,  observ- 
ing: "Permit  me  to  kiss  the  hands,  which  have  dttttt 
so  much  good." 

He  celebrated  pontifically  at  the  second  session  of 
the  Council;  he  was  much  struck  with  the  majesty  of 
the  ceremonial;  and  he  could  but  contrast  these  happy 
days  with  that  early  period  in  the  infancy  of  the 
Church  in  America, — 'thirty-seven  years  before, — when 
he  was  first  sent  out  to  Yincennes.  His  heart  rejoiced 
at  this  happy  commencement  of  ecclesiastical  legisla- 
tion in  the  province ;  which  was  owing  to  the  sound 
judgment  and  practical  zeal  of  Archbishop  Whitfield, 
who  acted,  we  believe,  on  the  suggestion  of  Bishop 
England. 

At  the  close  of  the  Council,  the  Bishops  visited  in  a 
body  the  venerable  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrolton,  then 
ninety-two  years  of  age.     The  estimable  survivor  of  that 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  267 

intrepid  band  of  patriots,  who  signed  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  was  much  affected  at  this  delicate  and 
well-deserved  compliment.  He  received  the  prelates 
with  his  accustomed  courtesy  and  grace;  and  he  was 
much  rejoiced,  when  now  so  near  the  close  of  his  mor- 
tal career,  to  see  that  the  Church  which  he  loved  was 
visibly  keeping  pace  with  the  rapid  improvement  of  the 
country. 

It  would  appear  that,  about  this  time,  Bishop  Flaget 
entertained  serious  thoughts  of  resigning  the  heavy 
charge  which  he  had  now  borne  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  That  he  wrote  to  Rome,  offering  his  resigna- 
tion, and  proposing  an  ecclesiastic  of  high  standing  as 
his  successor,  will  appear  from  the  following  incident 
related  in  his  Journal. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1830,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning, he  received  a  package  containing  the  Bulls  of 
the  Rev.  F.  P.  Kenrick.  Knowing  that  this  clergyman 
had  been  proposed  by  the  late  Council  to  the  Holy  See 
for  the  Coadjutorship  of  Philadelphia,  he  still  cherish- 
ed hopes  that  the  documents  contained  in  the  unopened 
parcel  might  nominate  him  to  the  see  of  Bardstown. 
"With  his  heart  bleeding,"  he  knelt  down  and  breath- 
ed a  fervent  prayer,  committing  the  affair  to  God,  and 
resigning  himself  to  His  holy  will. 

His  worst  fears  were  realized : — the  nomination  was 
for  Philadelphia  !  A  deep  gloom  now  came  over  him ; 
he  tried  to  sleep,  but  repose  fled  from  his  pillow.  It 
was  only  on  the  next  evening  after  Vespers, — the  vigil 
of  the  feast  celebrating  the  invention  of  the  Holy 
Cross, — that  he  could  find  courage  to  deliver  the  docu- 
ments to  the  Bishop  elect.     This  he  did,  with  the  sig- 


268  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

niflcant  remark :     t;  Behold  here  the  certificate  of  the 
Cross  you  will  have  to  carry ! "  * 

Bishop  Kenrick  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Flaget 
on  the  6th  of  June,  in  the  cathedral  of  Bardstown. 
There  were  four  other  prelates  present:  Bishops  Con- 
well,  David,  England,  and  Fenwick.  The  Bishop  of 
Charleston  preached  the  consecration  sermon,  with  his 
usual  ability  and  eloquence.  Bishop  Flaget  was  much 
cheered  by  the  presence  of  this  eminent  prelate,  who 
remained  with  him  some  weeks,  and  visited  most  of 
his  institutions.  He  preached  every  where  with  great 
success. 

After  preaching  at  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the 
new  church,  and  for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the  Presbv- 
terian  meeting  house,  in  Louisville,  Bishop  England 
was  taken  ill ;  and  he  was  not  able  to  fill  the  appoint- 
ments, which  had  been  made  for  him  in  Shelbyville, 
Frankfort,  and  Lexington.  His  place  was  supplied  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Elder ;  and  also  by  Bishop  Flaget,  who 
preached  more  than  once  to  the  large  audiences  assem- 
bled to  hear  Bishop  England;  while  he  thought  '"no- 
body understood  a  word  of  what  he  said  !  "  f 

We  may  here  remark,  that  the  Bishop  always  placed 
a  much  lower  estimate  on  his  sermons  than  anv  one 
else.  Though  his  pronunciation  of  the  English  was  far 
from  being  perfect,  yet  he  was  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  much  natural  eloquence.  He  possessed,  in  a  high 
degree,  that  unction,  which  sweetly  moves  the  heart. 
No  one  could  listen  to  his  earnest  appeals  and  soul- 

*  Journal — ibid. 

f  This  not  very  consoling  reflection,  prompted  by  his  humility, 
is  duly  recorded  in  his  Journal,  in  loco. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  269 

stirring  exhortations,  without  being  deeply  moved. 
Few  could  portray  more  effectually  the  beauties  of  vir- 
tue, and  the  winning  sweetness  of  divine  love:  few 
could  make  a  more  profound  or  lasting  impression  on 
the  hearts  of  men. 

Naturally  of  a  very  tender  heart  and  of  an  exquisite 
nervous  sensibility,  he  suffered  much  from  disappoint- 
ments and  afflictions ;  and  notwithstanding  his  habitual 
faith  and  conformity  to  the  divine  will,  he  occasionally 
was  plunged  into  profound  melancholy.  God  thus  tries 
his  favored  servants ;  and  in  this  light  he  accepted  all 
his  sufferings. 

Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the  Bishops,  he  was 
visited  by  one  of  these  fits  of  sadness.  He  felt  that 
his  strength  was  fast  failing  him,  and  that  he  was  no 
longer  able  to  bear  the  awful  burden  which  had  so  long 
rested  on  his  shoulders.  "Everybody  proclaims  me 
the  most  happy  Bishop  of  the  United  States,"  he  says, 
"  on  account  of  the  number  of  my  churches  and  insti- 
tutions ;  but  God  visits  me  with  cross  after  cross."  * 

He  now  wrote  again  to  Rome,  imploring  the  Holy 
Father  to  accept  his  resignation,  and  appoint  some  one 
more  worthy  and  younger  to  the  see  of  Bardstown.f 

In  the  midst  of  the  trials  with  which  Providence 
now  permitted  him  to  be  buffeted,  he  entered  more  and 
more  deeply  into  his  own  heart ;  and  humbling  himself 
before  God,  he  thought  that  whatever  went  amiss  in 
his  Diocese  was  fairly  traceable  to  his  own  inability, 
negligence,  and  sinfulness.  The  more  he  reflected  on 
the  subject,  and  the  more  he  consulted  with  his  friends 
concerning  his  administration,  the  more  settled  became 

*  Journal,  November,  1830.  f  Ibid. 


'2 TO  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


his  conviction,  that  he  had  run  his  episcopal  career; 
and  that,  after  twenty  years  of  severe  labor  as  Bishop, 
God  would  allow  him  to  return  once  more  to  his  belov- 
ed solitude,  there  to  prepare  himself  tor  "a  holy  and 
happy  death." 

But  the  ways  of  divine  Providence  are  not  to  be  es- 
timated by  any  human  standard,  no  matter  how  eleva- 
ted. Bishop  Flaget  had  barely  reached  the  middle  of 
bis  career;  twenty  years  more  were  to  roll  over  his 
head  as  Bishop  in  the  Diocese  over  which  he  had  been 
placed. 

Several  things  cheered  him  amid  his  afflictions.  His 
truly  Catholic  heart  sympathized  in  the  joys,  as  well  as 
in  the  sorrows  of  the  Church  in  other  Dioceses,  lie- 
was  delighted  to  learn  that  the  firm  and  mild,  yet 
vigorous  administration  of  Bishop  Kenrick  bade  fair  to 
restore  peace  and  order  to  the  church  of  Philadelphia, 
so  lone  distracted    bv    schism.'      The    intelligence    of 

CD  t/  O 

Father  Badiirs  successful  labors  among  the  Indians  of 
the  North-west,  with  whom  he  had  been  a  missionary  for 
some  years,  brought  likewise  much  solace  to  his  heart. 
The  conversion  of  the  Indians  had  always  been  a  favor- 
ite object  of  his  aspirations  and  prayers. 

Another  occurrence,  more  immediately  affecting  his 
own  Diocese,  gave  him  much  satisfaction : — the  arrival, 
in  the  month  of  June,  1831.  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
Chazelle,  Petit,  and  Ladaviere.  They  came  from  the 
province  of  Lyons,  France ;  and  they  had  been  sent 
out  by  their  superior,  to  examine  the  ground,  with  a 
view  to  the  establishment  of  a  Jesuit  college  in  Ken- 
tucky.    The  Bishop  had  always  been  much  attached  to 

*  Journal,  1831. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  271 

the  order  of  St.  Ignatius  Loyola;  and  he  had  written 
to  his  brother  in  France,  to  say  how  much  he  would  be 
gratified  to  have  a  colony  of  the  society  in  his  Diocese. 
The  brother  had  communicated  the  letter  to  the  supe- 
rior at  Lyons,  and  the  result  was  the  journey  of  the 
Fathers  just  named. 

Negotiations  were  opened  to  give  them  charge  of  St. 
Joseph's  college,  but  these  led  to  no  satisfactory  result. 
The  Rev.  William  Byrne,  the  founder  and  president  of 
St.  Mary's  college,  after  having  at  first  opposed  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  order  in  Kentucky  with  his  charac- 
teristic energy,  now,  on  more  mature  reflection,  sud- 
denly changed  his  mind,  and  made  a  free  offer  of  his 
institution  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers.  With  a  generosity 
which  did  him  honor,  he  resigned  every  thing  into 
their  hands,  and  even  offered  to  assist  them,  until  they 
would  be  able  to  conduct  the  college  entirely  with  their 
own  members.  The  offer  was  gratefully  accepted ;  and 
after  the  arrangement  had  been  ratified  at  Lyons,  the 
Jesuits  were  regularly  established  in  the  Diocese.  A 
whole  year  was  consumed  in  these  negotiations.* 

In  1832,  the  distinguished  and  eloquent  Father 
Kenny,  an  Irish  Jesuit,  arrived  in  the  Diocese.  The 
Bishop  prevailed  on  him  to  preach  a  retreat  to  his 
clergy.  The  impression  made  by  the  discourses  of  this 
truly  eloquent  man  of  God  was  deep  and  lasting.  The 
Bishop  was  much  consoled,  while  engaged  in  this  re- 
treat at  the  head  of  his  clergy.  At  its  close,  he 
solemnly  promulgated  the  Decrees  of  the  first  Provin- 
cial Council  of  Baltimore;  and  he  insisted  particularly 
on  the  observance  of  certain  points  of  discipline,  which, 

*  Journal,  1831-2. 


272  SKETCHES    OP   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

amidst  the  difficulties  and  privations  of  the  missiona- 
ries, had  been  hitherto  neglected. 

Notwithstanding  his  repeated  efforts,  in  conjunction 
with  Bishop  Dubourg,  to  have  Vincennes  erected  into 
an  episcopal  see,  Indiana  was  still  without  a  Bishop ; 
and  the  solicitude  of  its  missions,  now  daily  increasing 
in  importance,  still  devolved  on  himself  alone.  To 
terminate,  if  possible,  this  state  of  things,  he  arranged 
a  meeting  at  Vincennes  with  Bishop  Rosati,— to  take 
place  in  the  fall  of  this  year— 1832. 

While  awaiting  the  time  set  for  his  journey  to  Vin- 
cennes, he  visited  the  upper  portion  of  his  Diocese. 
In  the  midst  of  his  labors,  he  understood  that  the  chol- 
era had  broken  out  with  great  fury  at  Louisville.  This 
dreadful  scourge,  then  making  its  appearance  for  the 
first  time  in  the  West,  was  much  more  formidable  than 
it  became  afterwards,  when  the  minds  of  men  grew 
accustomed  to  its  ravages.  The  Bishop  immediately 
left  every  thing,  and  hastened  to  Louisville,  to  aid  in 
assisting  the  sick  and  dying.  Instead  of  yielding  to 
fear,  he  rejoiced  at  the  occasion  thus  presented  by  Pro- 
vidence for  laying  down  his  life  in  the  holy  cause  of 
Religion  and  charity.  He  even  persuaded  himself,  that 
his  death  at  this  time  would  result  in  benefit  to  the 
Church,  by  inaugurating  a  better  administration  for  his 
Diocese.*  But  God  did  not  demand  the  sacrifice,  he 
would  so  willingly  have  offered  up. 

On  his  arrival  in  Louisville,  he  found  the  reverend 
pastor — Mr.  Abell — busily  engaged  in  his  sacred  func- 
tions on  behalf  of  those  seized  with  the  disease.  Three 
Sisters  of  Charity  had  also  come  from  Nazareth,  and 

*  Journal,  1832. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  273 

volunteered  their  services  towards  the  afflicted ;  ready 
cheerfully  to  lay  down  their  lives,  for  the  love  of  the 
neighbor  prompted  by  the  love  of  God.  In  a  few  days 
the  malady  abated;  and  the  Bishop  returned  to  Bards  - 
town. 

Late  in  the  fall,  he  set  out  for  Yincennes,  where  he 
was  welcomed  by  the  Bishop  of  St.  Louis.  The  two 
prelates,  after  mature  deliberation,  agreed  to  propose  to 
the  Holy  See  for  the  see  of  Yincennes,  the  learned  and 
pious  Dr.  Brute,  of  Emmittsburgh.  They  associated 
with  his  name,  as  usual,  those  of  two  others ;  one  of 
whom,*  in  deference  to  the  opinion  of  some  other 
Bishops,  they,  in  a  subsequent  letter  to  Eome,  very 
strongly  recommended  for  the  same  place.f  The  choice 
of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  as  is  well  known,  fell  upon 
Dr.  Brute. 

This  matter  settled,  Bishop  Flaget  wished  to  visit 
the  various  congregations  of  Indiana,  and  then  return 
home.  But  he  at  length  yielded  to  the  persuasions  of 
Bishop  Eosati,  who  represented  that  the  season  was  too 
far  advanced  for  such  a  visitation,  and  pressed  him  to 
pay  a  visit  to  St.  Louis. 

Fifteen  years  had  elapsed  since  the  prelate's  last  visit 
to  this  city ;  and  what  a  change  had  come  over  it  in 
that  period !  The  holy  Bishop  could  but  wonder  at  the 
rapid  improvement  of  the  place ;  and  his  soul  overflow- 
ed with  joy  at  seeing  the  immense  progress  which  Re- 
ligion had  made  there,  since  the  installment  of  Bishop 

*  As  he  is  still  living,  we  omit  his  name.     He  is  a  Jesuit,  and  an 
American, 
f  Journal — Ibid. 

W  18 


_'74  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AKD 

Dubonrg.  The  sight  of  so  many  splendid  religions  es- 
tablishments reared  up  in  so  short  a  time,  tilled  him 
with  admiration.  He  visited  all  his  old  congregations 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi;  and  was  every  where 
received  with  ioy,  and  with  every  mark  of  attention 
and  respect.  At  the  Barrens,  he  found  a  colony  of 
Sisters  of  Loretto  from  his  own  Diocese.* 

While  in  St.  Louis,  he  received  a  letter  from  Bishop 
David,  containing  intelligence  both  joyful  and  sad. 
The  Holy  See  had  accepted  his  resignation  •  and  Bishop 
David  had  become  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  with  Dr. 
Chabrat  as  his  Coadjutor.  But  these  changes  had  caus- 
ed general  dissatisfaction  among  both  the  clergy  and 
laity  of  Kentucky.  The  former  Coadjutor  loudly  pro 
tested  against  his  unexpected  promotion  ;  and  the  whole 
Diocese  was  seized  with  grief  at  the  apprehended  loss 
of  a  Bishop  so  universally  esteemed  and  loved. 

In  this  emergency,  the  holy  prelate  persuaded  Bishop 
Rosati  to  accompany  him  to  Kentucky,  in  order  to  as- 
sist, with  his  counsel  and  influence,  in  allaying  the 
storm  which  had  arisen.  On  their  arrival,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1832,  they  found  that  the  excitement  had  not  been 
exaggerated.  Bishop  Flaget  was  overwhelmed  with 
sorrow.  After  suitable  deliberation,  it  was  decided,  in 
accordance  with  the  advice  of  Dr.  Rosati,  that  the  two 
Bishops  should  unite  in  a  petition  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  begging  him  to  accept  the  resignation  of  Dr. 
David,  and  to  dispose  at  will  of  Bishop  Flaget  and  Dr. 
Chabrat.f 

*  Journal,  in  locis. 

f  Journal — Ibid.     Another  distinguished  prelate  was  also  con- 
sulted on  this  perplexing  affair. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  275 

Towards  the  end  of  May,  in  the  following  year,  the 
answer  was  received  from  Rome ;  Bishop  David's  resig- 
nation was  accepted,  and  Bishop  Flaget  was  reinstated. 
Nothing  definite  was  said  about  Dr.  Chabrat.*  Our 
prelate  was  now  in  a  worse  condition  than  before,  hav- 
ing no  Coadjutor.  This  condition  of  affairs  continued 
for  more  than  a  year. 

From  the  Bishop's  correspondence,  we  gather  an  oc- 
currence worthy  of  record,  which  took  place  in  1833. 
Illinois  was  still  under  his  jurisdiction ;  and  its  great 
northern  city,  since  become  an  episcopal  see,  was  fast 
growing  in  importance.  In  this  year,  Bishop  Rosati, 
as  Vicar  General  of  the  Bishop  of  Barclstown,  sent  the 
Rev.  M.  St.  Cyr  to  Chicago.  With  the  previous  reli- 
gious history  of  this  city  we  are  entirely  unacquainted  ; 
at  the  period  in  question,  it  numbered  already  about 
one  hundred  Catholic  families. 

Bishop  Flaget  was  now  destined  to  pass  through  an- 
other severe  ordeal.  In  the  spring  of  1833,  the  cholera 
broke  out,  in  a  verv  malignant  form,  at  Bardstown  and 
in  the  neighboring  counties.  The  first  persons  attack- 
ed bv  the  disease  were  in  the  familv  of  Mr.  John  Rob- 
erts,  a  Protestant  gentleman  residing  about  eight  miles 
from  Bardstown.  The  cholera  suddenly  appeared  here 
on  Whitsun-Monday.  Three  servant  men  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Roberts  soon  fell  victims  to  the  fatal  malady. 
The  whole  neighborhood  was  seized  with  con'  erna- 
tion ;  and  no  one  would  go  near  the  house. 

At  the  very  first  intelligence  of  the  distress  in  which 
this  unfortunate  family  was  involved,  two  Sisters  of 

*  Journal — Ibid. 


276  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Loretto  flew  to  the  succor  of  the  afflicted;  and  they 
were  soon  after  joined  by  two  Sisters  of  Charity  from 
Nazareth,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Reynolds,  the 
present  distinguished  Bishop  of  Charleston.  These 
ministering  angels  of  charity,  totally  regardless  of  self, 
devoted  themselves  day  and  night  to  the  nursing  of  the 
sick  and  dying.  One  of  them,  Sister  Benedicta  of  Lo- 
retto, died  a  few  days  later,  of  the  disease  here  con- 
tracted. 

Bishop  Flaget  himself  lost  no  time  in  hastening  to 
the  house  of  pestilence.  He  remained  there  for  several 
hours,  and  baptized  a  sick  daughter  of  Mr.  Roberts. 
He  also  administered  the  last  sacraments  to  a  dying 
servant,  who  was  lying  on  the  floor  between  two  already 
dead  of  the  disease.  To  hear  his  confession,  he  knelt 
down,  the  body  of  one  of  the  deceased  having  been 
first  removed  to  afford  him  sufficient  space.  He  even 
wished  to  remain,  in  order  to  assist  in  burying  the 
dead,  whom  the  neighbors  could  not  be  induced  to 
touch.  It  was  only  after  the  most  urgent  entreaties, 
and  after  he  had  received  sufficient  assurance  that  the 
deceased  would  be  decently  interred,  that  he  could  be 
induced  to  leave  the  spot.  Dr.  Reynolds  had  already 
persuaded  the  family  to  leave  their  house,  and  take 
refuge  nearer  Bardstown.* 

The  malady  soon  after  appeared  in  and  about  Bards- 
town, where  many  fell  victims  to  its  virulence.  Sev- 
eral members  of  the  family  of  the  Hon.  Jno.  Rowan  died. 
The  Sisters  of  Charity  and  the  Clergy,  with  the  Bishop 

''  These  details  we  learn  from  Mr.  J.  Charles  Gilbert,  an  eye- 
witness and  an  actor  in  the  above  scenes.  He  lived  then  at  Lo- 
retto. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  277 

at  their  head,  were  always  found  by  the  bed-side  of  the 
dying.  Sisters  Joanna  Lewis,  Patricia  Bamber,  and 
Generose  Buckman,  of  Nazareth,  fell  martyrs  of  their 
charity  in  serving  the  sick.  Their  names  are  worthy 
of  special  record;  though,  their  heroism  was  but  the 
embodiment  of  that  divine  charity,  which  has,  in  all 
ages,  been  common  in  the  Catholic  Church. 

The  terrible  epidemic  extended  to  other  places.  At 
St.  Mary's  college,  the  Rev.  William  Byrne,  after  hav- 
ing assisted  for  death  a  dying  negro  woman,  caught  the 
disease  himself,  and  died  in  a  few  hours,  on  the  6th  of 
June.  The  Eev.  Mr.  Maguire,  a  Jesuit  father,  soon 
followed  him  to  the  tomb. 

The  Bishop  had  hitherto  moved  unterrifled  and  un- 
hurt, amidst  the  ruins  which  the  pestilence  had  strewn 
in  its  path.  The  scourge  had  almost  disappeared,  and 
all  were  thanking  God  that  lie  had  escaped ; — when  he 
too  was  suddenly  seized  with  the  malady  in  a  virulent 
form.  For  three  days,  there  was  a  violent  struggle  be- 
tween life  and  death ;  his  physicians  considered  his  case 
almost  hopeless ; — on  the  fourth,  the  crisis  had  passed, 
and  his  robust  constitution,  with  the  divine  blessing, 
brought  him  safely  through  the  ordeal.  Convalescent, 
he  almost  regretted  that  the  physicians  had  erred  in 
their  judgment. 

"Alas!r  he  wrote,  "I  regret  that  their  conjectures 
were  not  verified ;  for  death  would  have  delivered  me 
from  a  burden,  become  now  almost  insupportable,  in 
consequence  of  my  advanced  age  and  its  attendant  in- 
firmities ;  and  I  have  every  reason  to  fear  that  it  will 
be  next  to  impossible  for  me  ever  to  be  better  prepared 
than  I  was  then  for  a  passage  so  formidable  in  itself, 


278  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

and  which  will  become  a  hundred  times  more  so,  when  I 
shall  have  to  render  an  account  of  an  administration 
BO  long  and  so  extensive  as  that  with  which  I  have 
been  entrusted.  But  let  the  holy  will  of  God  be  done, 
and  not  mine !  "  * 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother  in  France,  written  ten  days 
later,  he  speaks  of  his  late  illness  in  the  following  gay 
and  lively  tone : 

"For  several  weeks,  I  seemed  to  laugh  at  the  pesti- 
lence, being  almost  constantly  in  the  midst  of  those 
who  were  infected  with  it,  speaking  to  them,  consoling 
them,  and  rubbing  their  hands  and  feet,  when  circum- 
stances required  this  service.  In  brief,  I  regarded  my- 
self as  invulnerable.  But  the  lord  cholera,  f  whose 
march  is  guided  by  an  omnipotent  and  invisible  hand, 
laughed  at  my  bravados ;  he  struck  to  the  right  and  to 
the  left  the  victims  which  were  marked  out  for  him, 
waiting  patiently  for  the  day,  when  he  could,  all  at 
his  ease,  lower  my  colors,  and  make  me  feel  the  entire 
weight  of  his  formidable  arm.  He  could  not  have 
chosen  better  the  time  for  avenging  himself  of  my 
boastings,  and  for  making  me  know  who  he  was  and 
what  he  could  do ;  for  it  was  precisely  wdien  he  appear- 
ed to  have  retired  from  the  country,  that  he  cast  him- 
self upon  me,  with  uplifted  arms,  and  struck  me  so 
rude  a  blow,  from  the  very  beginning,  that  all  my 
friends,  and  even  the  physicians,  believed  me  to  be  in 
a  struggle  with  inevitable  death. 

uGod  be  thanked;  for  several  weeks  the  sight  of 
many  victims,  who  in  seven  or  eight  hours  had  been 


::  Letter  in  the  Annates,  dated  December  5,  1833. 
f  Le  seigneur  cholera. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  279 

immolated  by  this  terrible  cholera,  had  suggested  to 
me  so  many  salutary  thoughts  on  the  vanity  of  the 
world,  on  the  inutility  of  its  goods,  of  its  honors  and 
its  pleasures,  that,  already  thoroughly  converted  on  all 
these  points,  I  had  but  to  re-pass  the  history  of  my 
youth  in  the  bitterness  of  my  soul,  and  the  numberless 
mistakes  of  a  spiritual  administration,  which  has  lasted 
for  nearly  fifty  years.* 

"This  retrospect  was,  without  doubt,  calculated  to 
cast  alarm  into  all  the  faculties  of  my  soul,  and  to 
make  me  adopt  the  most  expeditious  and  efficacious 
means  to  purify,  the  best  I  could,  my  poor  heart,  more 
weighed  down  by  the  burden  of  its  iniquities,  than  by 
that  of  its  seventy  years  completed.  I  had,  then,  re- 
course on  the  spot  to  my  old  Coadjutor,  who  has  been 
my  intimate  friend  for  forty-five  years,  and  my  confes- 
sor for  nearly  thirty.  With  a  soul  filled  with  grief, \ 
and  a  charity  more  than  human,  he  heard  me,  he  en- 
lightened me,  he  consoled  me ;  and,  above  all,  he  dis- 
pensed me  from  a  thousand  details,  which  would  have 
been  necessary  for  any  other  confessor  less  acquainted 
than  himself  with  my  conscience.  Having  then  laid 
before  me  the  most  touching  and  the  strongest  motives 
to  excite  a  lively  and  sincere  sorrow  for  my  sins, 
and  an  entire  resignation  to  the  sacrifice  which  God 
seemed  to  demand  of  me,  he  made  me  hear  those 
words,  so  sweet  and  so  consoling  to  a  poor  sinner  strug- 
gling with  death: — Ego  te  absolve,  &c.  J 

"  From  that  moment  I  enjoyed  a  peace,  which  the 

r  Since  he  was  ordained  priest. 

f  N&vre  de  douleur — a  favorite  expression  of  the  Bishop. 
t  "  I  absolve  thee,"  &c. 


280  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

world  could  not  impart,  and  which  the  lord  cholera 
himsi  If  could  not  trouble.  I  left  to  my  confessor  the 
charge  of  administering  to  me  the  last  sacraments,  at 
the  moment  he  might  judge  the  most  suitable.  But  a 
favorable  crisis  having  occurred,  at  the  end  of  three 
days  I  wras  no  longer  in  a  condition  to  require  their'  re- 
ception." * 

Many  years  of  apostolic  labor  were  yet  in  reserve  for 
the  holy  prelate ;  he  was  to  lay  up  still  greater  treas- 
ures in  heaven,  ere  his  earthly  pilgrimage  wTould  be 
terminated.  If  trials  and  dangers  prove  mens'  souls, 
we  possess  an  index  to  his  character,  in  the  fearless  de- 
votedness  w7ith  which  he  walked  in  the  midst  of  the 
dreadful  pestilence,  and  in  the  calm  serenity,  tempered 
by  humility  and  contrition,  with  which  he  awraited  his 
dissolution,  when  he  believed  that  his  last  hour  had 
come. 

On  his  recovery,  he  continued  to  feel  no  little  solici- 
tude in  regard  to  his  future  Coadjutor.  The  negotia- 
tions on  the  subject  wTere  long  pending ;  Rome  moved 
slowly  and  cautiously  in  a  matter  of  so  much  impor- 
tance. At  length,  on  the  feast  of  the  Apostles  SS. 
Peter  and  Paul, — June  29th,  1834, — the  Bulls  arrived, 
appointing  Dr.  Chabrat  Bishop  of  Bolina,  and  Coadju- 
tor of  Bishop  Flaget.  The  consecration  took  place  on 
the  20th  of  July,  in  the  cathedral  of  Bardstown ;  our 
venerable  prelate  being  the  Consecrator,  and  Bishop 
David  and  the  Rev.  R.  P.  Miles,  O.  P.,  being  the  assis- 
tants. Many  of  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese  were  present 
on  this  solemn  occasion. 


*  Letter  to  brother.  December  14,  1833.     French  Life — p.  68, 


CHARACTER    OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  281 

From  this  date  to  the  time  of  his  death,  the  mind  of 
Bishop  Flaget  was  less  solicitous  concerning  matters  of 
administration,  the  details  of  which  he  generally  com- 
mitted to  his  Coadjutor.  He  now  breathed  more  free- 
ly, and  became  daily  more  and  more  intimately  united 
with  God  in  prayer. 

In  the  preceeding  year, — October  13th, — the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Purcell  had  been  consecrated  second  Bishop 
of  Cincinnati;  and  had  been  duly  inaugurated  by 
Bishop  Flaget.*  He  now  invited  Bishop  Flaget  to 
Cincinnati,  to  assist  at  the  dedication  of  the  German 
Catholic  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  which  ceremony 
was  to  take  place  on  the  6th  of  October,  1834. 

In  Cincinnati,  our  prelate  had  the  consolation  to  meet 
also  his  old  and  intimate  friend,  Dr.  Brute,  lately  nom- 
inated first  Bishop  of  Yincennes.  On  receiving  his 
Bulls,  this  humble  and  learned  ecclesiastic  had  written 
to  Bishop  Flaget,  strongly  stating  the  many  motives  he 
had  for  not  accepting  the  responsible  charge ;  but  he 
had  concluded  by  leaving  the  final  decision  of  the  case 
to  the  judgment  of  Bishops  Flaget  and  Chabrat.  f 
These  prelates,  of  course,  had  advised  him  to  accept ; 
and  he  now  accordingly  waived  all  further  objection. 

The  splendid  new  cathedral  of  St.  Louis  was  to  be 
consecrated  towards  the  end  of  the  same  month ;  and 
Bishops  Flaget,  Purcell,  and  Brute  traveled  by  stage 
to  that  city,  to  be  present  on  the  occasion.  The  dedi- 
cation took  place  with  great  solemnity  on  the  26th  of 
October ;  and  on  the  28th,  Bishop  Flaget  therein  con- 

*  He  addressed  the  new  prelate  in  strains  of  moving  eloquence, 
telling  him  of  the  heavy  cross  he  was  to  bear  for  Christ. 
f  His  letter  to  our  prelate. 


282  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


secratecl  Dr.  Brute  first  Bishop  of  Yincennes ;  the 
Bishops  of  St.  Louis  and  Cincinnati  being  the  assistant 
prelates;  and  the  latter  preaching  the  consecration 
sermon. 

We  may  as  well  mention  here,  that  about  a  year  be- 
fore— October  6th,  1833 — Bishop  Bosati  had  consecra- 
ted Dr.  Rese"  first  Bishop  of  Detroit,  in  the  cathedral 
of  Cincinnati.  Thus,  in  the  short  space  of  little  more 
than  a  year,  four  new  Bishops  were  consecrated  for  the 
West ;  three  of  them  for  sees  lving  within  the  ancient 
jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  and  the 
fourth,  for  the  coadjutorship  of  the  Diocese  itself. 

Bishops  Flaget  and  Purcell  accompanied  the  Bishop 
of  Yincennes  to  his  new  see,  in  which  they  solemnly 
installed  him,  November  6th,  1834.*  The  ceremony 
over,  our  prelate  bade  a  tender  and  final  adieu  to  his 
old  friends  and  former  parishioners,  endeared  to  him 
by  a  pastoral  connection  which  had  commenced  more 
than  forty  years  previously. 

With  a  lighter  heart  than  he  had  ever  felt  before 
since  his  own  consecration,  he  now  returned  to  Bards- 
town. His  long-cherished  aspirations  were  realized. 
The  vast  territory  placed  under  his  episcopal  jurisdic- 
tion was  now  narrowed  down  to  the  two  States  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee,  which  comprised  his  Diocese,  as 
originally  constituted.  The  latter  State  was  likewise 
withdrawn  from  his  jurisdiction,  four  years  later,  by 
the  consecration — September  16th,  1838 — of  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Miles,  as  first  Bishop  of  Nashville. 

*  On  the  road  from  St.  Louis,  the  stage  broke  down,  and  the  pre- 
lates were  left,  for  a  time,  to  grope  their  way  amidst  the  darkne.—  . 
Bishop  Flaget  cheered  them  for  the  mishap  by  his  gaiety.  Sitting 
on  a  log,  he  related  pleasant  anecdotes.  This  incident  was  com- 
municated by  Archbishop  Purcell. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  283 

We  conclude  this  Chapter,  by  referring  to  another 
episcopal  consecration,  which  occured  during  the  peri- 
od of  which  we  are  treating.  As  we  have  seen,  the 
Rev.  Leo  De  Neckere,  a  learned  and  most  exemplary 
Belgian  priest,  was  appointed  the  fourth  Bishop  of  New 
Orleans,  some  time  after  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Du- 
bourg.  The  humble  and  modest  ecclesiastic  for  a  long 
time  firmly  refused  to  accept  the  proffered  honor.  His 
health  was  very  feeble  ;  and  he  was  of  an  amiable,  dif- 
fident, unpretending  and  retiring  disposition,  much  be- 
loved by  all  who  knew  him. 

At  length  his  reluctance  was  overcome,  and  he  was 
consecrated  by  Bishop  Rosati,  assisted  by  Bishop  Por- 
tier  and  Very  Rev.  B.  Richard,  V.  G.,  at  New  Orleans, 
June  24,  1830.  Bishop  England  was  present,  and  he 
preached  the  consecration  sermon.  The  same  prelate, 
during  his  stay  in  the  city,  delivered  a  number  of  his 
powerful  discourses,  which  created  quite  a  sensation. 
A  letter,  written  from  New  Orleans  to  Bishop  Flaget, 
speaks  as  follows  of  one  among  the  effects  produced  by 
these  sermons  : 

"  Bishop  England  has  done  frightful  mischief  here. 
Every  time  that  he  preached  in  the  evening  there  were 
not  more  than  four  or  five  persons  present  at  the  thea- 
tre !  Mr.  Davis,  the  manager,  had  chosen  the  most 
piquant  pieces ; — he  was  left  in  the  lurch  to  provide 
for  his  expenses  for  illumination  and  other  prepara- 
tions. He  pretended  that  he  was  injured  in  his  rights ; 
and  he  accused  the  prelate  of  having  but  little  charity 
for  his  neighbor  !  The  audience  of  the  Cathedral,  and 
at  the  church  of  M.  Maenhaut,  notwithstanding  the 
great  numbers  and  throng,  were  hushed  in  so  deep  a 
silence  that  nothing  was  heard,  save  a  rat,  which  hap- 


284  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

pened,  I  know  not  how,  to  be  caught  under  the  feet  of 
some  one,  and  which  cried  out  for  mercy  after  its  own 
peculiar  manner  !  "  * 

Bishop  De  Neckere  did  not  long  survive  his  conse- 
cration. He  died  the  death  of  a  saint,  September  4. 
1833.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Blanc, 
the  present  Archbishop  of  New  Orleans  ;  who  was  con- 
secrated Nov.  22,  1835. 

Dr.  Blanc  had  been  stationed  successivelv  at  Natch- 
ez,  Point  Coupe,  and  Baton  Rouge.  He  was  called  to 
New  Orleans  by  Bishop  De  Neckere,  and  appointed 
associate  Yicar  General,  with  the  aged  M.  Richard,  in 
December,  1831.  In  1832,  he  received  from  Rome  the 
appointment  of  Coadjutor  to  Bishop  De  Neckere  ;  who, 
without  his  knowledge,  had  written  to  the  Pope,  dem- 
anding him,  not  as  his  Coadjutor,  but  as  his  successor. 
Dr.  Blanc  would  not  accept  the  office  of  Coadjutor,  un- 
less on  condition  that  the  Bishop  should  promise  to 
abandon  his  intention  of  resigning.  Dr.  De  Neckere 
having  declined  to  do  this,  the  Bishop  elect  sent  the 
Bulls  back  to  Rome. 

Bishop  De  Neckere  wrote  to  our  holy  prelate  to  en- 
gage his  interest  at  Rome  towards  obtaining  the  accep- 
tance of  his  resignation.  Bishop  Flaget  answered  in  a 
strain  of  pleasant  raillery,  gently  twitting  his  young 
colleague  on  the  necessity  of  his  retiring  from  the  cares 
of  the  episcopacy,  after  having  borne  the  burden  for  the 
great  space  of  nearly  three  years  !  The  timid,  but  holy 
Bishop  of  New  Orleans,  received  in  good  part  this  re- 
buke so  politely  and  so  elegantly  administered  ;  and 
he  appears  to  have  given  over  his  intention  of  resign- 
ing-  

*  Letter  of  M.  Martial. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  285 

At  his  death,  Dr.  Blanc  was  appointed  administrator 
of  the  Diocese.  In  1834,  M.  Jeanjean  was  appointed 
Bishop  of  New  Orleans  ;  but  he  promptly  declined,  and 
sent  back  the  Bulls.  In  October,  1835,  Dr.  Blanc  was 
appointed,  and  he  accepted.  * 

*  These  interesting  details  were  furnished  by  the  Archbishop  of 
New  Orleans. 


286  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


CHAPTER    XII. 


HIS    RELIGIOUS    AND    CHARITABLE    ESTABLISHMENTS . 


1812  —  1835. 


The  tree  and  its  fruits — A  rapid  sketch — Dominican  convent — 
And  college  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas— The  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic 
— Loretto  Society — Its  statistics— The  Bishop's  testimony — Sis- 
terhood of  Charity — Its  origin,  objects,  and  subsequent  condition 
■ — A  consoling  feature  —  The  Brotherhood — Mount  Casino — 
Bishop  Flaget's  anticipations — How  frustrated — The  election  of 
a  Guardian — -Schools  to  be  every  where  established — Letter  from 
the  Propaganda- — Remarks  on  Christian  education — St.  Joseph's 
College — Its  rise  and  history — The  Rev.  G.  A.  M.  Elder — St. 
Mary's  College- — The  Rev.  Wm.  Byrne — 'The  theological  and 
the  preparatory  Seminary — A  forged  Letter — Statistics  of  the 
Diocesan  establishments  in  1825— -Recapitulation — Consolation 
at  the  hour  of  death. 

It  is  time  for  us  now  to  pause,  and,  before  tracing  far- 
ther the  episcopal  career  of  Bishop  Flaget,  to  glance 
rapidly  at  the  numerous  religious  and  charitable  insti- 
tutions which  had  already  sprung  up  in  his  Diocese ; 
most  of  them  under  his  own  fostering  care.  We  cannot 
else  estimate  aright  the  character  of  the  holy  prelate. 
Adopting  as  a  standard  the  Gospel  text, — "  by  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them," — we  shall  probably  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  truly  a  favored  child  ol 
heaven,  and  that  God  achieved  wonders  through  his 
instrumentality. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  287 

The  blessings  which  crowned  his  administration  ex- 
hibit a  remarkable  fulfillment  of  what  was  uttered  by 
the  royal  Psalmist,  in  regard  to  the  just  man,  whose 
will  is  the  law  of  God,  and  who  meditates  thereon  day 
and  night : — "  He  shall  be  like  the  tree  which  is  plan- 
ted near  the  streams  of  water,  which  shall  yield  its 
fruit  in  proper  time;  and  the  leaf  shall  not  fall  oif ; 
and  all  things  whatsoever  he  shall  do  shall  be  pros- 
pered" * 

Such  was  pre-eminently  the  case  with  our  holy  Bish- 
op. He  entered  upon  his  career  without  any  other 
resource  than  an  unbounded  confidence  in  God  ;  and  in 
this  trust  he  was  not  confounded.  God  raised  up  for 
him  devoted  friends,  and  zealous  co-laborers  in  the 
vineyard,  upon  whose  generous  efforts  he  bestowed  an 
abundant  blessing.  Establishments  arose,  as  it  were 
from  nothing,  and  these  became  the  objects  of  his  own 
wonder,  and  of  his  fervent  gratitude  to  "  the  Father  of 
Lights,  from  whom  every  good  and  every  perfect  gift 
descendeth.' '  f 

Our  present  purpose  calls  for,  and  admits  of  only  a 
few  general  outlines  ;  nor  would  the  limits  of  one  Chap- 
ter permit  many  details.  We  shall  pass  in  rapid  re- 
view the  various  institutions  successively  erected  up  to 
the  year  1835,  following  the  order  of  time. 

1 .  The  first  religious  establishment  of  Kentucky  was 
founded  five  years  before  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  in  a  previous  Chapter,  the 
Dominican  convent  of  St.  Rose  was  founded  in  1806, 
In  1808  a  noviciate  was  established,  and  several  youths 
were  soon  admitted  as  postulants.     In  1809,  the  college 

*  Psalm,  i.  f  St.  James,  ch.  i. 


288  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  was  organized  in  connection 
with  the  convent,  and  it  continued  in  successful  opera- 
tion for  about  ten  years.  After  this  period,  the  servi- 
ces of  the  Dominican  fathers  being  required  on  the 
growing  missions  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  the  college 
was  closed,  for  want  of  suitable  professors. 

About  this  time — in  1819, — the  monastery  of  St. 
Magdalene,*  for  religious  women  following  the  rule  of 
St.  Dominic,  was  founded  by  F.  Wilson.  From  hum- 
ble beginnings,  it  soon  attained  to  a  highly  prosperous 
condition,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  present  Bish- 
op of  Nashville,  who  watched  over  its  interests  for 
many  years.  A  branch  of  it  was  afterwards  established 
in  Ohio  ;  where,  since  1818,  a  Dominican  convent  had 
already  existed. 

The  Dominicans  of  St.  Kose  devoted  much  of  their 
time  to  missionary  duties  in  Kentucky,  in  Ohio,  and  in 
Michigan.  Of  the  zealous  missionary  labors  of  FF. 
Fen  wick  and  Young  in  Ohio,  we  have  already  spoken. 

Father  Wilson  died  at  St.  Rose  in  1824.  In  August, 
1828,  the  Rev.  F.  Raphael  Muiios  arrived  at  the  con- 
vent, as  prior.  He  had  been  commissioned  by  the 
General  of  the  Order,  to  re-establish  therein,  in  its  full 
vigor,  the  holy  rule  of  St.  Dominic ;  which,  amidst  the 
trying  circumstances  and  distracting  cares  of  the  mis- 
sionary life  the  earlier  fathers  were  compelled  to  lead, 
had  suffered  some  relaxation.  The  Order  is  now  in  a 
highly  prosperous  condition  ;  and  it  has  lately  estab- 
lished a  new  convent  and  college  at  Sinsinawa  Mound, 
Wisconsin  ;  also  a  new  college  in  Ohio,  at  St.  Joseph's. 

2.  In  the  course  of  his  arduous  missionary  labors  in 

*  Now  called  St.  Catharine's. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  289 

Kentucky,  the  Rev.  M.  Nerinkx  had  often  deplored 
the  negligence  of  parents  in  training  up  their 
offspring  to  knowledge  and  virtue.  He  found  it 
difficult  properly  to  prepare  children  for  first  com- 
munion. He  had  so  many  congregations  under  his 
charge,  that  he  could  scarcely  devote  a  sufficient  time 
to  the  religious  instruction  of  the  youth.  Finding  that 
the  parents  were  not  themselves,  in  many  cases,  suffi- 
ciently acquainted  with  their  Religion  to  impart  the 
necessary  knowledge  to  their  children,  he  thought  of 
founding  a  sisterhood,  under  whose  direction  the  young 
females  who  were  to  be  the  future  mothers  of  family, 
might  be  thoroughly  instructed  in  the  elementary 
branches  of  education,  and  especially  in  religious  prin- 
ciples. 

Providence  favored  his  charitable  design.  Some 
pious  ladies  having  presented  themselves  as  postulants, 
the  foundations  of  the  new  society  were  laid  April  25, 
1812.  The  convent  consisted  of  a  hollow  square  of  log 
cabins ;  the  chapel  occupying  a  central  position  on  one 
side  of  the  quadrangle.  It  was  situated  near  the  church 
of  St.  Charles,  and  was  called  Zoretto,  after  the  famous 
asylum  of  the  Holy  Virgin  in  Italy.  Besides  the  object 
alluded  to  above,  the  sisterhood  was  to  take  charge  of 
destitute  orphans  ;  and  its  members  were  taught  to  love 
poverty,  and  to  earn  their  own  livelihood  by  manual 
labor.  They  were  to  cherish  a  special  devotion  towards 
that,  model  and  pride  of  her  sex,  the  pure  and  holy 

One, — 

"  Our  tainted  nature's  solitary  boast,"— 

the   Immaculate   Mary,  Mother   of  God  made  man. 
They  were  styled,  "  The  Lovers  of  Mary  at  the  foot  of 

19 


290  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

the  Cross."  Standing  with  her  near  the  Cross,  they 
were  daily  to  sympathize  with  the  dying  Son  and  the 
afflicted  Mother,  with  the  pious  ejaculations:  — k*  O 
suffering  Jesus  !     O  sorrowful  Mary  !  * 

Such  was  the  idea  of  the  sainted  Founder,  and  God 
bestowed  an  abundant  blessing  on  his  enterprise.  The 
society  grew  apace,  and  the  most  edifying  fervor 
reigned  throughout  thy  establishment  of  Loretto.  The 
mother  house  was  soon  able  to  send  out  colonies  to 
other  parts  of  Kentucky,  and  subsequently  to  found 
houses  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  Bishop  Flaget  bore 
the  following  testimony  to  the  early  piety  of  the  sister- 
hood  : 

"  These  women  sought  for  poverty  in  everything  ;  in 
their  monasteries,  and  in  the  plain  neatness  of  their 
chapels.  The  plainness,  the  cleanliness,  the  simplicity 
of  their  dwellings  and  of  their  chapels,  excited  the  won- 
der of  their  visitors.  *  *  *  They  were  the  edification 
of  all  who  knew  them ;  and  their  singular  piety  and  pen- 
itential lives  reminded  one  of  all  that  we  have  read  of 
the  ancient  monasteries  of  Palestine  and  Thebais ! r 

We  may  well  conceive  how  the  heart  of  the  good 
prelate  was  rejoiced  at  the  successful  establishment  of 
so  edifying  a  society.  But  his  joy  was  turned  into  sor- 
row, on  receiving  intelligence  of  the  death  of  the  pious 
founder,  which  occurred  at  St.  Genevieve  in  Missouri, 
August  12,  1824.  He  had  gone  thither,  as  we  have 
seen,  to  visit  a  branch  of  the  sisterhood  established  in 
that  State  some  years  before,  and  also  to  labor  for  the 
conversion  of  the  Indians. 


*  Letter  to  Bishop  England,   published  in  th$  U.  S.  Catholic 
Miscellany,  December  8,  1824. 


CHARACTER    OF    RISHOP    FLAGET.  291 

At  bis  death  the  society  already  numbered  more 
than  a  hundred  members,  and  these  had  charge  of  six 
schools.  The  Bishop  soon  afterwards  appointed  the 
Rev.  G.  J.  Chabrat  superior ;  and  in  November,  1824, 
the  mother  house  was  removed  to  its  present  situation 
at  the  old  St.  Stephen's, — the  cradle  of  the  Diocese. 

The  new  convent  and  church  were  blessed  June  1, 
1826.  The  Bishop  was  present  and  officiated  on  the 
occasion.  Reminiscences  of  the  first  year  of  his  episco- 
pacy, passed  amid  sorrow  and  privations  at  this  place, 
crowded  on  his  mind  ;  and  he  was  much  affected,  espe- 
cially while  transporting  the  Blessed  Sacrament  from 
the  old  log  chapel, — his  first  rude  cathedral, — to  the 
fine  brick  church  of  the  convent.* 

In  1844,  the  sisterhood  contained  one  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  members  ;  the  number  at  present  is  prob- 
ably about  two  hundred.  They  have  four  regular 
houses,  with  schools  attached  to  them,  in  Kentucky, 
and  three  in  Missouri.  The  Very  Rev.  D.  A.Deparcq 
has  been  for  many  years  the  ecclesiastical  superior. 
The  original  rule  of  M.  Nerinkx  having  been  found  by 
experience  too  austere  for  this  country,  was  subsequent- 
ly considerably  modified  in  several  of  its  details ;  with- 
out, however,  substantially  affecting  the  nature  and 
original  objects  of  the  society. 

3.  The  same  year,  1812,  which  gave  birth  to  the  Loretto 
Society,  likewise  witnessed  the  commencement  of  anoth- 
er sisterhood,  destined  also  to  do  much  for  promoting 
the  cause  of  religion  and  education.     The  society  of  the 


*  Journal — ibid.     Several  of  the  above  details,  particularly  tine 
dates,  are  taken  from  the  same  source. 


292  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Sisters  of  Charity  in  Kentucky  was  founded  by  Father 
David,  who  presided  over  it  as  ecclesiastical  superior 
for  about  twenty  years  ;  until  old  age  and  infirmities 
compelled  him  to  resign  the  post.  It  was  he -who,  with 
the  sanction  of  Bishop  Flaget,  drew  up  the  admirable 
body  of  rules  and  constitutions  by  which  the  society  is 
still  governed.  They  are  the  same  as  St.  Vincent  of 
Paul  laid  down  for  the  direction  of  the  Sisters  of  Char- 
ity in  France,  with  such  slight  modifications  as  the  cir- 
cumstances of  time  and  place  seemed  to  demand. 

After  the  resignation  of  Bishop  David,  the  present 
Bishop  of  Charleston  was  for  some  years  the  ecclesias- 
tical superior  ;  and  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Jo- 
seph Haseltine,  the  present  incumbent. 

The  society  had  a  very  humble  beginning.  About  a 
year  after  the  removal  of  the  seminary  to  St.  Thomas', 
two  pious  ladies,  wishing  to  devote  their  lives  to  God 
and  the  neighbor  in  a  religious  life,  placed  themselves 
for  this  purpose  under  the  spiritual  direction  of  Father 
David.*  Others  soon  joined  the  infant  sisterhood ;  and 
in  June,  1^13,  the  number  having  increased  to  six,  a 
retreat  was  given  them  by  Father  David,  and  at  its 
close  an  election  was  held,  and  a  mother  superior  and 
other  officers  chosen  by  the  votes  of  the  members. 
Bishop  Flaget  was  present  at  the  ceremony,  and  made 
a  most  moving  exhortation  to  the  Sisters  ;  and  the  cer- 
emony closed  with  the  solemn  episcopal  benediction. 
Thus  was  organized  a  society  which  has  since  reflected 
so  much  honor  on  Religion  in  Kentucky,  and  accom- 
plished so  much  good.  The  objects  contemplated  by 
its  founder  in  its  establishment, — besides  the  sanctifica- 

*  November,  1812. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  293 

tion  of  its  own  members  common  to  every  religious 
body, — were,  first,  the  exercise  of  the  corporal  and  spir- 
itual works  of  mercy  towards  the  poor,  the  sick,  and 
the  ignorant ;  and,  second,  the  promotion  of  Christian 
education  among  the  young  of  the  weaker  sex. 

The  members  of  the  society  lived  for  several  years  in 
a  brick  edifice  erected  on  the  farm  of  St.  Thomas.  In 
June,  1822,  the  Sisters  removed  to  the  present  location 
of  the  mother  house,  well  known  by  the  name  of  Naz- 
areth. The  farm  had  been  purchased  from  a  Presby- 
terian preacher  named  Lapsley ;  and  the  first  chapel 
was  the  room  which  he  had  occupied  as  a  study.  The 
erection  of  a  new  convent  was  commenced  May  26, 
1826  ;  and  in  December,  1829,  the  Legislature  of  Ken- 
tucky granted  charters  of  incorporation  to  both  the 
societies  of  Nazareth  and  Loretto.* 

In  1844,  the  number  of  Sisters,  including  novices, 
was  seventy-six ;  and  they  were  then  educating  nearly 
five  hundred  girls,  besides  having  charge  of  forty  orph- 
ans in  the  St.  Vincent  Asylum,  at  Louisville.  This 
Asylum,  founded  in  1832,  now  contains  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  orphans,  under  the  charge  of  six  Sisters, 
besides  three  more  who  attend  to  the  Infirmary  at- 
tached. 

The  number  of  Sisters  and  of  scholars  has  also  great- 
ly increased  in  the  last  eight  years.  Besides  the  Asy- 
lum, Nazareth  has  five  branch  houses,  conducting  six 
female  academies  ;  all  of  them  lying  wTithin  the  State 
of  Kentucky. 

One  feature,  common  to  both  the  sisterhoods  above 
mentioned, — and  also  to  that  of  the  order  of  St.  Dom- 

*  These  dates  are  taken  from  the  Bishop's  Journal. 


294  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

inic. — is  the  fact  that  their  members  have  been  mainly 
recruited  from  the  country  itself.  This  circumstance 
must  have  been  particularly  consoling  to  the  holy  Bish- 
op, to  whom  God  thus  gave  a  visible  proof  of  His  bles- 
sing on  the  vineyard  confined  to  his  care.  When  it 
yielded  such  fruits  as  these, — many  hundreds  of  pious 
virgins  consecrating  themselves  entirely  to  the  cause  of 
Religion  and  charity, — he  who  watched  over  its  culti- 
vation with  so  much  paternal  solicitude  could  not  but 
feel  greatly  comforted.  Only  the  Catholic  Church  can 
originate  that  sublime  self-devotion,  which  makes  the 
Christian  virgin,  and  preserves  her  faithful  to  the  end. 

The  Bishop  was  the  first  superior  of  both  these  relig- 
ious societies  ;  and  he  watched  over  their  rise  and  pro- 
gress with  a  father's  care.  We  find  from  his  Journal, 
that  he  gave  the  mothers  special  instructions  how  they 
should  preside  over  the  communities  placed  under  their 
control  ;  and  that  he  frequently  gave  lessons  in  gram- 
mar, and  in  other  branches,  to  those  who  were  prepar- 
ing themselves  to  become  teachers.* 

-1.  M.  Nerinkx  had  planned  a  brotherhood,  similar  in 
its  objects,  to  the  sisterhood  of  Loretto.  He  had  even 
made  a  commencement  of  the  good  work  ;  but  his  death 
in  IS'24:  cut  short  his  design,  which  was  never  fully 
carried  into  execution. 

Bishop  Flaget  had  long  entertained  a  similar  thought. 
As  far  back  as  1813,  we  find  him  revolving  in  his  mind 
the  best  plan  for  founding  such  an  establishment.  On 
this  subject  he  has  the  following  entry  in  his  Journal  : 

"  To-day,  while  saying  Mass,  a  distraction, — perhaps 
a  good  thought, — came  into  my  mind  ;  which  was,  that 

•  This  occurred  particularly  at  the  school  of  Gethsemane. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  295 

perhaps  we  could  unite  together  several  artisans  of  dif- 
ferent trades,  who  would  consecrate  themselves  to  God 
by  religious  vows,  and  would  live  in  community.  Each 
artisan  might  receive  apprentices  ;  and  all  who  could 
work  together  in  common,  without  interfering  with  one 
another,  might  do  so.  The  rest  might  work  in  a  sepa- 
rate place  ;  but  always  in  the  same  enclosure.  There 
would  be  regular  hours  set  apart,  at  which  all  would 
assemble  for  prayer,  spiritual  reading,  &c."  * 

Thirteen  years  elapsed  before  this  project  could  be 
fully  matured,  or  carried  into  effect.  In  the  spring  of 
1826,  the  foundations  of  the  brotherhood  were  laid  at 
St.  Thomas'.  The  venerable  Founder  wished  ultimate- 
ly to  organize  a  society  of  religious  men  similar  to  that 
of  the  "  Brothers  of  the  Christian  Doctrine,"  in  France ; 
and  when  it  would  become  sufficiently  numerous,  to  se- 
lect the  most  suitable  members  for  assistants  to  the 
missionary  clergy,  in  the  management  of  temporal 
affairs,  and  in  teaching  catechism  to  children  and  serv- 
ants. 

The  brotherhood  was  placed  under  the  charge  of  the 
Rev.  M.  Derigaud,  who  directed  the  early  exercises  of 
the  members.  These  bound  themselves  by  vows  for 
only  three  years.  In  the  spring  of  1827  the  establish- 
ment was  removed  to  Casey  county,  on  a  farm  belong- 
ing to  the  church.  Here  the  Brothers,  about  eight  in 
number,  built  their  monastery,  which  was  called  Mount 
Casino,  alter  the  famous  Benedictine  Abbey  in  Italy. 
Most  of  them  exercised  some  mechanical  trade.  The 
original  idea  of  the  Bishop  seemed  in  a  fair  way  of  ac- 
complishment. 

*  July  4,  1813. 


296  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

But  the  ways  of  divine  Providence  are  truly  un- 
searchable. The  superior,  M.  Derigaud,  died  shortly 
afterwards ;  and  the  Bishop  experienced  great  embar- 
rassment in  finding  a  suitable  successor  to  that  devoted 
priest.  In  this  emergency,  he  called  the  Brothers  to 
Nazareth,  to  hold  an  election  of  a  Brother  Guardian. 
We  will  allow  him  to  unfold  his  feelings  and  plans  on 
this,  to  him  very  interesting  occasion : 

"The  Sisters,  and  Mother  Catharine  at  their  head, 
received  them  with  a  particular  attention.  The  Mother 
herself  served  us  at  table.  I  was  a  hundred 

times  more  happy  in  the  midst  of  these  good  Brothers, 
than  I  could  have  been,  seated  at  the  table  of  kin^s. 
How  many  beautiful  fancies  started  from  my  old  ima- 
gination, on  seeing  these  six  Brothers  seated  at  the 
same  table  with  me,  and  who  represented  so  well  the 
apostles,  simple  men  like  them,  seated  at  the  table 
with  their  divine  master  !  I  saw  already  in  full  opera- 
tion a  pious  association  of  various  trades ;  shops  erec- 
ted for  completing  a  building ;  children  sent  to  them 
from  all  parts  to  learn  different  trades,  to  acquire  an 
ordinary  education,  and,  above  all,  to  be  instructed  in 
their  Religion,  and  to  learn  to  practice  its  duties.  I 
saw  erected  a  beautiful  and  vast  chapel,  in  which 
divine  service  would  be  performed  with  much  gravity, 
majesty,  and  fervor.  I  saw  one  wing  of  their  monas- 
ter}' consecrated  entirely  to  those  men,  who,  tired  of 
the  world,  might  wish  to  end  their  days  in  a  holy  and 
rigorous  penance.  In  another  wing,  I  located  apart- 
ments for  the  Bishop  and  such  of  his  priests  as  would 
be  happy  to  recollect  themselves  for  a  few  days  and 
purify  their  hearts.     What  did  I  not  see?" 


)3  * 


*  Bon  Diev  !     Que  ne  voyais  je  pas ?    Journal.  1827, 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  297 

All  these  line  plans  were  doomed  to  come  to  nought. 
A  Guardian  was  duly  elected ;  but  the  brotherhood,  for 
the  want  of  an  efficient  priest  to  direct  them,  soon  de- 
clined ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  three  years,  it  was  dis- 
solved.*  In  this  utilitarian  age  and  country,  it  is 
difficult  to  induce  men,  to  whom  the  world  opens  so 
many  avenues  of  industry  and  of  wealth,  "to  leave  all 
things  and  follow  Christ."  It  requires  a  healthy  Cath- 
olic atmosphere  to  impart  to  them  that  heroic  vigor  of 
soul,  which  is  an  essential  condition  for  the  true  reli- 
gious vocation.  Hence  what  is  so  common  in  Catholic 
countries,  is  rare  in  this,  where  the  very  air  is  so  tainted 
with  Mammonism. 

5.  The  Bishop  desired  nothing. more  ardently,  than 
to  see  schools  for  children  of  both  sexes  rising  up  under 
the  shadow  of  the  church  in  each  congregation.  He 
knew  and  felt,  that  the  religious  character  of  the  rising 
generation  will  depend  upon  the  manner  in  which 
youth  are  trained  up.  The  question  of  education  he 
rightly  viewed,  as  one  among  the  most  important,  if 
not  the  most  important  of  all,  to  the  interests  of  Reli- 
gion. It  appears  that  he  even  corresponded  on  this 
subject  with  Rome;  for  we  find  that— December  1st, 
1820  — he  received  a  Letter  from  the  Propaganda, 
strongly  urging  him  to  establish  schools  for  children, 
and  to  place  them  under  the  superintendence  of  clergy- 
men. A  similar  recommendation  was  likewise  made 
to  all  the  Bishops  of  the  United  States,  as  it  had  been 
previously  to  the  Bishops  of  Ireland,  f 

*  Most  of  the  Brothers  returned  to  the  world;  one  of  them  en- 
tered the  Dominican  order,  and  is  now  the  Provincial  in  America. 

f  This  is  the  substance  of  the  Letter,  according  to  the  entry  in 
the  Journal — Ibid. 


298  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

This  system  of  parochial  schools,  wherever  it  can  be 
carried  out,  harmonizes  well  with  the  spirit  and  prac- 
tice of  the  Catholic  Church ;  and,  if  fully  established, 
it  would  be  attended  with  immense  advantages  to  morals 
and  Religion.  Education  without  Religion  is  a  body 
without  a  soul ;  it  develops  and  gives  strength  to  the 
passions,  while  it  withholds  the  only  effectual  influence 
which  can  guide  and  control  them  for  good.  In  the 
middle  ages,  when  the  Catholic  spirit  was  predominant, 
schools,  under  the  controlling  influence  of  Religion, 
were  seen  almost  every  where  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
churches ;  and  in  Catholic  countries  this  is,  to  a  great 
extent,  still  happily  the  case. 

In  missionary  countries,  where  Catholics  are  scattered, 
and  intermixed  with  those  who  are  either  bitterly  op- 
posed to  them,  or  indifferent  to  all  Religion,  great  dif- 
ficulties exist  in  fully  carrying  out  the  system ;  still  its 
adoption,  so  far  as  circumstances  will  permit,  would  be 
fraught  with  incalculable  advantages.  In  this  respect, 
our  German  Catholic  brethren  set  us  an  admirable  ex- 
ample, worthy  of  imitation.  Children  religiously 
trained  up,  never  forget  the  good  impressions  made  on 
their  young  minds. 

If  Bishop  Flaget  was  not  allowed  by  the  slender  re- 
sources of  his  destitute  missions  fully  to  carry  out  the 
recommendations  of  the  Holy  See,  he  did  at  least 
whatever  he  could  to  effect  this  purpose.  We  have 
seen  how  successful  he  was  in  founding  academies  tor 
girls.  Shortly  after  the  receipt  of  the  Letter  in  ques- 
tion, two  flourishing  schools  for  boys  arose,  which  soon 
afterwards  attained  to  the  rank  of  colleges. 

6.  St.  Joseph's  college  had  its  humble  commence- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  299 

ment,  as  a  day-school,  in  a  basement  room  of  the  old 
seminary  at  Bardstown,  about  the  year  1820  j  and  St. 
Mary's  was  founded  in  the  following  year.  The  Kev. 
G.  A.  M.  Elder  was  selected  by  the  Bishop  to  be  the 
founder  and  first  president  of  the  former ;  and  his  inti- 
mate friend,  Rev.  William  Byrne,  was  chosen  to  fulfill 
the  same  offices  for  the  latter.  These  two  clergymen 
had  all  the  qualities  requisite  for  success  in  the  arduous 
undertakings  assigned  them;  and  God's  blessing  did 
not  fail  to  attend  their  efforts. 

The  institutions  respectively  founded  by  these  two 
devoted  priests,  after  having  gone  through  many  vicis- 
situdes and  reverses,  still  continue  to  flourish,  after  a 
lapse  of  thirty  years.  The  number  of  youths  educated 
in  them  during  this  period  has  been  very  considerable. 
Taking  two  hundred  as  the  average  number  in  yearly 
attendance  in  both, — and  this  figure  is  not  too  high, 
but  rather  below  what  was  usual, — we  may  set  down 
the  total  number  of  students  who  performed  therein 
their  studies  for  a  year,  at  six  thousand.  They  were 
not  only  from  Kentucky,  but  from  nearly  all  the  States 
of  the  West  and  South. 

Among  the  benefactors  of  St.  Joseph's  college,  the 
name  of  the  Rev.  M.  Martial,  the  special  friend  of 
Bishop  Flaget,  deserves  particular  mention.  In  1S24, 
he  brought  up  from  the  South  twenty  Creole  boys  for 
the  college ;  and  in  the  year  following,  fifty -four  ac- 
companied him.  These  had  been  students  in  a  southern 
college,  with  which  he  had  been  previously  connected. 
The  present  Bishop  of  Charleston,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Lan- 
caster, and  the  Rev.  E.  McMahon,  were  successively 
presidents  of  St.  Joseph's  college. 


300  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

7.  For  twenty-eight  years  the  secular  clergy  had 
charge  of  St.  Joseph's  college  ;  and  during  a  great  part 
of  this  time,  the  theological  seminary  was  placed  near 
the  college,  the  seminarians  teaching,  or  performing 
duty  therein,  a  few  hours  per  day.  The  Bishops  for 
many  years  lived  in  the  seminary,  and  ate  at  the  same 
table  with  the  young  candidates  for  the  ministry.  This 
connection  of  the  two  institutions  had  its  advantages, 
as  well  as  its  inconveniences.  Experience,  however, 
showed  that  many  of  the  seminarians  had  their  voca- 
tions  shaken  by  being  thrown  so  much  in  contact  with 
youth  of  the  world ;  while  scarcely  a  candidate  for  the 
ministry  was  obtained  among  those  who  received  their 
education  in  the  college.  The  Bishop  was  greatly  dis- 
tressed at  this,  and  he  adopted  every  means  in  his  power 
to  obviate  or  correct  the  evil. 

For  this  purpose,  he  established  at  St.  Thomas'  a 
preparatory  seminary  for  such  young  men  as  might 
give  indications  of  a  vocation  to  the  ecclesiastical  state. 
In  connection  with  it,  was  a  Catholic  school  for  boys, 
who  were  taught  the  branches  of  an  ordinary  educa- 
tion, and  were  afterwards  encouraged  to  pursue  higher 
studies,  in  case  they  aspired  to  the  ecclesiastical  state. 
This  seminary  was  placed  at  first  under  the  charge  of 
the  Rev.  M.  Derigaud ;  and  after  his  death,  it  continued 
in  operation  for  several  years,  but  was  finally  closed. 

8.  The  founding  of  St.  Mary's  college,  and  its  re- 
markable success  for  twelve  years-,'  were  attributable  to 
the  zeal  and  indomitable  energy  of  one  man.  Without 
money  or  men  to  help  him,  the  Rev.  William  Byrne 
purchased  the  farm  and  erected  the  buildings;  paying 
the  whole  cost  in  tuition.     He  did  more.     He  formed 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  301 

himself  the  teachers  who  were  to  aid  him  in  carrying 
on  the  college.  He  originated  every  thing.  And  what 
is  more  remarkable  still,  he  exercised  at  the  same  time 
the  holy  ministry  in  the  neighboring  congregations. 
He  was  always  the  last  in  bed,  and  the  first  up  in  the 
morning;  though  often  in  the  course  of  the  night  he 
was  for  many  hours  absent  visiting  the  sick. 

How  he  found  time  for  all  this,  excites  our  wonder. 
Yet  he  did  it  all,  and  did  it  well,  for  twelve  years.  He 
was  president,  chief  disciplinarian,  principal  professor, 
procurator,  missionary; — everything  at  the  same  time. 
And  yet  his  talents  were  not  brilliant,  nor  had  his  op- 
portunities allowed  him  to  acquire  a  very  extended 
education.  He  began  his  study  of  Latin,  like  St.  Igna- 
tius, at  the  age  of  near  thirty.  We  can  explain  his 
wonderful  success  only  in  one  way: — God  was  with 
him,  because  he  labored  solely  and  entirely  for  His 
honor  and  glory. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  he  died  a  victim  of  char- 
ity, after  he  had  generously  given  up  the  college  to  the 
charge  of  the  Jesuits.  The  members  of  this  illustrious 
order  continued  to  conduct  it  with  success  for  fourteen 
years ;  until,  in  1846,  they  left  the  Diocese  and  went 
to  New  York,  to  take  charge  of  St.  John's  college, 
Fordham.  After  their  departure,  the  college  fell  again 
into  the  hands  of  the  Bishop,  who  conducted  it  through 
the  secular  clergy. 

The  two  colleges  of  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Mary  became 
corporate  institutions  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  and 
received  the  privilege  of  conferring  degrees.  They 
both  passed  through  an  ordeal  of  fire, — St.  Mary's  more 


302  SKETCHES   OF  THE   LIFE.    TIMES   AND 

7 

than  once, — but  they  both  rose  again  from  their  ashes, 
with  renewed  beauty  and  splendor. 

Bishop  Flaget  was  in  Rome  when  he  heard-  of  the 
burning  of  St.  Joseph's ;  and  he  was  plunged  into  a 
sea  of  grief  at  the  intelligence.  When  St.  Mary's  was 
burned,  a  first  and  a  second  time,  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  its  Founder,  he,  instead  of  yielding  to  des- 
pondency, rather  smiled  at  the  disaster  as  something 
trivial ;  and,  with  his  characteristic  energy,  immediately 
set  to  work  to  reconstruct  the  edifice. 

In  1825,  Bishop  Flaget  received  a  letter,  purporting 
to  be  from  Henry  Clay,  Secretary  of  State  of  the  U.  S. 
Government,  requesting  him  to  furnish  the  religious 
statistics  of  his  Diocese.  The  communication  turned 
out  to  be  a  forgery ;  but  in  reply  to  it,  the  prelate  gave 
a  summary  account  of  his  various  establishments, 
which  we  republish,  in  a  condensed  form,  as  going  to 
show  the  condition  of  his  institutions  at  that  date : 

1.  Diocesan  Seminary  at  Bardstown — Nineteen  seminarians, 
who  also  teach  in  the  college — cost  of  the  building,  86,000. 

2.  Preparatory  Seminary  at  St.  Thomas — Fifteen  young  men, 
two  priests  and  five  teachers.  To  this  is  annexed  a  school  for  boys, 
with  thirty  students,  who  pay  annually  835  in  federal  money,  most- 
ly in  produce — cost  of  buildings  at  St.  Thomas.  811.400. 

3.  St.  Joseph's  College— -Will  cost  820,000,  when  completed. 

4.  Cathedral — Not  yet  finished — has  already  cot>t  822,000. 

5.  St.  Mary's  Country  School- — Cost  84,000— charge  per  ses- 
sion $(j  for  tuition,  besides  board  paid  in  produce — very  popular — 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty  boys — "application  must  be  made 
twelve  months  in  advance  to  secure  admission." 

6.  Sisterhood  of  Loretto — One  hundred  Sisters — convent  of 
Lorelto  of  brick,  cost  $5,000 — all  their  branch  houses  made  of 
logs — five  .schools  in  Kentucky — in  1^23,  sent  out  a  colony  to  St. 
Genevieve. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP   FLAGET.  303 

7.  Sisterhood  of  Nazareth — Sixty  Sisters — sixty  boarders  in 
Nazareth  academy — three  other  schools  in  Kentucky,  and  one  at 
Yhicennes,  Indiana-— school  of  Nazareth  becoming  popular,  and 
patronized  throughout  the  whole  Western  country. 

8.  Sisterhood  of  St.  Dominic — Established  in  1821— Fourteen 
Sifters  and  twenty-nino  boarders. 

9.  The  Bishop's  salary  is  about  $200  per  year,  derived  from  pew 
rents  of  the  cathedral. 

Of  a  recent  important  change  in  the  administration 
of  St.  Joseph's,  and  of  the  founding  of  a  new  college 
and  free  school  in  Louisville,  as  well  as  of  several 
other  institutions,  we  will  speak  more  appropriately  in 
a  subsequent  Chapter.  We  will  close  this  by  mention- 
ing an  incident  which  we  find  recorded  in  the  Bishop's 
Journal.  It  will  show  how  much  confidence  was  re- 
posed in  him  by  Protestants  as  well  as  by  Catholics : 

In  November,  1826,  the  citizens  of  Harrodsburgh, 
chiefly  Protestants,  offered  the  Bishop  a  fine  college 
edifice,  a  large  farm,  and  a  spacious  lot  for  a  convent ; 
on  condition  that  he  would  establish  Catholic  institu- 
tions in  their  town,  similar  to  those  in  and  near  Bards- 
town.  Other  towns  also  held  out  flattering  inducements 
for  the  same  object.  But  the  Bishop  had  not  the  means 
nor  the  men  for  carrying  on  so  many  institutions  ;  and 
he  was  in  consequence  compelled  to  decline  the  oilers 
made  him. 

Thus  we  have  seen  four  colleges, — two  of  which  yet 
remain ; — three  religious  sisterhoods,  conducting  a 
large  Female  Orphan  Asylum,  an  Infirmary,  and  elev- 
en flourishing  academies  for  girls ;  a  brotherhood  ;  and 
two  religious  orders  of  men,  devoting  themselves  to 
education  and  the  missions ;  all  growing  up  and  pros- 
pering under  the  encouraging  auspices  of  Bishop 
Flaget. 


304  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 


To  these  institutions  were  subsequently  added  sev- 
eral others, — besides  those  above  alluded  to, — to  which 
we  will  refer  in  the  proper  place. 

May  we  not  believe  that  the  holy  prelate  had  much 
to  console  him  in  the  midst  of  the  weighty  labors  and 
wearing  anxieties  of  his  long  administration  '{  Did 
not  God  visibly  bless  his  disinterested  exertions  to  pro- 
mote His  glory  ?  How  much  good  may  be  accomplish- 
ed by  one  devoted  man,  intent  singly  on  laboring  for 
God !  What  consolation  do  not  such  reminiscences  as 
these  shed  on  the  else  gloomy  hour  of  death ! 

When  Bishop  Flaget  thought  he  was  dying  of  chol- 
era, he  no  doubt  looked  back,  with  great  comfort  of 
spirit,  on  all  these  institutions  which  he  was  leaving 
behind  him,  to  continue  the  good  work  he  had  begun. 
He  does  not,  indeed,  tell  us  so ;  in  his  humility  he 
speaks  chiefly  of  his  sins,  and  of  his  awful  accounta- 
bility to  God  for  his  long  administration ;  but  the  holy 
calm  which  followed  his  confession,  and  the  peace  of 
God  which  then  rested  in  his  heart  and  beamed  from 
his  countenance,  told  the  whole  story  of  «his  exceeding 
great  joy  and  consolation,  much  more  eloquently  than 
any  words  he  could  have  uttered. 

The  holy  prelate  was  destined  yet  to  pass*  many  years 
upon  earth ;  and  we  must  now  follow  him  through  the 
remaining  days  of  his  pilgrimage. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  305 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


HIS  JOURNEY  TO  EUROPE  AND  RETURN. 


1835  —  1839. 


Journey  to  Europe  long  contemplated — Gallicanism — Ruse  of 
Bishop  David — Taking  French  leave,  and  sailing  for  Europe — 
He  is  at  Nantes  and  Angers — Visits  Rome — Affecting  interview 
with  Gregory  XVI. — Is  charged  with  a  mission  in  France — Vis- 
its the  Austrian  Emperor  and  Metternich — Family  of  Charles 
X.- — Louis  Philippe — Travels  in  France  and  Sardinia — Charles 
Albert — Duke  de  Montmorency — Count  de  Maistre — Makes  the 
tour  of  forty-six  French  Dioceses — Reputation  for  sanctity — 
Wonderful  cures — Documentary  evidence — Fruits  of  his  labors — 
■Consults  the  Pontiff — The  answer  of  Rome — Resolves  to  re- 
turn— Bids  a  final  adieu  to  France — Goes  to  die  "among  his 


own." 


A  quarter  of  a  century  had  now  elapsed  since 
Bishop  Flaget's  last  visit  to  Europe.  Often  had  he 
contemplated  the  journey  with  great  satisfaction ;  but 
as  often  had  he  been  prevented  by  uncontrollabe  cir- 
cumstances from  carrying  his  wishes  into  execution. 
It  was  not  that  he  sought  repose,  or  desired  recreation. 
Though  he  greatly  needed  both,  yet  he  expected  and 
wished  for  no  rest  in  this  world.  But  he  thought,  that 
the  journey  would  promote  the  interests  of  Religion  in 
his  Diocese. 

What  he  most  desired,  was  to  visit  Rome,  and  to 

20 


306  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

offer  up  the  tribute  of  his  respectful  homage  to  the  suc- 
cessor of  St.  Peter.  He  had  always  been  devoted  to 
the  Holy  See,  with  a  most  filial  attachment.  The  Pon- 
tiff was,  in  his  eyes,  truly  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  having 
full  charge,  under  Him, — the  great  invisible  Head  of 
the  Church, — of  all  the  lambs  and  sheep  of  the  One 
Fold.  He  sought  not  to  place  artificial  bounds  to  a 
power,  which  Christ  Himself  had  not  limited,  but  had. 
made  ample  enough  to  meet  every  want  and  emergency 
of  the  Church. 

He  was  never  partial  to  that  theory, — now  happily 
almost  exploded, — which  is  known  under  the  name  of 
Gallicanism.  It  was  enough  for  him  to  know,  that 
the  Pontiff  had  spoken ;  the  grace  of  God,  enlighten- 
ing and  warming  his  faith,  prompted  immediate  and 
willing  obedience.  The  maxim  adopted  with  joyous 
and  unanimous  acclamation  by  the  six  hundred  Bishops 
assembled  in  general  council  at  Chalcedon  in  451, — 
Peter  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  Leo, — still  re- 
echoed in  his  ears,  and  found  a  warm  response  in  his 
heart. 

Bishops,  who  are  consecrated  for  Dioceses  lying  be- 
yond the  boundaries  of  Europe,  take  a  solemn  engage- 
ment on  the  day  of  their  consecration  to  visit  Borne, 
either  personally  or  by  a  suitable  deputy,  once  in  every 
ten  years ;  in  order  to  render  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff 
an  account  of  their  administration.  Our  holy  prelate 
had  hitherto  discharged  this  duty  through  another,  be- 
cause unable  to  do  it  himself. 

In  1825,  he  thought  the  long-desired  time  had  at 
length  arrived,  when  he  might  visit  Borne  without 
detriment  to  his  Diocese.     Still  his  delicacy  of  con- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  307 

science  would  not  permit  him  to  take  the  step,  without 
obtaining  the  previous  consent  and  advice  of  the  Sov- 
ereign Pontiff  himself.  He  accordingly  wrote  to  Rome 
on  the  subject,  and  calmly  awaited  the  reply.  But  he 
had  communicated  his  intention  to  his  Coadjutor,  Dr. 
David;  and  the  latter  was  so  much  alarmed  at  the 
heavy  responsibility  which  the  departure  of  the  Bishop 
would  devolve  on  him,  that,  without  his  knowledge,  he 
addresse  1  a  strong  letter  of  remonstance  to  the  Pope; 
setting  forth,  clearly  and  forcibly,  the  reasons  against 
the  Bishop  leaving  his  Diocese  at  that  time. 

While  awaiting  the  answer  from  Rome,  our  prelate 
wrote  as  follows  to  his  brother  in  France: 

"If  I  have  not  yet  made  the  voyage  of  Europe,  it  is 
because  my  venerable  Coadjutor,  in  spite  of  his  great 
learning,  has  not  been  able  to  reconcile  himself  to 
taking  upon  his  shoulders  my  responsibility.  I  have 
not  wished  to  sadden  him.  I  believed,  nevertheless, 
that  my  sojourn  in  Italy  and  France  would  be  much 
more  useful  to  my  Diocese,  than  all  I  could  do  here  for 
ten  years.  I  have  written  to  Rome  a  long  letter,  in 
which  I  have  detailed  the  reasons  for  and  against  this 
pious  pilgrimage.  In  six  months  I  shall  know  on  what 
to  decide."  * 

His  application  was  unsuccessful  at  Rome.  The 
reasons  alleged  by  his  Coadjutor  outweighed  his  own 
with  the  Pontiff.  However  painful  the  decision  was  to 
nature,  it  was  relished,  and  cheerfully  submitted  to,  by 
the  principle  of  grace  which  ruled  within  him.  In 
another  letter,  written  to  the  same  brother,  a  vear  later, 
he  thus  gives  utterance  to  his  feelings  on  the  occasion : 

*  Letter  dated  November  16,  1825,     French  Life — p.  99. 


308  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


"  You  can  scarcely  believe  how  much  I  have  been 
mortified  at  the  decision  of  the  Pope,  who  does  not 
deem  it  advisable  that  I  should  visit  Rome  and  my  na- 
tive  country.  He  fears  that  my  Diocese,  scarcely  vet 
out  of  its  cradle,  might  Buffer  too  much  through  my 
absence.  *  *  May  the  holy  will  of  God  be  done  ! 
God  be  thanked,  sacrifices  of  every  kind  do  not  cost 
me  so  much  now,  as  formerly.  The  '  I  die  daily '  of 
St.  Paul,  taken  in  the  spiritual  sense,  constitutes  at 
times  my  delight.  Heaven,  and  the  blessed  spirits  who 
inhabit  it,  are  often  the  objects  of  my  meditations ;  but 
when  I  must  enter  on  the  way  of  Calvary,  poor  human 
nature,  silly  as  it  is,  is  greatly  hurt,  and  wages  against 
me  a  cruel  warfare.'1  * 

Having  subsequently  understood  the  means  adopted 
to  prevent  his  departure,  he  said  to  his  Coadjutor,  with 
his  accustomed  amiable  gaiety:  u  Make  yourself  easy ; 
when  I  shall  again  purpose  to  visit  Rome,  I  will  say 
nothing  of  my  intention  either  to  yourself  or  to  any 
one  else."  f 

He,  in  effect,  adopted  this  course,  to  a  great  extent, 
when  nine  years  later,  he  actually  departed  for  Europe. 
His  old  Coadjutor  having  resigned,  and  his  new  one — 
Dr.  Chabrat — having  been  consecrated,  he  thought  that 
the  propitious  day  had  at  length  dawned  for  setting  out 
on  his  European  journey.  He,  accordingly,  privately 
made  all  his  arrangements  for  leaving.  Having  the 
full  consent  of  his  Coadjutor,  he  felt  entirely  at  ease  in 
reference  to  the  administration  during  his  absence.  In 
the  spring  of  1835  he  departed,  so  privately,  however, 

*  Letter  dated  November  28,  1826.     French  Life— Ibid. 
t  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  309 

that  but  two  or  three  persons  were  aware  of  his  inten- 
tion. 

He  remained  abroad  about  four  years,  returning  only 
in  the  fall  of  1839.  While  in  Europe,  he  was  not  idle. 
He  was  incessantly  engaged  in  missionary  journeys  and 
labors.  He  visited  Italy,  and  the  greater  portion  of 
France  and  Austria.  Every  where  he  labored  for  the 
interests  of  his  Diocese,  and  for  the  general  good  of 
Religion ;  and  everv  where  his  efforts  were  crowned 
with  the  most  signal  success. 

We  cannot  attempt  to  furnish  all  the  edifying  details 
of  his  travels  and  apostolic  labors  while  in  Europe  ; 
our  limits  will  allow  us  to  give  only  what  may  be 
deemed  most  interesting  to  American  readers.  These 
Sketches  would  be  incomplete  without  some  notice  of 
these  edifying  passages  in  his  episcopal  career. 

He  remained  in  France  about  a  year,  before  he  was 
able  to  continue  his  journey  to  Rome.  One  of  his  first 
visits  was  to  Monseigneur  de  Guerines,  Bishop  of 
Nantes.  In  this  city  he  had  discharged  the  humble 
office  of  procurator  in  the  Sulpician  seminary,  forty- 
five  years  previously.  He  visited  eleven  parishes  of 
this  Diocese,  and  was  everv  where  received  with  enthu- 
siasm,  and  venerated  as  a  saint. 

From  Nantes  he  went  to  Angers,  where  he  was 
lodged  in  the  episcopal  palace.  His  apartments  he 
considered  entirely  too  grand  for  a  missionary  Bishop ; 
but  he  checked  all  rising  vanity  by  a  reminiscence  of 
the  poverty  of  his  early  childhood,  when  he  was  u  the 
little  Benuet  *  of  Contournat."  f     The  Bishop  of  An- 

*  Patois  for  Baibit,  or  Benedict. 

f  Letter  to  his  brother;  December  13,  1835.  French  Life — pp. 
104,  105. 


310  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


gers  presented  him  a  superb  soutane.  He  passed  five 
months  in  this  city,  where  he  was  seriously  ill  for  some 
time  with  a  malady  on  the  lungs,  which  long  baffled 
the  skill  of  physicians.  He  next  visited  Poictiers  and 
some  other  places ;  after  which,  he  spent  some  time 
with  his  family  at  Billom. 

Wherever  he  went,  he  was  received  with  open  arms 
by  the  Bishops,  clergy,  and  people.  All  vied  with  one 
another,  who  should  pay  him  the  most  honor.  All 
this  homage  did  not  shake,  however  it  may  have  alarm- 
ed his  humility.  He  restored  all  the  honor  to  God,  to 
whom  alone  he  considered  it  clue. 

With  a  simplicity  all  his  own,  he  thus  speaks  of  the 
contrast  between  the  pomp  with  which  he  now  saw 
himself  surrounded,  and  the  humble  scenes  of  his 
childhood  at  Contournat  and  Billom  ; — we  shall  see  the 
happy  influence  which  this  reminiscence  had  on  his 
heart : 

"  It  is  in  vain  that  they  feast  me  wherever  I  go  ;  Bil- 

«/  O       3 

lorn  and  Contournat  present  themselves  to  my  mind, 
and  their  image  furnishes  me  an  inexpressible  satisfac- 
tion. *  In  vain  do  I  find  myself  associating  with 
Archbishops  and  Bishops,  with  mayors  and  prefects, 
with  marquises  and  counts ;  the  remembrance  of  the 
humble  roof,  under  which  I  had  the  happiness  to  be 
born,  of  poor,  but  very  pious  parents,  puts  me  back  en- 
tirely into  my  proper  place.  In  vain  do  they  over- 
whelm me  with  polite  attentions  and  compliments,  in 
prose  and  in  verse,  treating  me  as  an  apostolic  man,  as 
the  foreign  missionarv,  &c,  &c.     *     *     If  I  think  but 

o  «/  3  3 

one  moment  of  Billom,  and  the  good  aunt  who  nursed 
me  as  a  mother,  all  these  beautiful  eulogies  pass  over 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  311 

my  head,  like  a  light  breeze,  without  affecting  it  with 
the  least  attaint."  * 

The  Bishop  was  at  Avignon,  whcD  he  wrote  the  let- 
ter, from  which  the  above  is  an  extract.  He  was  on 
his  way  to  Rome,  where  he  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1836. f 
This  was  the  end  he  contemplated  reaching,  when  he 
undertook  what  he  designated  his  "  pilgrimage." 

Gregory  XYI.  then  sat  on  the  chair  of  St.  Peter ; 
and  the  holy  prelate  lost  no  time  in  visiting  this  excel- 
lent Pontiff.  He  furnishes  us  with  the  following  sim- 
ple, but  touching  account  of  his  first  interview  with 
the  Pope : 

uOn  the  29th  of  September,  having  gone  to  the 
palace  towards  eleven  o'clock,  A.  M.,  I  was  without 
delay  introduced  into  the  presence  of  the  Father  of  all 
the  faithful.  Following  the  usual  ceremonial,  I  made 
the  three  prostrations,  and  at  the  third  I  kissed  with 
affection  the  cross  embroidered  on  his-  sandal : — it 
seemed  to  me  that  I  was  kissing  the  feet  of  St.  Peter 
himself.  At  this  thought,  my  heart  felt  a  sensation 
which  I  cannot  describe;  sighs  and  sobs  choked  my 
utterance.  According  to  the  ceremonial,  I  should  have 
remained  kneeling  until  the  Pope  would  give  me  a 
sign  to  rise ;  but  in  this  audience,  altogether  friendly 
and  paternal,  there  was  no  ceremony  to  be  observed. 
The  excellent  Pontiff  bowed  down,  seized  me  in  both 
arms,  and  as  I  was  preparing  to  kiss  his  ring,  he  press- 
ed me  to  his  bosom,  and  embraced  me  tenderly,  salu- 
ting me  affectionately  on  both  cheeks. 

wwSuch  was  the   impression    which  these  marks  of 

*  Letter  to  brother;  August  25,  ISoQ— Ibid. 

f  He  reached  Rome  September  24th.     Journal — Ibid. 


312  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

friendship  made  on  my  heart,  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  articulate  a  single  word,  and  I  thought  I  was 
going  to  be  ill.  At  this  sight  the  Pope  was  moved,  he 
pressed  me  again  on  his  breast,  and,  with  a  tender  em- 
brace, encouraged  me  to  be  calm,  bade  me  sit  down  by 
his  side,  and  taking  both  ruy  hands  in  his,  waited  till  I 
would  open  my  heart  to  him.  Throughout  this  whole 
scene,  my  heart  was  in  violent  agitation.  *  *  Hap- 
pily for  me,  tears  succeeded  my  sobs ;  they  flowed  in 
abundance.  At  ths  juncture,  the  Pope  again  embraced 
me  for  the  third  time. 

"Having  recovered  my  senses,  and  feeling  now  per- 
fectly at  my  ease,  I  entered  into  conversation  with  this 
good  and  excellent  Father  of  the  faithful.  Our  inter- 
view, which  lasted  more  than  half  an  hour,  was  con- 
ducted in  Latin ;  and  he  assured  me  that  he  understood 
me  perfectly  well. 

"  As  I  was  speaking  to  him  of  my  journey  to  Europe, 
of  the  sickness  I  had  suffered  at  Angers,  and  the  con- 
firmation I  had  given  at  Nantes,  he  stopped  me,  saying, 
that  he  had  followed  all  my  footsteps  from  Havre  till 
my  arrival  in  Rome,  that  he  was  satisfied  with  my  con- 
duct, that  I  was  a  worthy  successor  of  the  apostles,  (fee. 
Oh !  how  agreeable  and  delicious  are  such  conversa- 
tions !  All  the  torments  one  has  endured  appear  now 
as  nothing.  No ; — I  will  never  forget  this  interview, 
so  paternal  and  so  delightful.  Throughout  the  day, 
and  at  every  moment,  it  was  pictured  in  my  thoughts.*'  * 

The  Pope  welcomed  him  with  similar  cordiality  at 

*  Journal,  in  loco.     The  author  of  the  French  Life  gives  a  simi- 
lar account  of  the  interview :  but  he  makes  the  Bishop   utter  the 
exclamation  about  St.  Peter,  which  he  only  thought  of,  according  t 
his  own  statement. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  313 

several  subsequent  interviews.  He  made  him  assistant 
prelate  at  the  throne,  presented  him  a  full  costume  of 
splendid  material,  and  granted  him  other  favors.  He 
took  great  pleasure  in  making  inquiries  concerning  the 
condition  of  the  Diocese  of  Bardstown,  and  that  of 
Religion  in  America  generally,  descending  to  the  most 
minute  details.  He  promptly  offered  to  defray  the 
Bishop's  expenses  while  in  Home,  and  took  an  interest 
in  procuring  him  comfortable  lodgings. 

When  the  prelate  afterwards  expressed  his  intention 
of  leaving  the  holy  city,  the  Pontiff  strongly  objected, 
saying,  that  he  ought  not  to  think  of  setting  out  at  the 
approach  of  winter,  and  that  his  age  and  infirmities 
would  ill  comport  with  his  traveling  in  weather  so 
rigorous.  The  Cardinals  united  with  the  Pope  in  ren- 
dering honor  to  the  venerable  missionary.  It  is  re- 
freshing to  hear  him  speak  on  this  subject : 

cc  Probably  I  shall  pass  the  winter  in  Rome ;  and  this 
by  order  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  who  does  not  wish 
that,  at  my  age,  I  should  undertake  long  journeys  in 
so  rigorous  a  season.  I  am  a  good  deal  thwarted  in 
my  different  projects  by  this  command;  but  when  the 
Father  speaks,  the  son  can  do  nothing  but  keep  silence 
and  obey.  *  *  *  At  Rome,  as  at  Billom,  I  receive 
marks  of  esteem  and  even  of  affection,  not  merely  from 
the  simple  clergy  and  religious,  but  from  the  Cardinals 
themselves,  and  especially  from  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 
O  my  God!  how  much  should  I  thank  Thee  for  so 
many  favors !  For  who  am  I  to  be  known  at  Rome, 
and  above  all,  to  be  there  treated  with  so  much  honor/'  * 

During  his  sojourn  at  Rome,  he  took  up  his  abode 

*  Letter  to  brother;  November  24,  1836. 


314  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

with  the  Lazarist  Fathers  at  Monte  Citorio,  where  he 
was  visited,  with  every  mark,  of  respect  and  reverence, 
by  many  persons  of  distinction,  both  lay  and  clerical. 
Here,  in  compliance  with  the  wish  of  the  Pontiff,  he 
drew  up  that  Report  of  the  history  and  condition  of 
his  Diocese,  to  which  we  have  already  so  frequently  re- 
ferred. 

From  the  Bishop's  Journal  we  learn,  that  he  trans- 
acted much  important  business  with  the  Pope ;  some  of 
which  regarded  his  own  Diocese,  and  the  rest,  the  gen- 
eral interests  of  Religion. 

He  presented  to  Gregory  XVI.  a  petition  from  the 
mother  house  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd  at 
Angers,  praying  for  the  privilege  of  establishing  a 
branch  of  their  admirable  Institute  in  Rome ;  where 
they  promised  to  labor  with  devotedness  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  unfortunate  among  their  own  sex.  The 
Pontiff  received  the  document  with  manifest  pleasure, 
and  promised  to  take  it  into  favorable  consideration. 
The  petition  was  granted,  and  the  house  has  since  been 
established.* 

He  also  presented  a  petition  to  his  Holiness  for  the 
beatification  of  M.De  Montfort.  The  Pope  received  it 
graciously,  endorsed  it,  and  sent  it  to  the  proper  con- 
gregation of  Cardinals  for  examination. f 

In  one  of  his  conferences  with  the  Pontiff,  the  Bishop 
spoke  of  the  translation  of  his  episcopal  see  to  Louis- 
ville, and  exposed  all  the  reasons  which  induced  him 
to  solicit  the  change.  Gregory  XVI.  would  not  decide 
the  question  immediately,  but  referred  the  matter  to 
the  congregation  of  Propaganda,  who  were  to  report  it 
back  to  him  with  their  advice.  J 

*  Journal — ibid.  f  Ibid.  X  Ibid. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  315 

On  the  suggestion,  and  at  the  instance  of  several 
French  prelates,  the  Pontiff  now  charged  Bishop  Fla- 
get  with  a  most  important  mission,  on  behalf  of  the 
pious  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
He  was  directed  to  visit  as  many  Dioceses  of  France 
and  Northern  Italy  as  his  strength  would  permit ;  and 
there  to  stimulate  the  faithful  to  join  the  Association. 
The  Bishop  cheerfully  undertook  the  mission,  and  he 
most  faithfully  and  successfully  discharged  all  the  la- 
borious duties  connected  therewith. 

He  remained  in  Pome  until  after  Easter,  1837. 
After  a  parting  audience  with  his  Holiness,  he  then  left 
for  Vienna,  whither  business  connected  with  the  inter- 
ests of  his  Diocese  called  him.  He  passed  through  Vi- 
terbo,  Assisium,  Loretto,  Ancona,  Bologna  and  Venice. 
At  Assisium  he  stopped  to  visit  the  famous  church  of 
the  Portiuncida,  where  the  humble  St.  Francis  had  so 
often  poured  forth  his  soul  in  fervent  prayer.  He  de- 
layed three  days  at  the  sanctuary  of  Loretto,  to  satisfy 
that  tender  devotion  he  had  from  childhood  cherished 
towards  the  Immaculate  Virgin,  Mother  of  God.  He 
made  a  retreat  here,  under  the  direction  of  a  Jesuit 
Father.  During  his  stay  in  this  time-honored  city  of 
the  Virgin,  he  received  distinguished  honors  from  the 
representative  of  the  Pontiff;  who  lodged  him  in  the 
papal  palace,  and  made  him  sleep  in  the  same  bed 
which  had  been  occupied  by  the  sainted  Pius  VII., 
while  on  his  return  from  his  French  exile.* 

At  Vienna  he  had  an  audience  from  the  Emperor, 
and  dined  with  Metternich.  He  also  visited  the  illus- 
trious exile,  Charles  X.  ex-King  of  France  ;  and  though 


* 


Letter  to  brother,  April  24,  1837. 


316  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

unwilling  to  interfere  in  the  politics  of  Europe,  he  yet 
cheerfully  yielded  to  the  pious  wishes  of  the  family, 
and  invoked  a  blessing  on  the  head  of  the  young  Bour- 
bon heir  to  the  French  throne.* 

After  despatching  his  business  in  Germany,  he  re- 
turned to  France,  to  enter  upon  the  arduous  duty  im- 
posed on  him  by  the  sovereign  Pontiff, — of  aiding  the 
Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  He  de- 
voted two  years  to  this  good  work.  In  this  time  he 
made  the  tour  of  forty-six  Dioceses  lying  in  France 
and  Sardinia. 

Though  now  seventy -five  years  of  age,  and  though  he 
had  gone  through  enough  fatigue  to  have  impaired  or 
broken  down  almost  any  other  constitution,  yet  his 
strength  did  not  fail  him.  He  seemed,  on  the  contra- 
ry, to  have  put  on  again  all  the  energy  of  his  youth. 
Wherever  he  went,  great  crowds  gathered  to  hear  the 
words  which  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  H  old  missionary 
Bishop."  He  visited  not  only  the  episcopal  cities  of 
each  Diocese,  but  not  unirequently  many  of  the  parish 
churches  ;  besides  the  seminaries,  colleges,  and  religi- 
ous houses.  From  this  fact  we  may  form  some  idea  of 
the  number  of  times  he  was  called  on  to  preach,  to  say 
nothing  of  administering  confirmation  and  performing 
other  important  functions.  Many  a  younger  man 
would  have  succumbed  under  the  herculean  labor. 

With  burning  eloquence,  coming  warm  from  the 
heart,  he  in  every  place  aroused  the  zeal  of  the  faithful 

*  "We  have  often  been  amused  at  hearing  him  relate  the  coldness 
with  which  he  was  treated  by  the  Court  of  Louis  Philippe,  on  his 
return  to  Paris.  At  his  previous  visit  the  king  of  the  French  had 
shown  him  every  polite  atention  :  at  the  last  he  was  entirely  unno- 
ticed, and  invited  to  no  audience ! 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  31 7 

for  the  good  work ;  and  God  crowned  his  labors  with 
a  success,  greater  even  than  his  own  most  sanguine 
anticipations.  Thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands 
joined  the  pious  Association ;  and  what  was  even  far 
more  consoling,  piety  revived,  and  fervor  was  aroused 
under  his  preaching  in  the  various  cities  and  towns  of 
France. 

His  example  was  even  more  efficacious  than  his 
words.  No  one  could  look  on  him,  without  feeling 
more  deeply  impressed  than  with  any  sermon.  He 
preached  as  effectually,  when  he  followed  the  silent 
method  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisium,  as  when  he  adopted 
that  of  St.  Francis  of  Sales,  or  of  St.  Francis  Xavier. 

In  all  the  cities  and  parishes,  he  was  received  almost 
as  an  angel  from  heaven.  People  crowded  to  see  him, 
to  receive  his  blessing,  and  to  commend  themselves 
and  their  families  to  his  holy  prayers.  He  entered  in- 
to "  union  of  prayers  "  with  many  pious  persons,  inter- 
changing with  them  pictures  or  other  tokens  of  remem- 
brance. Each  of  his  words,  every  one  of  his  little  acts 
of  kindness,  was  treasured  up  in  the  memory,  as  matter 
for  future  edification. 

His  reputation  for  sanctity  had  preceded  him  to  his 
native  country  ;  and  it  was  greatly  increased  during  his 
abode  therein.  It  was  even  said  and  believed,  that  ex- 
traordinary, if  not  miraculous  cures  had  been  effected 
by  his  prayers  ;  and  ample  statements  to  this  effect, 
with  certificates  appended,  were  drawn  up  and  circu- 
lated. The  humility  of  the  holy  prelate  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  believe  that  he  had  any  positive  agency  in 
working  miracles,  though  he  could  not  deny  that  there 
was  something  extraordinary  in  the  cures  effected. 


318  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 


) 


We  do  not  venture  to  pronouce  a  decided  opinion 
on  a  subject,  upon  which  the  church  adopts  and  en- 
joins so  wise  a  reserve.*  That  the  power  of  God  is 
not  abridged,  and  that  the  age  of  miracles  .lias  not 
ceased,  we  hold  to  be  an  undoubted  truth.  God  surely 
may  operate  miracles  now,  as  heretofore,  through  the 
prayer  or  agency  of  His  servants,  whenever  the  good  of 
Religion  may  be  thereby  promoted.  He  has  done  it  in 
all  ages  of  the  Church,  from  the  apostolic  days  down 
to  the  present  time.  But  when  it  is  question  of  par- 
ticular miraculous  occurrences,  the  Church  has  always 
exercised  a  most  rigid  scrutiny  into  the  facts,  evidence, 
and  circumstances,  before  pronouncing  a  decision. 

With  these  remarks,  we  will  here  publish  an  official 
and  well  authenticated  document,  from  the  archives  of 
the  Bishop  of  Xantes,  which  contains  the  edifying  de- 
tails of  the  wonderful  cure  of  Mademoiselle  De  Monti, 
attributed  to  the  prayers  of  our  holy  prelate.  The  pa- 
per, we  are  confident,  will  be  perused  by  all  with  inter- 
est and  profit : 

"  On  the  first  of  June,  1834,  Miss  Olympia  de  Monti, 
nineteen  years  of  age,  was  attacked  by  a  malady  which 
was  supposed  to  be  an  inflammatory  fever.  Her  illness 
became  so  violent,  that  on  the  third  day  she  could 
scarcely  breathe.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
that  day,  the  curate  of  St.  Peter's  was  summoned  in 
great  haste,  and  administered  to  her  the  sacrament  of 
Extreme  Unction.  The  physicians  became  at  this  per- 
iod convinced  that  her  disease  was  a  malignant  fever  ; 
and  they  had  recourse  to  strong  remedies.     But,  on  the 

*  In  this  we  fully  concur  with  the  elegant  writer  of  the  French 
Life. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  319 

fifth  dav.  when  the  fever  went  off,  she  fell  into  such  a 
state  of  exhaustion,  that  her  life  was  despaired  of.  Mr. 
Audrain,  curate  of  th  cathedral,  gave  her  the  hoi)7  Via- 
ticum, which  she  received  with  sentiments  of  profound 
piety.  A  few  moments  afterwards,  she  said  to  those 
present,  that  she  felt  much  better. 

"  Miss  De  Monti  became  each  day  better  ;  and  on  the 
seventh  she  was  pronounced  out  of  danger.  All  anti- 
cipated for  her  a  speedy  recovery  ;  but  on  trying  to 
walk,  she  found  that  she  was  unable  to  stand  alone  ; — 
nor  could  she  take  a  step  unless  she  was  supported,  or 
rather  carried,  by  two  persons.  In  the  month  of  Aug- 
ust following,  she  became  unable  to  walk  even  with 
such  support.  From  that  period  until  August  1835, 
she  was  confined  to  her  bed.  She  was  each  day  placed 
in  an  arm-chair ;  but  could  remain  up  only  about  half 
an  hour  in  the  morning,  and  the  same  length  of  time 
in  the  afternoon.  From  this  date  she  was  not  able  to 
do  even  this,  and  her  weakness  increased  daily.  Three 
of  the  most  celebrated  physicians  of  Paris,  and  five  of 
Nantes,  had  been  consulted  ;  but  they  could  do  nothing 
to  relieve  her.  The  remedies  prescribed  seemed  but  to 
augment  her  malady.  Neither  her  parents  nor  herself 
entertained  the  slightest  hope  of  her  recovery. 

"  About  this  time  they  heard  of  the  miraculous  cures 
which  had  been  effected  by  the  prayers  of  Bishop  Fla- 
get,  who  was  then  at  Nantes.  But  they  were  aware 
that  the  holy  prelate  was  unwilling  to  be  spoken  to  re- 
garding the  miracles  wrought  by  his  intercession.  It 
was  also  difficult  to  obtain  the  privilege  of  being  visited 
by  the  Bishop,  as  they  were  then  sojourning  at  the  Vil- 
la de  Grillaud,  near  Nantes  ;  nor  was  it  possible  to  have 


320  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


the  young  lady,  conveyed  thither,  in  her  then  prostrate 
condition.  A  venerable  English  Trappist,  Father  Ber- 
nard, was  then  at  the  Villa  de  Grillaud  ;  and  to  this 
good  religious  Miss  De  Monti's  parents  expressed  their 
ardent  desire  to  receive  for  themselves,  but  especially 
for  their  daughter,  the  Bishop's  benediction.  Father 
Bernard  promised  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  engage  him 
to  pay  them  a  visit. 

"  He  was  successful ;  and  on  the  4th  of  December,  at 
half  past  ten  in  the  morning,  they  had  the  the  happi- 
ness of  receiving  a  visit  from  Bishop  Flaget.  After 
having  obtained  his  benediction,  M.  and  Madame  De 
Monti  remarked  to  him,  that  their  daughter  would  be 
deprived  of  this  happiness,  unless  he  would  have  the 
charity  to  visit  her  in  her  room,  as  she  had  been  con- 
fined to  her  bed  for  many  months.  He  replied,  that  he 
would  with  pleasure  do  so,  in  order  to  exhort  her  to  re- 
sign herself  perfectly  to  the  decrees  of  divine  Provid- 
ence. 

"  When  Madame  De  Monti  had  conducted  him  to  her 
daughter's  room,  she  retired.  The  Bishop  remained 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  with  Miss  De  Monti.  She 
afterwards  related  to  her  parents  that  he  gave  her  his 
blessing  twice,  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  her 
forehead.  Moreover,  the  holy  prelate  promised  to 
pray  for  her  intention  during  nine  consecutive  days, 
and  recommended  to  her  to  recite  the  Litany  of  the 
Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  and  a  prayer  to  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin. The  good  prelate  then  took  leave  of  her,  and  left 
the  country  house  of  Grillaud  about  eleven  o'clock. 

"  After  the  Bishop's  departure,  the  young  lady's  pa- 
rents repaired  to  her  room.     She  told  them,  she  was 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  321 

persuaded  that  she  would  soon  be  well ;  but  expressed 
a  desire  to  pass  some  moments  in  prayer,  in  order  to 
give  God  thanks  for  this  auspicious  visit.  She  was, 
therefore,  left  alone  with  her  sister,  the  Countess  De 
Maquille.  Miss  De  Monti  began  to  recite  the  Litany 
of  the  Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  which  she  did  without  be- 
ing fatigued  ;  though,  a  few  moments  before,  she  was 
scarcely  able  to  recite  a  Pater  or  an  Ave.  She  has 
since  declared  to  her  parents  that  she  soon  felt  as  if 
animated  by  a  new  life. 

"  After  having  repeated  the  Litany,  she  said  to  her  sis- 
ter, that  she  felt  as  if  she  was  cured,  and  that  she  was 
strong  enough  to  walk.  At  the  same  time,  she  sat  up- 
right in  her  bed,  which  so  much  surprised  Madame  De 
Maquille,  that  she  was  near  fainting.  Miss  De  Monti, 
seeing  her  sister's  emotion,  asked  for  her  clothes,  and 
bade  her  be  calm.  She  put  on  the  garments  which  had 
been  given  to  her ;  then  rising,  without  any  assistance, 
seated  herself  in  the  chair  which  Bishop  Flaget  had 
occupied  during  his  visit.  Then  she  proceeded  to  the 
other  end  of  the  room ;  and,  prostrating  herself  before 
a  crucifix,  made  a  short  prayer. 

"It  was  then  about  half-past  one.  Madame  De  Ma- 
quille opened  a  window,  and  cried  out  to  those  below  : 
'  Olympia  is  walking.'  Upon  this  announcement,  all 
the  members  of  the  household  rushed  towards  Miss  De 
Monti's  room.  For  a  long  time  she  could  not  bear  the 
slightest  noise  in  her  apartment ;  but  now  the  presence 
of  about  twenty  persons  had  no  effect  upon  her.  All  be- 
held her  walking  about,  without  the  least  assistance. 

"  She  continued  walking  for  some  time  ;  then  wrote 
to  Bishop  Flaget.      M.  De   Monti   proceeded  to  the 
21 


322  SKETCHES    OF    THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

Bishop's  palace,  to  announce  to  the  two  prelates  the 
happy  tidings.  Falling  on  his  knees  before  the  Bishop 
of  Bardstown,  he  related  the  miraculous  cure  that  had 
taken  place.  It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the 
joy  and  astonishment  of  the  persons,  who  were  witnes- 
ses of  this  touching  interview.  The  Abbe  Vrignaud, 
secretary  of  the  Bishop  of  Nantes,  went  to  offer  his  fel- 
icitations to  the  family  of  M.  de  Monti,  and  to  see  him- 
self the  evidences  of  this  miraculous  cure.  He  saw 
Miss  Olvmpia  walking  with  perfect  ease.  She  had  re- 
gained the  use  of  all  her  members. 

"  On  the  following  da}',  the  5th  of  December,  he 
went  again  to  Grillaud,  and  there  met  Drs.  Lafond  and 
Padioleau.  Miss  De  Monti  had  descended  from  her 
apartment,  and  was  then  in  the  parlor ;  she  advanced 
with  a  firm  step  to  receive  them.  She  had  not  exper- 
ienced the  least  fatigue  in  coming  down  the  stairs.  On 
the  11th  of  the  same  month, — eight  days  after  her  re- 
covery, she  went  to  [Nantes.  The  next  day  she  had  the 
happiness  of  hearing  Mass,  and  receiving  the  Holy 
Communion  in  the  chapel  of  the  Archbishop  of  Nantes. 

"  During  several  succeeding  days,  she  received  visits 
of  congratulation  from  her  friends,  and  answered  differ- 
ent letters.  It  cannot  be  said  that  her  health  is  improv- 
ing ;  because  from  the  day  of  the  Bishop's  visit,  her 
cure  was  complete  ;  as  many  witnesses  testify. 

(Signed)  F.  De  Monti. 

Olympie  de  Monti. 
Ch.  de  Commequiers. 
De  Monti  ne'e  de  Commequiers. 
De  Commequiers  ne/e  de  Broc 
Euphrasie  de  Monti,  Contesse  de  Maquill'e. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  323 

"  Certified  to  be  conformable  to  the  original  Minutes 
deposited  in  the  Secretary's  office  of  the  Bishop  of 
Nantes  *  and  also  by  me,  as  an  eye-witness  of  the  first 
interview  which  M.  Francis  de  Monti  had  with  Bishop 
Flaget, — three  hours  after  the  miraculous  cure  of  his 
daughter, — in  the  presence  of  ten  persons  whom  the 
Bishop  of  Nantes  had  invited  to  dinner  on  the  4th  of 
last  December,  the  eve  of  the  departure  of  the  Bishop 
of  Bardstown  for  Angers. 

Nantes,  Feb.  27,  1836. 

Gely,   Canon, 
,  [Seal.]  V.  G.  of  Bishop  of  Bardstown."* 

■  The  document,  of  which  the  above  is  a  translation,  was  found 
among  the  papers  of  Bishop  Flaget.  It  is  a  copy  from  the  origin- 
al, apparently  in  the  hand-writing  of  Mademoiselle  De  Monti  her- 
self; and  the  signatures  and  certificate  appended  appear  to  be 
original.  There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  either  of  its  authenticity 
or  reliability. 

We  find  also,  among  the  Bishop's  papers,  another  highly  inter- 
esting document, — likewise  a  duly  certified  copy  from  the  original 
deposited  in  the  episcopal  archives  of  Nantes.  It  is  a  lengthy  and 
scientific  Report,  drawn  up  by  eight  eminent  physicians  "  of  the 
Faculty  of  Medicine  in  Paris,"  but  practicing  their  profession  at 
Nantes.  On  the  invitation  of  the  Bishop  of  this  city,  they  made  a 
minute  and  careful  examination,  not  only  of  Miss  De  Monti's  case, 
but  also  of  Jive  others,  scarcely  less  remarkable.  Their  investiga- 
tions were  very  thorough  and  searching  ;  while  their  expressions  of 
opinion,  on  each  case,  are  guarded  and  moderate.  These  wonder- 
ful cures  all  took  place  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1835,  in  the 
city  of  Nantes  or  the  vicinity.  The  Report  is  dated  July  15,  1836. 
It  is  a  carefully  drawn  paper,  covering  twenty-three  large  pages, 
closely  written  ;  and  though  highly  interesting,  it  is  too  long  for 
insertion  in  this  place.  We  translate  only  the  closing  paragraph : 
"  Finally,  a  last  motive  which  corroborates  the  opinion  we  have 
expressed  on  the  cures  of  which  we  have  spol 


324  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TLMES    AND 

We  must  now  follow  our  holy  prelate  through  his 
remaining  travels,  until  his  return  to  his  Diocese.  At 
Turin,  the  Bishop  was  kindly  received  by  the  King, 
the  late  unfortunate  Charles  Albert.  He  remained 
some  time  here,  and  was  entertained  with  princely  hos- 
pitality by  the  illustrious  family  of  the  Duke  de  Mont- 
morency. 

After  having  traversed  the  greater  part  of  France, 
Sardinia  and  Piedmont,  he  found  himself,  early  in 
1839,  at  Xice  on  the  Mediterranean.  Here  he  was  wel- 
comed by  the  Governor  of  the  place,  Count  Rodolph  de 
Maistre,  a  son  of  the  famous  writer.  He  remained  un- 
der his  roof  during  the  entire  Lent  of  this  year.  This 
good  family  overwhelmed  him  with  kind  attentions. 
He  needed  repose,  after  his  laborious  campaign,  which 
had  greatly  shaken  his  health  and  impaired  his  strength. 

He  was  solicited  by  many  prelates  and  other  persons 
of  distinction,  to  continue  his  mission,  and  by  not  a  few 
to  give  up  all  idea  of  ever  returning  to  America,  and 
to  end  his  days  among  his  relations  and  friends  in 
France.     On  the  other  hand,  he  felt  anxious  about  the 


coincidence  which  exists  among  all  these  facts.  The  six  patients, 
for  a  long  time  the  victims  of  disease  over  which  art  had  not  been 
able  to  triumph,  present  themselves  at  the  feet  of  a  pious  Bishop, 
receive  his  benediction  ;  and  the  most  of  them  find  themselves  im- 
mediately delivered  from  all  their  ills.  This  circumstance,  coming 
to  the  support  of  all  the  considerations  which  precede,  adds  much 
to  their  value.  Hence  we  do  not  hesitate  to  renew  here  the  declar- 
ation, that  these  are  not  to  be  viewed  as  ordinary  cures  ;  but  that 
there  intervened  in  their  production  certain  hidden  causes,  superior 
to  the  province  of  the  medical  art,  and  to  the  course  of  nature ;  yet, 
we  repeat  it,  this  intervention  is  not  manifest,  to  the  same  degree, 
in  all  the  cases." 


CHARACTER    OF    P.ISHOP    FLAGET.  325 

affairs  of  his  Diocese,  from  which  he  had  received  let- 
ters earnestly  asking  his  speedy  return.  Embarrassed 
as  to  the  course  he  should  adopt,  and  wishing  to  do 
nothing  but  the  will  of  God,  he  addressed  a  letter  to 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  soliciting  advice  as  to  what  line 
of  conduct  he  should  pursue  under  the  circumstances. 
He  candidly  laid  before  the  Holy  See  the  reasons  for 
and  against  his  immediate  return  to  America,  leaving 
the  whole  matter  to  its  decision. 

The  answer  of  the  Pontiff  arrived  a  few  days  before 
Easter.  He  received  the  package  with  the  most  pro- 
found respect,  and  wished  to  peruse  it  on  his  knees. 
The  document  breathed  the  sweet  spirit  of  paternal 
kindness ;  while  it  was  marked  by  the  manifold  graces 
of  the  most  exquisite  politeness. 

After  having  praised  the  zeal  of  the  prelate  in  ac- 
complishing the  mission  entrusted  to  him,  the  Pontiff 
advises  his  return  to  a  Diocese,  "  to  which,"  he  says, 
"  many  letters  received  thence,  and  thy  own  most  ardent 
love  for  the  flock  committed  to  thy  care,  recall  thee.  *  * 
For  although  thy  Church  is  not  without  the  solace  of 
thy  Coadjutor,  yet  it  appears  equitable,  that  after  an  ab- 
sence of  four  years,  thou  thyself,  like  a  good  shepherd, 
shouldst  satisfy  the  desire  of  thy  Hock,  and  again 
see  them,  after  so  long  a  time  ;  especially  as  thy  return 
to  America  might  be  again  too  long  delayed,  by  new 
obstacles  intervening,  if  the  present  suitable  time  for 
navigation  should  pass  by.  Wherefore,  unless  thy 
health, — which  we  hope  is  re-established, — or  some 
more  weighty  reason  should  prevent  it,  return,  venera- 
ble Brother,  as  thou  desirest,  to  thy  Diocese  ;  and  when 
it  shall  be  given  to  thee,,  to  see  thy  children,*  and  to 

*  "  Oves,"—  literally  sheep. 


326  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

speak  to  them  face  to  face,  fail  not  to  testify  to  them 
the  great  good  will  with  which  we  embrace  thee  and 
thy  tlock,  in  the  bowels  of  Christ."  * 

The  Bishop's  suspense  was  now  at  an  end,  and  his 
decision  to  return  to  his  Diocese  was  at  once  taken. 
The  will  of  God  was  made  known  to  him,  and  he  was 
prepared  to  obey.  The  clergyman  who  was  his  travel- 
ing companion  asked  him,  whether  his  thus  leaving 
France  and  his  relatives  and  friends,  probably  forever, 
was  not  extremely  painful  to  him.  He  promptly  re- 
plied :  "  No,  no,  my  dear  child  ;  I  v  as  already  fully 
decided  to  do  the  will  of  the  Pope ;  and  if  he  had  an- 
swered that  I  should  neither  remain  in  France  nor 
return  to  America,  but  should  depart  for  China,  or  join 
the  Archbishop  of  Cologne, j- — in  case  that  venerable 
Confessor  could  find  there  a  place  for  me, — I  should 
have  departed  on  the  instant!  J 

"  Fie  often  referred  to  this  subject  through  the  day. 
*'  O  how  happy  I  am,"  he  exclaimed,  "  to  know  the  will 
of  God  ! :  On  another  occasion,  when  his  friends  ex- 
postulated with  him  for  leaving  them  forever,  and  offer- 
ed to  write  to  the  Pope,  to  obtain  permission  for  him  to 
end  his  days  in  France,  he  said  :  "  O  no  ;  it  is  but  just 
that  the  first  Bishop  of  Kentucky  should  go  to  die 
among  Ids  own" § 

The  Letter  of  the  Pontiif  to  which  we  have  just  al- 
luded, referred  chiefly  to  a  petition  which  had  been 
presented  to  the  prelate  to  visit  several  Dioceses  out  of 
France ;  and  as  in  a  previous   letter  permission   had 

*  The  entire  document,  with  a  French  translation,  is  given  in 
the  French  Life — p.  126,  seqq.     It  is  dated  March  10,  1S39. 
f  Then  in  prison.  J  French  Life — p.  125, 

|  Ibid — p.  135. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  327 

been  already  given  him  to  visit  certain  Dioceses  in  the 
north  of  France,  which  he  had  not  yet  seen,  it  was  sug- 
gested to  him  that  he  was  entirely  free  to  prolong  his 
stay,  until  he  would  have  completed  the  tour  of  those 
last  named  ;  and  that,  moreover,  his  availing  himself  of 
the  privilege  thus  granted  would  accrue  greatly  to  the 
benefit  of  Religion.  But  the  Bishop  doubted  whether 
the  previous  permission  had  not  been  withdrawn,  by 
the  advice  contained  in  the  last  letter. 

Pressed  for  his  final  decision,  he  said  to  his  clerical 
companion  :  "  This  evening  we  will  go  before  the  Bless- 
ed Sacrament,  to  know  the  will  of  God."  Having  made 
his  visit  to  the  church,  he  said,  smiling  :  "I  will  now 
terminate  my  mission.  We  will  see  Chambery,  since 
I  am  announced  there ;  then  we  will  return  to  Lyons, 
whither  some  business  calls  me ;  I  will  next  visit  my 
brothers,  for  I  must  absolutely  pass  one  or  two  months 
with  them, — not,  however,  all  at  one  time  ;  I  will  make 
some  excursions  to  Clermont ;  I  will  accustom  them  by 
degrees  to  live  separated  from  me.  During  this  time, 
I  will  be  engaged  in  collecting  some  young  ecclesiastics 
for  my  Diocese ;  then  I  will  take  my  departure  about 
the  end  of  August."  * 

At  Lyons,  he  had  the  happiness  to  meet  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Dr.  Purcell,  now  Archbishop  of  Cincinnati,  who,  but  a 
few  days  after,  accompanied  him  to  Clermont.  They 
arranged  to  return  together  to  America  ;  and  the  Bish- 
op thanked  God  for  the  fortunate  circumstance,  which 
gave  him  such  good  company. 

Having  tailed  in  his  expectation  of  procuring  young 
ecclesiastics,  he  hastened  his  departure.    In  July,  1839, 

*  Ibid—v-  134,  135. 


328  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

the  two  prelates,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  John 
M'Gill,  now  Bishop  of  Richmond,  sailed  from  Havre  ; 
and  on  the  21st  of  August  they  landed  safely  at  New 
York. 

In  September,  the  holy  prelate  arrived  at  Bardstown, 
where  he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  his  clergy  and  peo- 
ple. He  came  to  die  among  his  own  children,  for 
whose  welfare  he  had  so  long  and  so  successfully  la- 
bored. 


CHARACTER   OF   BISHOP    FLAGET.  329 


CHAPTER    XI V. 


THE    LAST    YEARS    OF    HIS    EPISCOPACY, 


1839  —  1849. 


He  makes  the  tour  of  his  establishments,  and  visits  his  Diocese — 
Travels  six  hundred  miles  on  horseback — How  he  spent  his  in- 
tervals of  leisure — Anecdote  of  Bishop  David — The  death  of  the 
latter — His  character — Translation  of  the  see  to  Louisville — 
Reasons  for  and  against  the  change — He  regrets  to  leave  Bards- 
town — Arrival  of  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd — How  this  colony 
was  obtained — Nature  and  objects  of  the  Institute — Health  of 
his  Coadjutor  impaired — The  Coadjutor  visits  France,  and  re- 
signs— His  present  retreat — The  Bishop  left  desolate — The  third 
Coadjutor  is  consecrated — The  Nunc  Dimittis — The  Jesuits  re- 
enter the  Diocese,  and  take  St.  Joseph's  college — New  college  in 
Louisville — Arrival  of  the  Trappists — Character  of  their  institu- 
tion— Corner-stone  of  the  new  Cathedral  laid. 

The  first  months  after  the  return  of  Bishop  Flaget 
were,  spent  in  the  agreeable  task  of  visiting  his  various 
institutions.  He  was  rejoiced  to  find,  that  their  pros- 
perity had  not  been  materially  affected  by  his  long  ab- 
sence. His  children  every  where  welcomed  him  as  a 
father.  He  took  pleasure  in  recounting  to  them  the 
incidents  of  his  foreign  travel,  and  particularly  in  giv- 
ing details  of  what  had  occurred  in  his  interesting  in- 
terviews with  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  whose  blessing  he 
warmly  imparted  to  them  all. 


330  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

The  next  subject  which  engaged  his  attention,  was 
the  visitation  of  his  Diocese.  Though  now  in  his  sev- 
enty-seventh year,  and  worn  down  with  the  labors  of  a 
protracted  ministry,  his  resolution  did  not  falter,  and 
he  determined  to  embark  in  an  undertaking  apparent- 
ly so  far  above  his  strength.  He  ardently  wished  to 
see  all  his  spiritual  children  once  more  before  his 
death ;  and,  in  compliance  with  the  intimation  of 
Gregory  XYL,  "  to  speak  to  them  face  to  face,"  and 
bestow  upon  them  the  paternal  benediction  of  him  who 
sat  in  the  chair  of  St.  Peter. 

About  two  years  were  consumed  in  this  laborious 
duty.  Accompanied  by  one  or  two  missionaries,  he 
visited  almost  all  the  congregations  of  his  Diocese,  now 
limited  to  the  State  of  Kentuckv.  He  made  the  tour 
principally  on  horseback ;  and  in  each  congregation  he 
preached  and  gave  confirmation.  He  seemed  to  have 
again  put  on  the  vigor  of  his  younger  days;  he  sat 
erect  in  the  saddle,  and  appeared,  after  a  severe  day's 
ride,  not  to  be  much  more  fatigued  than  his  more 
youthful  companions.  He  traveled  thus  at  least  six 
hundred  miles. 

In  July,  1841,  he  had  made  the  visitation  of  all  the 
congregations,  except  seven  or  eight.  In  a  letter  to 
France,  he  thus  refers  to  the  subject: 

"I  have  just  terminated  an  episcopal  visitation, 
during  the  continuance  of  which  we  have  traveled 
more  than  two  hundred   leagues.     *     *  What  a 

joy  for  my  dear  Catholics,  who  had  not  seen  me  for  so 
many  years,  and  who  scarcely  hoped  ever  to  see  me 
again,  when  I  found  myself  once  more  in  their  midst ! 
*     *     *     I  have  yet  seven  or  eight  congregations  to 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  331 

visit;  towards  autumn,  God  assisting  me,  I  will  termi- 
nate this  long,  but  most  consoling  visitation."  * 

His  intervals  of  leisure  were  spent  in  his  episcopal 
residence  at  Bardstown,  in  company  with  his  actual 
and  former  Coadjutor,  Doctors  Chabrat  and  David. 
He  passed  no  idle  hours.  When  not  otherwise  em- 
ployed, he  was  engaged  in  reading  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, the  history  of  the  Church,  the  lives  of  the 
saints,  or  other  spiritual  books. 

The  following  incident,  concerning  him  and  Bishop 
David,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  admirable  simplicity 
of  these  two  venerable  prelates.  On  opening  a  box 
which  the  Bishop  had  received  from  Europe,  contain- 
ing pictures,  medals,  and  beads,  Bishop  David  signified 
a  wish  to  have  some  of  the  articles,  for  distribution 
among  his  friends.  Bishop  Flaget  turned  to  him,  with 
smiling  raillery,  and  said:  "Father  David,  you  are 
always  asking  for  something,  and  yet  you  never  give 
me  any  thing!'  The  other  rejoined:  "I  have  given 
you  every  thing,  since  I  have  given  you  myself."  The 
plea  was  admitted;  and  he  failed  not  to  receive  his 
suitable  portion  of  the  pious  objects. f 

The  sensitive  heart  of  the  Bishop  was  soon  to  be 
grieved  by  the  death  of  his  oldest  and  most  intimate 
friend,  his  counsellor  and  spiritual  director  for  nearly 
fifty  years.  The  health  of  Bishop  David  had  been  de 
clining  for  some  years;  and  now  it  was  evident  that 
the  time  for  his  departure  from  this  world  was  rapidly 
approaching.  The  Sisters  of  Charity,  whose  society 
he  had  founded,  pressed  him  to  come  to  Nazareth,  and 

*  Letter  to  the  Abbe  de  George,  author  of  the  French  Life,  July 
3,  1841.     Ibid—]).  142. 
f  Ibid—]).  143. 


332  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

there  end  his  days  in  the  midst  of  his  children.  He 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  from  them  he  received  the 
kindest  attentions  and  the  most  delicate  nursing.  He 
continued  to  decline  for  several  months,  but  retained 
his  consciousness  to  the  last.  From  the  hands  of 
Bishop  Flaget  he  received  the  last  sacraments,  and 
calmly  expired  on  the  12th  of  July,  1841. 

In  the  letter  last  quoted,  written  nine  days  before  his 
death,  Bishop  Flaget  speaks  of  his  illness  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms :  "  My  ancient  Coadjutor  has  been  strug- 
gling with  death  for  more  than  three  months ;  he  has 
received  all  the  sacraments  from  my  hands :  his  resig- 
nation is  perfect,  and  he  rejoices  to  suffer  in  this  world, 
to  have,  as  he  says,  less  to  endure  in  purgatory.  O ! 
how  different  is  the  death  of  the  true  disciples  of  Christ 
from  that  of  the  impious  !  *  *  In  less  than  a  year, 
three  of  my  cotemporaries  and  old  friends  will  have 
departed  from  this  world ;  without  doubt  to  prepare  the 
way  for  me, — by  exhorting  me  every  day  to  hold  myself 
in  readiness  to  rejoin  them." 

A  truer  and  more  sincerely  Christian  heart  never 
beat  in  mortal  bosom,  than  that  whose  pulsations 
ceased  when  Bishop  David  expired.  He  died  as  he 
had  lived.  Regularity  in  all  the  actions  of  his  life  had 
become  with  him  a  settled  habit — a  second  nature. 
Full  of  burning  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  he  never 
spared  himself.  In  season  and  out  of  season,  he  preach- 
ed the  word;  he  persuaded,  he  besought,  he  reproved 
in  all  patience  and  doctrine.  If  he  was  rigid  with 
others,  he  was  much  more  so  with  himself;  if  candid 
in  stating  to  others  their  faults,  he  was  at  least  as  much 
so  in  acknowledging  his  own,  and  in  humbling  himself 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  333 

for  them,  both  before  God  and  men.  No  one  was  too 
lowly  for  his  patient  instruction  and  tender  care ;  no 
one  too  high,  to  escape  the  firm,  but  humble  expres- 
sion of  his  opinion,  whether  it  was  flattering  or  admon- 
itory. The  older  clergy  of  Kentucky  who  were  trained 
up  by  him,  and  all  who  knew  him  well,  will  long  hold 
his  name  in  benediction.  His  remains  repose  in  the 
cemetery  of  Nazareth,  and  his  spiritual  daughters  have 
erected  a  suitable  monument  to  his  memory.*  He  was 
in  his  eighty-first  year ;  in  the  fifty-sixth  of  his  priest- 
hood, and  the  twenty-second  of  his  episcopacy. 

On  the  day  of  his  death, — though  it  appears  that  he 
had  not  yet  heard  of  it, — -Bishop  Flaget,  having  lately 
received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  brother,  the 
curate  of  Billom,  wrote  to  a  member  of  his  family  in 
France,  as  follows : 

"  God,  in  His  mercy,  wishes  that  I  should  prepare 
for  death;  for  He  takes  away  from  me  persons  who 
have  been  much  attached  to  me  for  more  than  sixty 
years :  the  good  Father  Bonnet,f  my  brother,  and  my 
old  Coadjutor,  who  is  at  this  moment  struggling  with 
death,  and  who,  in  three  or  four  days,  will  be  no  longer 
in  this  world.  I  bless  God  for  having  given  me  such 
warnings ;  in  order  to  detach  me  more  and  more  from 
all  creatures,  and  to  make  me  sigh  more  ardently  for 
heaven,  where  every  thing  is  holy,  every  thing  is  per- 
fect, every  thing  is  happiness,  and  happiness  eternal.'*  J 

For  several  years  the  Bishop  had  been  revolving  in 

*  The  classical  Latin  inscription  was  written,  we  believe,  by 
Father  Badin. 

f  A  Sulpician  of  Clermont. 

t  Letter,  July  12, 1841.     French  Life— p.  146. 


334  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


his  mind  the  project,  of  having  the  episcopal  see  trans- 
ferred to  Louisville.  We  have  seen  that,  while  in 
Rome  in  1836,  he  conferred  with  the  holy  Father  on 
this  subject.  Bardstown,  the  cradle  of  the  Diocese, 
the  centre  of  all  the  splendid  institutions  founded  un- 
der the  auspices  of  our  prelate,  and  for  a  long  time  the 
centre  of  the  Catholic  population ;  was  the  only  point, 
which  could  have  been  at  first  selected  for  the  location 
of  the  see.  But  in  this  country,  where  every  thing  is 
constantly  changing,  a  generation  often  works  a  revo- 
lution in  the  relative  importance  of  particular  localities. 

Louisville,  which  at  first  was  comparatively  an  un- 
important place,  having  but  a  mere  handful  of  Catho- 
lics, and  these  mostly  indifferent  to  the  practice  of 
their  Religion,  had  now  become  not  only  the  largest 
city  in  the  Diocese,  but  also  the  seat  of  a  large  and 
fast  increasing  Catholic  population.  Its  situation  on 
the  Ohio  at  the  interruption  of  navigation,  and  its  cen- 
tral position  in  the  length  of  the  State  stretching  along 
that  river;  above  all,  the  prospect  of  its  still  more 
rapid  growth,  and  the  constant  influx  into  it  of  Catho- 
lics from  the  interior  of  the  Diocese,  but  chiefly  from 
abroad:  it  being,  in  a  word,  the  great  centre  and  com- 
mercial emporium  of  the  State,  rendered  it  evidently 
the  most  suitable  place  for  the  episcopal  see. 

The  Bishop  much  regretted  to  leave  Bardstown.  It 
had  been  his  residence  for  more  than  twenty  years; 
the  reminiscences  of  thirty  years  of  his  episcopacy 
were  associated  with  the  place;  and  the  substantial 
fruits  of  his  labors  during  that  period  lay  within  it,  or 
clustered  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  There  were  his 
fine  cathedral,  his  college  and  seminary,  the  convents  of 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  335 

Nazareth  and  Loretto,  the  college  of  St.  Mary's, — to 
say  nothing  of  other  institutions. 

By  long  and  pleasant  association,  and  by  the  inter- 
change of  mutual  offices  of  kindness,  he  had  become 
much  endeared  to  the  inhabitants  of  Bardstown,  both 
Catholic  and  Protestant.  All  would  be  deeply  pained 
at  his  leaving  them.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  believing 
that  the  interests  of  B-eligion  would  be.  promoted  by 
the  removal  of  his  see,  and  that  its  location  in  the 
largest  city  of  the  Diocese  was,  moreover,  more  con- 
formable to  the  spirit  and  usage  of  the  Church,  he  de- 
cided to  make  the  change. 

The  pontifical  Rescript  authorizing  the  translation 
was  received  by  liim  early  in  the  year  1841;  the  time 
for  carrying  it  into  effect  was  left  to  his  own  judgment. 
Finding  that  the  inhabitants  of  Louisville  were  all 
favorably  disposed  towards  the  project,  and  that  the 
Protestants  themselves  would  unite  with  the  Catholics 
in  warmly  welcoming  him  to  the  city,  he  set  about 
making  the  necessary  preliminary  arrangements,  and 
removed  thither,  with  his  Coadjutor,  towards  the  close 
of  the  year.  His  Vicar  General  *  had  preceded  him 
some  months,  in  order  to  prepare  the  way. 

Bishop  Flaget  was  not  disappointed  in  the  expecta- 
tions he  had  conceived,  of  the  benefits  likely  to  accrue 
to  Religion  from  the  step  he  had  taken,  after  so  much 
mature  deliberation.  While  Catholicity  in  the  interior 
was  not  materially  affected  by  the  change,  it  gave  a 
new  impulse  to  Religion  in  Louisville.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  city,  without  distinction  of  creed,  exhibi- 

*  The  present  Bishop  of  Charleston.  The  Bishop  was  to  have 
been  installed  at  Christmas :  but  his  illness  delayed  the  ceremony. 


336  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TBIES    AND 

ted  a  commendable  liberality  in  co-operating  with  him 
in  every  good  work ;  they  came  forward  generously  to 
support  every  appeal  made  to  them  on  behalf  of  Cath- 
olic charities  ;  and  the  Catholic  population  also  rapidly 
increased.  On  the  death  of  the  holy  prelate,  eight 
years  later,  the  Catholic  population  of  the  city  was 
about  one-fourth  of  that  of  the  entire  Diocese. 

Personally,,the  Bishop  had  no  little  inconvenience  to 
surfer  from  the  change.  In  his  old  age  he  had  to  sever 
ties,  which  so  many  years  of  affectionate  association 
with  old  friends  had  drawn  around  his  heart.  He  had 
to  leave  a  residence  in  which  he  was  surrounded  by 
every  comfort,  to  live  in  a  new  place,  with  fewer  con- 
veniences, and  in  the  midst  of  comparative  strangers, 
He  had  to  leave  his  dear  solitude  in  the  country  seat 
near  Bardstown,  to  take  up  his  abode  amid  the  noise 
and  confusion  of  the  city.  But  he  had  never  been  in 
the  habit  of  counting  the  cost  to  himself,  when  it  was 
question  of  discharging  what  he  believed  to  be  a  duty  to 
others  and  to  the  Church. 

About  a  year  after  his  removal  to  Louisville,  the 
heart  of  the  Bishop  was  rejoiced  by  the  arrival  from 
France  of  a  colony  of  religious  ladies,  belonging  to 
that  heroic  institute,  whose  object  it  is  to  reclaim  to 
virtue  the  fallen  and  degraded  of  their  own  sex.  These 
devoted  Sisters  of  Charity  of  the  Good  Shepherd  reach- 
ed Louisville  December  1st,  1842,  from  the  mother 
house  of  Angers.  Much  as  he  was  gladdened  by  their 
arrival,  his  joy  at  first  was  not  unmingled  with  regret; 
as  he  had  not  expected  them  so  soon,  and  had  as  yet 
made  no  arraugements  for  their  accommodation.  But 
these  heroic  ladies  had  already  made  too  many  sacri- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  337 

fices  in  carrying  out  the  painful,  but  sublimely  charita- 
ble object  of  their  order,  to  be  deterred  by  inconve- 
niences comparatively  so  light.  They  were  lodged  for 
nine  months  in  a  house  of  the  Bishop  adjoining  the 
academy  of  Cedar  Grove,  Portland,  where  they  ap- 
plied themselves  to  the  study  of  English ;  until  'their 
monastery  in  Louisville  could  be  built  and  prepared  for 
their  reception. 

While  in  France,  the  Bishop,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
been  detained  for  some  time  at  Angers  by  a  severe  ill- 
ness. He  here  became  acquainted  with  the  institute 
of  the  Good  Shepherd ;  and  while  he  admired  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  was  erected,  he  was  forcibly  struck 
by  the  uniform  cheerfulness  and  gaiety  exhibited  by 
the  generous  religious,  in  performing  a  task  so  painful 
to  the  refined  feelings  of  nature,  and  so  revolting  to 
the  sentiments  of  the  world.  He  expressed  an  earnest 
wish  to  have  a  colony  of  the  order  in  his  Diocese. 
The  mother  general  communicated  with  her  council  on 
the  subject;  and  as  the  intelligence  spread  through  the 
different  communities,  so  many  were  found  anxious  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  distant  mission,  that  the  supe- 
rior was  greatly  embrarassed  in  selecting  from  the  nu- 
merous candidates  the  requisite  number  of  five  or  six 
for  the  intended  colony.  At  length  it  was  resolved, 
that  it  should  be  composed  of  representatives  from  the 
different  Catholic  nations  in  Europe, — France,  Ger- 
many, Italy,  Belgium,  and  Ireland  ; — thus  presenting 
to  the  new  world,  torn  by  conflicting  sects,  a  beautiful 
illustration  of  Catholic  unity. 

On  his  return  to  America,  the  Bishop,  after  confer- 
ring v^ith  his  Coadjutor  as  to  the  resources  of  the  Dio- 

00 


33>  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

cese,  feared  that  he  could  not  then  spare  the  necessary 
funds  for  founding  the  new  establishment,  without  in- 
juring other  important  interests.  Among  others,  his 
purpose  of  soon  commencing  the  erection  of  a  new 
cathedral  in  Louisville  was  the  most  prominent.  The 
other  establishments  of  the  Diocese  had  been  founded, 
and  had  gradually  grown  up,'  chiefly  by  the  labors  of 
the  early  members  themselves,  with  little,  if  any  aid 
from  Diocesan  funds  ;  this  one,  could  be  created  onlv 
by  the  resources  of  the  Bishop  himself.  Accordingly 
he  wrote  to  Angers,  deeply  regretting  the  circumstan- 
ces, which  induced  him  to  ask  for  some  delay  in  send- 
ing the  proposed  colony. 

But  the  measure  had  already  been  resolved  on  at  the 
mother  house ;  and  it  was  decided  to  carry  it  into  im- 
mediate  execution,  leaving  the  question  of  resources  to 
Providence.  The  colony  was  in  consequence  sent  out 
at  once,  more  in  accordance  with  what  was  believed  to 
be  the  ardent  wish  of  the  Bishop,  than  with  the  advice 
which  prudence  had  prompted  him  to  give. 

The  Sisters  entered  their  extensive  new  establish- 
ment, erected  entirely  at  the  Bishop's  expense,  on  the 
4th  of  September,  1843. 

Their  institute  was  no  sooner  known,  than  it  was 
greatly  admired  by  many  among  the  Protestants,  as 
well  as  by  the  Catholics.  The  number  of  penitents 
soon  became  as  great  as  the  house  designed  for  their 
use  could  accommodate.  Liberal  presents  were  made 
to  the  infant  establishment ;  their  marketing  was  often 
furnished  gratuitously  by  Protestants ;  and  the  needle- 
work, their  chief  reliance  for  a  maintenance,  flowed  in 
on  them  so  abundantly,  that  the  institution  was  soon 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  e339 

able  to  support  itself.  A  large  and  commodious  chapel 
was  afterwards  erected;  and  during  the  last  year,  a 
spacious  building  was  put  up,  for  the  separate  class  of 
religious  Magdalenes,  to  be  composed  of  such  penitents 
as  might  give  indications  of  a  desire  to  retire  perma- 
nently from  the  dangers  of  the  world,  and  devote  their 
lives  to  the  religious  exercises  of  the  cloister. 

About  this  time,  a  new  trouble  of  a  weighty  charac- 
ter afflicted  the  heart  of  the  good  prelate.  The  health 
of  his  second  Coadjutor — Dr.  Chabrat — had  been  de- 
clining for  some  years;  and  now  he  was  threatened 
with  the  loss  of  his  sight.  In  this  emergency,  after 
having  for  some  time  submitted  to  a  severe  and  judi- 
cious course  of  treatment  from  Dr.  Gross,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  surgeons  of  the  Union,  lie  decided  to  go 
to  France  for  farther  medical  advice.  On  his  arrival 
in  Paris,  he  applied  to  M.  Sichel,  one  of  the  first  ocu- 
lists in  Europe;  who,  while  he  fully  approved  the 
treatment  previously  adopted  by  Dr.  Gross,  gave  him 
but  slight  hopes  of  a  restoration  of  sight. 

Much  to  the  grief  of  Bishop  Flaget,  Dr.  Chabrat 
had,  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  malady,  enter- 
tained serious  thoughts  of  offering  his  resignation.  He 
had  written  to  Rome  on  the  subject,  and  received  a 
reply,  referring  the  matter  for  farther  consideration  to 
the  approaching  Provincial  Council  of  Baltimore,  to  be 
held  in  1846.  The  fathers  of  this  Council,  after  occu- 
pying much  time  in  weighing  the  reasons  for  and 
against,  finally  declined  to  advise  the  resignation ;  and 
the  two  neighboring  Bishops  of  Cincinnati  and  Nash- 
ville kindly  offered  their  services  during  his  disability, 
to  aid  him  in  the  visitation  of  the  Diocese. 


340  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

After  the  Council,  the  maladv  continued  to  increase, 
and  Dr.  Chabrat  decided  again  to  visit  Europe.  On 
his  arrival  in  Paris,  the  oculist,  to  whom  he  had  pre- 
viously applied,  at  once  declared,  that  unless  he  resign- 
ed his  charge  and  remained  in  France,  he  would  soon 
become  irretrievably  blind.  This  able  physician  went 
himself  to  Monsignor  Fobnabi,  the  papal  Xuncio  at 
Paris,  and  presented  the  matter  in  so  strong  a  light. 
that  the  latter  resolved  to  write  at  once  to  the  Holy 
See.  recommending  the  acceptance  of  his  resignation. 

The  answer  from  Pome  was  favorable.  Some  time 
in  1847,  Dr.  Chabrat  was  released  from  his  charge  as 
Coadjutor,  and  he  became  henceforth  simply  titular 
Bishop  of  Bolina.  He  has  since  remained  in  France ; 
and  though  not  yet  stricken  with  total  blindness,  his 
sight  has  become  constantly  more  and  more  impaired. 
He  resides  at  Mauriac,  in  the  house  formerly  inhabited 
by  his  father ;  and  he  leads  a  secluded  life,  devoted  to 
prayer  and  preparation  for  death.  His  long  and  ardu- 
ous labors  on  the  missions  of  America,  must  cheer  him 
in  his  retirement. 

These  events  were  a  source  of  most  poignant  affliction 
to  Bishop  Flaget.  He  had  now  seen  two  Coadjutors 
disabled  and  compelled  to  resign  at  his  side,  while  he 
still  stood  up,  battling  bravely  in  the  arduous  mis- 
sionary field.  But  his  own  energies  were  now  last  fail- 
ing ;  and  he  felt  himself  incapable  of  attending  to  the 
wearing  duties  of  the  episcopal  office. 

To  be  left  thus  alone  in  his  extreme  old  age,  with 
infirmities  fast  growing  on  him,  was  indeed  a  severe 
trial,  even  for  one  who  had  already  endured  so  much. 
During  those  two  years  of  suspense,  when  his  Coadju- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  341 

tor  was  mostly  absent,  and  during  the  additional  inter- 
val of  nearly  a  year  which  elapsed  from  the  acceptance 
of  Dr.  Chabrat's  resignation  to  the  appointment  of  the 
new  Coadjutor,  no  one  not  intimately  acquainted  with 
him  could  estimate  aright  the  amount  of  acute  suffer- 
ing caused  by  his  exquisite  sensibility,  wrought  upon 
by  his  ever-present  sense  of  a  responsibility  for  which 
he  felt  himself  totally  inadequate. 

He  spent  most  of  this  time  in  prayer;  and  from  his 
lips  audible  sighs  would  often  break  forth,  deploring 
what  he  called  his  utter  "  nullity,"*  and  the  impossi- 
bility in  which  he  found  himself,  from  almost  continual 
vertigo  in  the  head,  f  to  think  of  any  serious  business. 
Yet  in  all  things  he  was  fully  resigned  to  the  holy  will 
of  God ;  and  his  ordinary  ejaculations  at  the  end  of  all 
his  prayers  and  sighs  were:  "May  the  good  God  be 
praised !  J     May  His  holy  will  be  done !  "  § 

At  length  his  suspense  was  over ;  his  third  Coadju- 
tor was  appointed.  On  the  10th  of  September,  1848, 
he  himself,  though  extremely  feeble,  went  through  the 
long  and  solemn  ceremony  of  the  consecration,  assisted 
by  the  Bishops  of  Philadelphia  and  Nashville;  the 
Archbishop  of  St.  Louis  preaching  the  consecration 
sermon.  The  Bishop  of  Charleston,  detained  on  the 
Ohio  by  low  water,  arrived  only  an  hour  after  the  con- 
clusion of  the  ceremony. 

This  was  the  last  public  official  act  of  the  holy  pre- 
late.    Returning   to   his   room,  all   exhausted  with  a 

*  Ma  nullite — was  a  favorite  expression. 
t  Ma  tete  n'y  erf  plus — was  another. 
X  Que  le  Bon  Dieu  soit  lone! 
\  Que  sa  sainte  voJonte  soit  faite  I 


342  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE.    TIMES    AND 

labor  above  his  strength,  he  exclaimed,  much  affected : 
"  Now  can  I  sing  the  canticle  of  holy  Simeon — Nunc 
Dmrrns — Xow  dost  Thou  dismiss  Thy  servant,  O  Lord, 
in  peace ! " 

Providence  permitted  him  to  linger  on  earth  for  more 
than  two  years  longer,  that  he  might  be  consoled  by 
several  occurrences;  which  were  well  calculated  to 
cheer  him,  and  prepare  him  to  descend  to  the  tomb 
without  uneasiness,  and  in  perfect  composure  of  spirit. 
The  first  was  the  re-entrance  of  the  Jesuits  into  the  Dio- 
cese. The  Bishop  had  long  wished  to  place  St.  Joseph's 
college  under  the  charge  of  this  illustrious  order,  to 
which  he  was  always  much  attached.  When  he  heard 
of  the  restoration  of  the  society  by  Pius  VII.,  he  was 
at  St.  Louis  on  his  visitation  ;  and  the  entry  in  his 
Journal  shows  how  his  heart  bounded  writh  joy  at  the 
intelligence.  When  the  Jesuits  first  arrived  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  took  the  college  of  St.  Mary — in  1S32 — he 
also  rejoiced,  that  he,  a  native  of  Billom,  should  have 
had  the  happiness  to  introduce  into  his  Diocese  a 
branch  of  that  society,  whose  first  college  in  France 
was  founded  precisely  at  Billom,  three  hundred  years 
before.* 

Two  months  before  the  consecration  of  his  last  Co- 
adjutor,— in  July,  184:8, — negotiations  with  the  Jesuits 
of  the  vice-province  of  St.  Louis  had  terminated  in  an 
agreement,  by  which  they  took  charge  of  St.  Joseph's 
college;  and  they  had  soon  afterwards  entered  upon 
the  successful  management  of  that  institution. 

The  Jesuits  also  took  charge  of  the  Catholic  free 
school  for  boys  in  Louisville,  and  not  long  afterwards 

*  Journal,  January,  1832. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  343 

erected  a  spacious  edifice  for  a  college,  on  ground  ad- 
joining. This  institution  was,  from  its  first  commence- 
ment, in  a  very  flourishing  condition.  It  numbered 
from  a  hundred  to  two  hundred  students;  while  in  the 
free  school  there  was  an  average  attendance  of  about 
two  hundred  Catholic  boys.  The  building  for  the  last 
named  school  had  been  erected  by  subscription  a  few 
years  before,  and  it  had  previously  been  conducted  by 
two  Irish  Franciscan  brothers. 

Another  of  the  joyful  occurrences  to  which  we  allu- 
ded above,  was  the  arrival  of.  a  colony  of  about  forty 
Trappists  from  the  Abbey  of  Melleray,  in  France.  The 
Bishop  had  always  been  partial  to  this  rigid  order ; 
and  we  have  seen,  that,  more  than  forty  years  before, 
he  had  made  formal  application  to  be  received  as  a 
member. 

The  Trappists  arrived  in  Louisville,  late  in  Decem- 
ber, 1848 ;  and  they  immediately  proceeded  to  take 
possession  of  their  new  home  at  Gethsemane,  fourteen 
miles  beyond  Bardstown.  This  place,  having  about 
sixteen  hundred  acres  of  land  attached,  had  been  for 
many  years  used  as  an  academy  by  a  branch  of  the 
Lorettines.  The  buildings  were  of  wood,  but  they 
were  deemed  suitable  for  the  temporary  use  of  the 
monks  ;  and  the  farm  with  the  establishment  had  been 
accordingly  purchased  some  months  previously,  by  two 
members  of  the  order,  sent  out  to  America  for  the  pur- 
pose of  finding  a  suitable  location. 

Apprehending  trouble  in  France,  the  superiors  of 
Melleray  had  deemed  it  prudent  to  procure,  in  a  dis- 
tant land,  a  secure  asylum  to  which  they  could  retire, 
in  case  they  should  be  driven  from  France.     With  this 


344  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

view,  they  had  applied  to  the  papal  Nuncio  at  Paris, 
and  he  had  advised  them  to  send  a  deputation  to  Bishop 
Flaget.     The  result  was  what  we  have  just  stated. 

Some  time  afterwards,  an  additional  colony  came  out 
from  France ;  and  the  present  number  of  members  is 
sixty-two. 

These  monks  belong  to  the  more  strict  observance  of 
the  Cistercian  institute,  one  of  the  most  austere  reli- 
gious orders  in  the  Church.*  They  devote  their  lives 
to  manual  labor,  to  perpetual  silence,  to  fasting,  and  to 
prayer.  Seven  hours  of  each  day  are  spent  in  the 
church,  and  as  many  are  given  to  manual  labor.  They 
never  taste  flesh,  fish,  eggs,  nor  butter.  Their  peniten- 
tial austerities  would  seem  almost  incredible  in  this 
age  of  boasted  progress  and  enlightenment,  as  well  as 
of  boundless  sensual  indulgence.  Their  rigorous  lives 
astonish  the  worldling,  who  can  appreciate  nothing 
which  does  not  contribute  to  material  progress  and  en- 
joyment ;  they  are  a  matter  of  admiration  for  all  true 
Christians,  who,  enlightened  by  Christian  faith,  are 
able  to  estimate  the  awful  malice  of  sin  and  the  ab- 
solute necessity  of  penance.  He  who  Himself  led  a 
poor  and  hard  life,  and  who  said  to  His  disciples,  "  If 
any  one  wdll  come  after  Me,  let  him  deny  himself,  take 
up  his  cross,  and  follow  me,"  must  look  down  with  a 
smile  of  complacency  on  those  pious  recluses,  who,  to 
expiate  their  own  and  others'  sins,  devote  themselves, 
for  His  love,  to  this  life  of  severe  privations. 

Yet,  in  the  midst  of  their  hard  labors  and  peniten- 
tial austerities,  these  good  monks  are  remarkably 
cheerful  and  happy.     The  peace  of  God,  surpassing  all 

•  The  Carthusians  live  under  a  rule  perhaps  more  rigorous  still. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  34:5 

understanding,  beams  constantly  from  their  counte- 
nances. They  have  been  hitherto  blessed  with  general 
good  health,  notwithstanding  the  tribute  every  foreign- 
er has  to  pay  to  our  unequal  climate.  They  enjoy 
more  real  peace  of  mind,  and  more  heartfelt  happiness, 
than  many,  who,  reposing  in  the  midst  of  luxury,  de- 
ride their  lives  as  mere  folly  and  fanaticism. 

The  house  of  Gethsemane  was  commenced  under 
such  favorable  auspices,  and  its  prospects  were  so  flat- 
tering, that  when  the  prior — Father  Eutropius — was 
lately  in  Europe,  he  received  from  the  hands  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  Pius  IX.,  a  Kescript,  by  which  the 
priory  was  erected  into  an  Abbey,  and  an  election  was 
ordered  to  be  held  for  choosing  the  first  Abbot.  This 
papal  Rescript  bore  date  July  21,  1850. 

On  his  return  from  Europe,  the  prior  was  almost 
unanimously  chosen  Abbot;  and  eight  months  after- 
wards, in  the  fall  of  1851,  the  proper  documents  ap- 
proving of  the  election  having  come  from  Rome,  the 
new  Abbot  was  solemnly  blessed  by  the  Bishop  of  Lou- 
isville, in  the  old  cathedral  of  Bardstown. 

Adjoining  the  Abbey,  there  is  a  free  school  for  boys 
lately  opened,  and  already  frequented  by  more  than 
sixty  children  of  the  neighborhood.  The  monks  are 
chiefly  agriculturalists ;  and  by  introducing  the  culture 
of  the  grape,  and  other  useful  improvements,  they  will 
no  doubt  contribute  much  to — what  is  most  valued  in 
our  enlightened  age  of  money-making — the  material 
prosperity  of  the  country. 

We  may  well  imagine,  with  what  joy  our  holy  Bishop 
saw  thus  renewed,  amidst  the  forests  of  his  Diocese,  the 
wonders  which  had  been  witnessed  in  the  primitive 
period  of  the  Church,  in  the  austere  lives  of  the  solita- 


346  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

ries   who  peopled   the   deserts   of  Nubia,  Syria,   and 
Thebais. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1849,  the  comer-stone  of  the 
new  cathedral  of  Louisville  was  laid,  with  the  usual 
solemn  rites,  in  presence  of  an  immense  concourse  of 
citizens.  The  Bishop  was  too  feeble  to  assist  at  the 
ceremony;  he,  however,  overlooked  the  scene  from  a 
balcony  of  his  residence ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  ser- 
vice, with  uplifted  eyes  and  hands,  but  with  a  weak 
and  tremulous  voice,  he  invoked  a  solemn  benediction 
on  the  enterprise,  and  on  the  assembled  multitude. 

Alas  !  that  he  did  not  live  to  see  this  great  work  ac- 
complished ! 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  347 


CHAPTER    XV 


HIS  DEATH  AND  CHARACTER. 


Finishing  his  course — The  clay  of  eternity — The  setting  sun — Bis 
preparation  for  death — An  incident — His  estimate  of  life — Fail- 
ing of  faculties — What  privation  gave  him  most  concern — Ver- 
tigo— The  Head  of  Christ — Forgetting  every  thing — His  favorite 
expressions  and  ejaculations — Symptoms  of  approaching  death — 
He  receives  the  last  sacraments — Affecting  scene — He  "  sleeps 
in  the  Lord" — His  funeral — Description  of  an  eye-witness — 
Brief  sketch  of  his  character — The  book  of  nature — Parable  of 
the  hen  and  chickens — Conclusion. 

The  mortal  career  of  our  holy  prelate  was  now  well 
nigh  run.  With  St.  Paul  he  could  say:  "I  have 
fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have 
kept  the  faith ;  for  the  rest,  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a 
crown  of  justice,  which  the  Lord  the  just  Judge  will 
render  to  me  in  that  day."  *  The  shades  of  evening 
were  fast  gathering  around  that  pure  spirit,  soon  to 
deepen  into  the  darkness  of  night;  but  through  these 
gathering  shades  and  this  increasing  darkness,  the  eye  of 
faith  already  perceived  the  dawn  of  a  day  which  should 
know  no  night,  the  bright  and  unclouded  day  of  eter- 
nity, in  which  he  was  to  receive  the  reward  of  his 
labors. 

So  holy  a  life  must  needs  be  followed  by  a  holy  and 
happy  death:     "Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is 

*  2  Timothy,  iv.f  7,  8. 


348  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

the  death  of  His  saints."  His  was  as  glorious  even 
in  the  eyes  of  men,  as  it  was  precious  in  the  sight  of 
God.  Looking  at  his  career  with  the  eye  of  faith,  the 
portion  of  it  which  appears  most  luminous  is  that  pre- 
cisely, which  to  the  eye  of  nature  would  seem  the 
most  shrouded  in  gloom — the  months  which  immediate- 
ly preceded  his  final  dissolution.  The  sun  of  his  life 
sank  calmly  to  its  rest ;  but  as  it  did  so,  it  lighted  up 
with  golden  tints  the  clouds  which  overhung  the  hori- 
zon, reflecting  a  mild,  but  glorious  flood  of  light  over 
the  world  it  left  behind. 

His  whole  life  may  be  said  to  have  been  one  contin- 
ual preparation  for  death.  He  directed  all  his  actions 
towards  this  great  "moment  on  which  eternity  de- 
pends." As  the  event  approached,  his  thoughts  turned 
to  it  more  frequently,  and  his  preparation  became  more 
immediate  and  earnest.  To  his  Mends,  who  often 
wished  him  better  health  and  many  more  years  of  life, 
he  constantly  replied:  "0  no,  pray  not  for  a  longer 
life,  but  pray  for  a  holy  and  happy  death."  This  was 
all  he  desired  and  asked  for :  his  most  fervent  aspira- 
tion was  to  exchange  this  life  of  toil  and  trouble  for 
one  of  never  ending  bliss. 

The  following  incident,  selected  almost  at  random 
among  many  of  a  similar  kind,  will  serve  to  show  how 
much  he  was  disengaged  from  flesh  and  blood,  and  how 
ardently  he  panted  for  a  heavenly  crown : 

A  clergyman,*  a  relative  of  his  family,  being  about 
to  return  to  France  a  few  years  before  the  prelate's 
death,  on  taking  his  leave,  asked  him  what  message  he 
should  bear  from  him  to  his  relatives  ?     "  Tell  them," 


* 


The  Rev.  F.  Chambige. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  349 

promptly  rejoined  the  holy  man,  "  that  I  wish  most  ear- 
nestly to  go  to  heaven,  where  I  expect  to  have  the  hap- 
piness to  meet  them."  This  was  the  only  message  he 
could  be  induced  to  send. 

He  had  never  been  attached  to  this  world.  His  esti- 
mate of  life,  drawn  by  himself  in  a  letter  written  to 
his  brother  about  five  years  before  his  own  death,  was 
that  which  he  had  formed  in  theory  from  his  early 
youth ;  and  which  now,  in  his  old  age,  he  fully  realized 
and  felt,  as  a  lesson  taught  by  experience  : 

"  My  very  dear  brother,  you  will  do  me  a  favor  by 
telling  me,  what  you  think  of  the  long  life  you  have 
enjoyed  in  this  world.  As  for  me,  mine,  which  is 
nearly  as  long  as  yours,  appears  to  me  but  as  a  dream : 
for  recalling  to  my  memory  two  or  three  facts  which 
occurred  when  I  was  not  more  than  four  years  old,  and 
thinking  of  what  happened  only  last  wTeek,  these  two 
epochs  seem  to  me  to  touch  each  other,  and  the  inter- 
val which  separates  them  appears  as  nothing  in  my 

eyes."  * 

It  may  be  said,  without  exaggeration,  that,  especially 
during  the  last  two  years  of  his  life,  almost  his  whole 
time  was  given  up  to  prayer.  He  was  even  heard  fre- 
quently uttering  prayers  during  the  intervals  of  sleep. 
The  recitation  of  the  divine  office  had  always  been  one 
of  his  favorite  occupations ;  for  several  years  before  his 
death,  this  pleasing  duty  became  extremely  difficult  to 
him,  owing  to  his  impaired  sight  and  failing  memory. 
An  ecclesiastic  generally  aided  him  in  the  recitation ; 
but  at  length,  he  was  compelled  to  give  it  up  entirely, 
more  than  a  year  previous  to  his  death.     He  made  the 

*  Letter,  December  8,  1844.     French  Life— p.  161. 


350  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

sacrifice  with  great  reluctance,  and  only  after  repeated 
assurances  from  those  on  whose  judgment  he  relied, 
that  he  was  not  only  not  bound  to  say  it,  but  that  he 
was  also  in  a  measure  bound  not  to  attempt  what  he 
could  not  properly  accomplish.  He  supplied,  however, 
the  omission  by  the  recitation  of  the  beads,  not  merely 
three  times  per  day,  but  oftener  three  times  three. 

He  had  always  cherished  a  most  tender  devotion  to 
the  Virgin  Mother  of  God  ;  he  had  imbibed  this  feel- 
ing at  the  same  pure  fountain  of  living  waters  from 
which  all  the  saints  of  God,' — -from  St.  John,  the  belov- 
ed Disciple,  down  to  St.  Alfonso  Liguori, — had  drunk 
it  in  so  abundantly.  He  had  made  it  a  practice  through 
life  to  recite  a  part  of  the  Rosary  daily ;  and  now,  while 
unable  to  perform  other  devotions  which  required  read- 
ing, he  gladly  availed  himself  of  the  occasion  to  mul- 
tiply this  simple,  but  touching  form  of  supplication. 

Before  his  sight  had  failed  him,  he  divided  his  time 
between  prayer  and  reading  pious  books.  The  holy 
Scriptures,  the  Sufferings  of  Christ,  the  Following  of 
Christ,  and  Butler's  Lives  of  the  Saints,  were  his  favor- 
ites. The  last  named  voluminous  work  he  perused 
through  twice  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  fol- 
lowing the  calendar  of  the  Church.  His  conversations 
frequently  turned,  easily  and  gracefully,  on  pious  sub- 
jects. He  was  habitually  cheerful,  even  when  suffering 
most  acute  bodily  pain ;  and  those  who  visited  him  al- 
ways went  away  with  a  good  impression,  and  with  a 
higher  estimation  of  virtue.  Thus  did  he  diffuse 
around  him  "the  good  odor  of  Christ.1' 

His  cherished  subject  for  meditation  was  the  Passion 
of  Christ.     While  on  his  missions,  and  frequently  at 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  351 

home,  he  used  no  other  book  for  meditation,  save  that 
of  the  Cross  of  Christ.  In  this  he  read  every  thing; 
in  this  his  soul  found  abundant  and  wholesome  food,  and 
his  heart  a  lively  relish  and  a  sincere  delight.  In  this 
he  found  the  surest  solace  in  his  troubles,  the  safest 
guide  in  his  doubts  and  perplexities,  and  a  tower  of 
strength  in  his  multiplied  infirmities  and  sufferings. 

He  had  suffered  for  many  years  from  a  malady  in  the 
head,  causing  an  excruciating  pain,  which  was  often  fol- 
lowed by  vertigo.  His  chief  comfort  was  found  in 
meditating  on  the  Head  of  our  blessed  Savior,  crowned 
with  thorns  for  the  love  of  us.  A  pious  young  lady  of 
France  had  sent  him  a  handsome  colored  engraving  of 
the  Head  of  Christ,  thus  encircled  and  pierced  with  the 
thorny  crown.  He  had  it  constantly  before  his  eyes; 
he  turned  to  it  frequently ;  and  when  suffering  pain, 
he  held  it  in  his  hands,  pressed  it  fervently  to  his  lips, 
and,  with  a  heart  throbbing  with  pious  emotion,  asked 
himself  how  he  could  complain,  when  his  Savior  God, 
though  Innocence  itself,  had  suffered  without  repining, 
all  this  excruciating  agony ! 

We  will  let  him  speak  for  himself  on  this  subject,  in 
the  letter  of  thanks  he  addressed  to  the  person,  who 
had  made  him  the  acceptable  and  opportune  present : 

"I  will  tell  you,  that  for  many  years  the  Passion  of 
this  divine  Master  has  furnished  the  subject  of  all  my 
meditations.  *  *  *  As,  for  a  long  time,  I  have 
been  incapable  of  all  serious  application,  my  old  head 
being  so  weak  and  disorganized,  I  did  nothing  but  an- 
noy my  friends  with  my  continual  piteous  complaints, 
rubbing  without  ceasing  my  head,  which  is  the  seat  of 
my   sufferings;    but   when    this   Head  of   my   divine 


352  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


Savior,  all  crowned  with  thorns,  was  placed  in  my 
hands  the  very  sight  appalled  me  ;  my  lamentations 
ceased ;  and  I  took  strongly  the  resolution  to  surfer 
thenceforth  without  complaint  and  without  sighs,  even 
should  my  headaches  become  ten  times  more  painful : — 
and  it  is  to  your  precious  gift,  or  rather  to  your  tender 
devotion  for  Jesus  Crucified,  that  I  am  indebted  for 
this  resignation,  in  the  midst  of  my  cruel  sufferings."  * 

His  faculties  were  gradually  impaired  by  the  ap- 
proaches of  death.  His  mind  became  incapable  of 
examining  abstruse  questions ;  but  whenever  his  judg- 
ment could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  a  case  clearly  un- 
folded before  it,  though  enfeebled,  it  was  sound  to  the 
last.  What  failed  him  most,  was  his  memory ;  he  was 
conscious  of  it  himself,  and  often  playfully  remarked: 
"  I  forget  every  thing ;  could  I  but  forget  myself,  I 
would  be  a  perfect  man."  These,  and  many  other  ex- 
pressions, indicating  a  profound  humility  and  a  perfect 
resignation  to  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  breathing  a 
most  ardent  desire  for  heaven  with  a  burning  love  of 
God,  he  repeated  almost  as  constantly  in  his  old  age, 
as  did  St.  John  the  Evangelist  his  favorite  exhortation : 
"  My  little  children,  love  one  another." 

Throughout  life,  he  had  been  always,  noted  for  his 
ardent  devotion  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment. Whithersoever  he  went,  his  first  visit  was  ever 
to  the  holy  altar,  on  which  the  Lamb  was  reposing. 
Here  he  passed  many  of  the  happiest  hours  of  his  life, 
in  delicious  communion  with  the  Savior  whom  he 
loved.     Daily  to  ascend  the  holy  altar,  and  offer  up  the 

Letter   to   Mademoiselle   De   la   Buissiere,    October   8,    1845. 
French  Life — pp.  1G2-3. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  353 

great  Sacrifice  of  the  new  law,  he  deemed  his  dearest 
and  highest  privilege. 

Six  months  before  his  death,  he  was  deprived  of  this 
happiness.  Unable  to  leave  his  room  without  assis- 
tance, his  chief  concern  was  for  the  loss  of  this  blessed 
privilege.  He  had  himself  conducted  to  a  balcony, 
looking  towards  the  sanctuary  of  the  church ;  and 
here,  in  pleasant  weather,  he  spent  whole  hours  togeth- 
er in  prayer  to  Jesus,  on  that  altar  to  which  he  was  un- 
able to  make  a  nearer  approach.  When  the  benediction 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  given,  he  caused  himself 
to  be  warned  of  the  solemn  moment  by  the  sacristan, 
and  he  bowed  down  reverently  to  participate  in  the 
blessing. 

In  August,  1849,  the  shoulder,  which  had  been  in- 
jured twenty-one  years  before  at  Detroit,  suddenly 
swelled  and  turned  of  a  livid  hue.  Apprehensions 
were  entertained,  lest  mortification  might  ensue;  but 
the  tumor  yielded  gradually  to  judicious  medical  treat- 
ment.* Scarcely,  however,  had  it  abated,  when  his 
limbs  became  swollen,  and  every  symptom  of  approach- 
ing dissolution  appeared  in  a  shape  not  to  be  mistaken. 
The  venerable  man  himself  felt  that  his  time  was 
short,  and  he  redoubled  the  earnestness  of  his  prepara- 
tion for  death. 

The  cough  which  had  troubled  him  for  many  years, 
especially  in  the  winter,  now  returned  with  increased 
violence.  The  winter  of  1849-50  was  very  trying  to  a 
constitution  so  much  shattered,  and  now  struggling  with 
mortal  disease ;  but  it  was  so  robust,  even  in  its  ruins,  as 

*  His  ordinary  physician  was  Dr.  John  Hagan,  an  eminent  prac- 
titioner. 


354  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

still  to  resist  for  some  months  the  approaches  of  death. 
His  friends  even  indulged  the  hope,  that  he  might  sur- 
vive the  attack. 

So  gradually  did  he  sink,  and  so  gently  did  death 
approach  its  victim,  that  his  attendants,  and  even  him- 
self, did  not  seem  aware  of  the  change  daily  wrought 
in  his  health.  The  night  of  February  10th,  1850,  was 
a  very  restless  one  for  him ;  a  good  portion  of  it  was 
passed  in  a  sleep  troubled  with  delirium;  but  even 
while  delirious,  the  holy  man  seemed  constantly  en- 
gaged in  prayer.  His  children  now  knew  that  they 
were  very  soon  to  lose  a  father  on  earth ;  to  gain,  as 
they  had  every  reason  to  hope,  an  intercessor  in  hea- 
ven. He  had  often  assured  them,  raising  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  that  "  if  he  could  once  enter  into  that  celestial 
abode,  he  would  be  of  much  more  service  to  them  and 
to  his  Diocese,  than  he  could  possibly  be  on  earth." 

It  was  not  thought  prudent  to  defer  any  longer  the 
administration  of  the  last  rites  of  the  Church ;  and  ac- 
cordingly, at  noon  on  the  11th,  the  Bishop  Coadjutor, 
assisted  by  all  the  clergy  of  the  city,  eleven  in  number, 
brought  him  solemnly  the  holy  Yiaticum.  He  was  in 
the  full  possession  of  consciousness,  and  received  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  Christ,  and  subsequently  Extreme 
Unction  and  the  last  benediction  for  plenary  Indul- 
gence, with  a  fervor  and  concentrated  devotion,  which 
deeply  affected  all  who  were  present.  Unable  himself 
to  read  the  profession  of  faith,  his  secretary  read  it  for 
him,  slowly  and  distinctly ;  and  he  followed  it,  article 
by  article,  with  absorbed  attention,  and  indications  of 
assent,  causing  certain  passages  to  be  read  twice,  that 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  355 

lie    might    understand    them    better,    or   relish    them 
longer.* 

He  then  said  some  words  expressive  of  his  ardent 
attachment  to  his  clergy,  religions,  and  people;  and  at 
a  request  from  his  Coadjutor,  he  gave,  so  far  as  his  fail- 
ing strength  would  permit,  in  the  regular  form,  his  last 
solemn  episcopal  benediction.  All  in  the  room  were 
kneeling,  with  heads  reverently  bowed  down ;  and 
tears  started  to  many  an  eye,  at  the  touching  scene  of 
the  patriarch  blessing  his  children  for  the  last  time. 

He  rallied  somewhat  after  the  reception  of  the  sacra- 
ments ;  his  lips  still  moved  in  prayer ;  he  caused  his  fa- 
vorite book,  the  Suffering's  of  Christ,  to  be  read  to  him. 
A  crucifix  lay  before  him,  and  he  often  pressed  his  lips 
to  it  with  tender  affection.  At  half  after  five  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  he  calmly  expired,  without  a  struggle. 

He  died,  as  he  had  lived, — a  saint ;  and  the  last  day 
was  perhaps  the  most  interesting  and  impressive  of  his 
whole  life.  Tranquilly,  and  without  a  groan,  did  he 
u  fall  asleep  in  the  Lord," — like  an  infant  gently  sink- 
ing to  its  rest. 

His  remains  were  laid  out  in  state  in  the  church  of 
St.  Louis ;  and  during  the  interval  between  his  decease 
and  interment,  they  were  visited  by  great  multitudes, 
both  Catholics  and  Protestants.  A  gentle  smile  of 
peace  sat  upon  his  countenance  ;  and  it  was  edifying  to 
look  upon  those  pale  but  placid  features,  thus  bearing 
the  visible  impress  of  sanctity  in  death.  The  Catholic 
congregations  of  the  city  vied  with  one  another  in  zeal 

*  Particularly  the  article,  "This  true  Catholic  faith,  out  of  which 
none  can  be  saved,  I  now  truly  possess/'  &c. 


356  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

for  the  privilege  of  watching  in  the  church  during  the 
night. 

On  the  third  day,  his  burial  took  place,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  prescriptions  of  the  Ceremonial  for  the 
interment  of  a  Bishop.  His  successor  sang  a  solemn 
high  Mass  De  Requiem,  and  the  Bishop  of  Cincinnati 
pronounced  the  panegyric  with  his  usual  eloquence. 
His  old  friend  and  fellow  laborer  in  the  early  missions 
of  Kentucky — the  last  survivor  of  that  apostolic  band — 
the  venerable  Father  Badin,  was  also  present,  and  fol- 
lowed his  remains  to  the  grave. 

The  deceased  had  always  expressed  a  paternal  inter- 
est in  the  success  of  the  establishment  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  and,  in  accordance  with  what  was  believed 
to  be  his  own  wish,  his  relics  were  placed  temporarily 
in  a  vault  within  the  enclosure  of  that  monastery. 
Though  the  weather  was  very  inclement,  thousands 
walked  in  the  funeral  procession.  The  clergy,  the  or- 
phans, and  the  children  of  the  free  schools,  followed 
immediately  after  the  remains,  which  were  borne  by 
members  of  the  different  Catholic  congregations,  in  a 
coffin  richly  ornamented  with  the  episcopal  insignia 
and  the  emblems  of  death,  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Good 
Shepherd. 

On  the  completion  of  the  new  cathedral,  his  relics 
will  be  solemnly  translated  to  the  crypt  beneath  the 
high  altar. 

An  eye-witness  thus  describes  the  funeral  service  and 
procession : 

"  During  the  two  nights  that  his  remains  were  ex- 
posed in  St.  Louis'  church,  the  various  Catholic  congre- 
gations of  the  city  solicited  the  honor  to  watch  over 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  357 

them,  through  their  respective  deputations:    the  first 
night  was  assigned  to  our  German  brethren,  who  spent 
the  whole  time  in  prayer  in   behalf  of  their  departed 
Bishop :  the  same  duty  was  performed  on  the  second 
night  by  members  of  the  English  congregation.     On 
the  day  previous  to  the  burial,  the  whole  Office  for  the 
Dead  was  chanted  in  choir,  by  all  the  clergy  of  the 
city  and  neighborhood ;  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Purcell, 
of  Cincinnati,  officiating  on  the  occasion.     Thursday, 
the  14th  instant,  had  been  appointed  for  the  final  cere- 
mony of  the  burial  service ;  on  that  day,  the  remains 
were  to  be  interred  in  a  temporary  vault,  within   the 
enclosure  of  the  Good  Shepherd  Asylum,  this  being 
the  place  selected  by  Bishop  Flaget  himself,  with  a  view 
to  secure  to  himself  the  benefit  of  the  fervent  prayers 
of  his  dear  children.     Long  before  the  hour  appointed 
for  this  solemn  service,   the  church   was  crowded  to 
overflowing  by  multitudes  of  all  creeds  and  denomina- 
tions.    At  nine  o'clock,  the  funeral  service  commenced 
with  the  Pontifical  Mass,  sung  by  Right  Rev.  Bishop 
Spalding,  attended  by  Rev.  J.  Quinn  as  assistant  priest, 
and  the  Rev.  F.  Chambige  and  J.  M.  Bruyere,  as  dea- 
con  and  sub-deacon.     The  Holy  Sacrifice  being  con- 
cluded, the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Purcell,  of  Cincinnati, 
ascended  the  pulpit,  and  in   a  strain  of  glowing  elo- 
quence, portrayed  the  principal  features  of  a  life  so  rich 
in  good  works,  and  so  fruitful  in  benefits  to  the  Church 
of  God.     From  the  most  conspicuous  incidents  of  a 
long  and  well  spent  career,  the  distinguished  orator, 
like  the  diver  into  the  deep,  drew  forth  sparkling  gems 
and  precious  pearls,  which  he  exhibited  to  the  admira- 
tion of  his  attentive  audience. 


358  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

"  At  the  close  of  the  funeral  oration,  as  an  homage  of- 
fered to  the  last  surviving  companion  of  Bishop  Flaget, 
the  venerable  Protosacerdos  of  the  American  church. 
Father  Badin,  was  requested  to  perform  the  last  abso- 
lution over  the  remains  of  his  departed  friend.  Pre- 
parations for  the  funeral  procession  were  then  made. 

"  It  is  exceedingly  to  be  regretted,  that  the  unfavorable 
state  of  the  weather  did  not  permit  the  carrying  into 
full  execution  of  the  appropriate  arrangements  pre- 
viously made  for  this  last  ceremony.  So  far,  however, 
as  it  was  possible,  the  procession  was  organized  as  fol- 
lows: 

••  1st.  The  boys  of  St.  Aloysius'  free  school,  followed 
by  the  pupils  of  St.  Aloysius'  college,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Father  Emig,  S.  J.  2d.  The  boys  of  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  schools.  3d.  The  German  Benevolent 
Societies,  with  their  bands  of  music,  4th.  The  Cathe- 
dral Benevolent  Society.  5th.  The  clergy,  in  surplices, 
preceded  by  the  cross-bearer  and  his  two  assistants. 
6th.  The  Bishops  of  Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  prece- 
ded by  the  venerable  Protosacerdos.  7th.  The  remains 
of  the  saintly  Bishop,  carried  by  deputations  from  all 
the  congregations  of  the  city,  the  coffin  having  been 
tastefully  ornamented  with  the  episcopal  insignia  and 
religious  emblems,  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd; before  the  bier  marched  two  Acolytes,  bearing 
the  mitre  and  crozier.  8th.  The  members  of  the  Bish- 
op's household.  9th.  The  orphan  girls  of  St.  Vincent's 
Asylum,  preceded  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  loth. 
The  pupils  of  the  Female  free  school,  with  those  of  the 
Presentation  school.  11th.  The  girls  of  the  other 
Catholic  schools  of  the  city,  both  English  and  German. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  359 

12th.  Finally,  the  members  of  the  three  Catholic  con- 
gregations of  Louisville. 

"  The  procession,  being  formed  as  above  stated,  begaa 
to  move  on  slowly,  with  the  greatest  order  and  deco- 
rum. Neither  the  cold  rain  which  was  falling,  nor  the 
unpleasant  condition  of  the  streets,  nor  the  crowds  of 
people  advancing  at  the  same  time,  on  the  opposite 
side-walks,  were  able  to  disturb  the  imposing  funeral 
march.  The  solemnity  of  the  funeral  pomp  was  en- 
hanced by  the  silence  which  reigned,  interspersed  occa- 
sionally by  the  solemn  chant  of  the  Church,  or  the 
mournful  dirge  struck  up  by  the  musical  bands. 

"  Arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  convent  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  only  a  small  portion  of  that  vast  assemblage 
could  be  permitted  to  enter  the  enclosure,  and  witness 
the  last  ceremony  to  be  performed  over  the  grave. 
Around  the  spot  where  the  precious  remains  of  the  holy 
man  were  to  be  deposited  stood  the  devoted  Sisters  of 
the  Good  Shepherd,  at  the  head  of  theii  fervent  peni- 
tents, ready  to  receive  the  sacred  deposit  entrusted,  for 
a  time,  to  their  care  and  guardianship.  I  must  not 
omit  mentioning  here  a  very  striking  evidence  of  the 
tender  devotion  and  veneration  the  bereaved  flock  of 
Bishop  Flaget  bore  to  the  sanctity  of  their  departed 
father.  For  a  time,  it  became  necessary  to  yield  to  the 
pious  wishes  of  his  sorrowing  children,  all  anxious 
have  some  object  of  piety  to  touch  the  venerable  re- 
mains of  their  sainted  Bishop.  In  a  moment,  just  as 
the  lid  was  about  to  be  laid  on  the  coffin,  the  face  of  the 
holy  man  was  literally  covered  with  beads,  medals, 
crucifixes,  and  other  objects  of  devotion.  Every  one 
around  the  hallowed  remains  was  anxious  to  keep  about 


358  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

"  At  the  close  of  the  funeral  oration,  as  an  homage  of- 
fered to  the  last  surviving  companion  of  Bishop  Flaget, 
the  venerable  P  rotosacerdos  of  the  American  church, 
Father  Badin,  was  requested  to  perform  the  last  abso- 
lution over  the  remains  of  his  departed  friend.  Pre- 
parations for  the  funeral  procession  were  then  made. 

"  It  is  exceedingly  to  be  regretted,  that  the  unfavorable 
state  of  the  weather  did  not  permit  the  carrying  into 
full  execution  of  the  appropriate  arrangements  pre- 
viously made  for  this  last  ceremony.  So  far,  however, 
as  it  was  possible,  the  procession  was  organized  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  1st.  The  boys  of  St.  Aloysius'  free  school,  followed 
by  the  pupils  of  St.  xlloysius'  college,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Father  Emig,  S.  J.  2d.  The  boys  of  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  schools.  3d.  The  German  Benevolent 
Societies,  with  their  bands  of  music.  1th.  The  Cathe- 
dral Benevolent  Society.  5th.  The  clergy,  in  surplices, 
preceded  by  the  cross-bearer  and  his  two  assistants. 
6th.  The  Bishops  of  Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  prece- 
ded by  the  venerable  P  rotosacerdos.  7th.  The  remains 
of  the  saintly  Bishop,  carried  by  deputations  from  all 
the  congregations  of  the  city,  the  coffin  having  been 
tastefully  ornamented  with  the  episcopal  insignia  and 
religious  emblems,  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd; before  the  bier  marched  two  Acolytes,  bearing 
the  mitre  and  crozier.  8th.  The  members  of  the  Bish- 
op's household.  9th.  The  orphan  girls  of  St.  Vincent's 
Asylum,  preceded  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity.  10th. 
The  pupils  of  the  Female  free  school,  with  those  of  the 
Presentation  school.  11th.  The  girls  of  the  other 
Catholic  schools  of  the  city,  both  English  and  German. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  359 

12th.  Finally,  the  members  of  the  three  Catholic  con- 
gregations of  Louisville. 

"The  procession,  being  formed  as  above  stated,  began 
to  move  on  slowly,  with  the  greatest  order  and  deco- 
rum. Neither  the  cold  rain  which  was  falling,  nor  the 
unpleasant  condition  of  the  streets,  nor  the  crowds  of 
people  advancing  at  the  same  time,  on  the  opposite 
side-walks,  were  able  to  disturb  the  imposing  funeral 
march.  The  solemnity  of  the  funeral  pomp  was  en- 
hanced by  the  silence  which  reigned,  interspersed  occa- 
sionally by  the  solemn  chant  of  the  Church,  or  the 
mournful  dirge  struck  up  by  the  musical  bands. 

''Arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  convent  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  only  a  small  portion  of  that  vast  assemblage 
could  be  permitted  to  enter  the  enclosure,  and  witness 
the  last  ceremony  to  be  performed  over  the  grave. 
Around  the  spot  where  the  precious  remains  of  the  holy 
man  were  to  be  deposited  stood  the  devoted  Sisters  of 
the  Good  Shepherd,  at  the  head  of  theii  fervent  peni- 
tents, ready  to  receive  the  sacred  deposit  entrusted,  for 
a  time,  to  their  care  and  guardianship.  I  must  not 
omit  mentioning  here  a  very  striking  evidence  of  the 
tender  devotion  and  veneration  the  bereaved  flock  of 
Bishop  Flaget  bore  to  the  sanctity  of  their  departed 
father.  For  a  time,  it  became  necessary  to  yield  to  the 
pious  wishes  of  his  sorrowing  children,  all  anxious  to 
have  some  object  of  piety  to  touch  the  venerable  re- 
mains of  their  sainted  Bishop.  In  a  moment,  just  as 
the  lid  was  about  to  be  laid  on  the  coflin,  the  face  of  the 
holy  man  was  literally  covered  with  beads,  medals, 
crucifixes,  and  other  objects  of  devotion.  Every  one 
around  the  hallowed  remains  was  anxious  to  keep  about 


360  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

him  some  relic  of  the  venerable  man,  as  a  memorial  of 
a  life,  which,  for  more  than  half  a  century,  had  shone 
forth  a  brilliant  pattern  of  true  virtue.  The  pious  de- 
votion of  the  multitude  being  at  length  satisfied,  the 
closing  rites  were  performed,  and  all  returned  home 
with  a  full  persuasion,  that  if  they  had  lost  their  father 
on  earth,  they  had  gained  an  intercessor  in  heaven. 

"On  the  completion  of  the  new  cathedral, '  the  re- 
mains of  the  holy  Bishop  will  be  translated  into  the 
crypt  under  the  main  altar :  meantime,  they  lie  in  the 
convent  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  a  fit  and  suitable  tomb 
for  one  who  has  been  so  eminently  a  good  and  faithful 
pastor  of  the  flock  committed  to  his  charge."  * 

Thus  died,  in  odor  of  sanctity,  the  first  Bishop  who 
ever  labored  in  the  missions  of  the  West.  He  was  in 
the  eighty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  the  fortieth  of  his 
episcopacy,  and  the  sixty-second  of  his  priesthood. 
His  "  children  will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed." 

We  need  not  enlarge  on  his  character.  Those  who 
have  perused  these  imperfect  Sketches,  will  be  enabled 
to  estimate  it  for  themselves. 

His  whole  life  was  given  to  God ;  and  God  did  but 
bless  and  crown  His  own  work,  when  He  prospered  all 
the  undertakings  of  His  servant,  for  promoting  His 
glory  and  the  good  of  Eeligion. 

The  soul  of  the  holy  prelate  was  filled  with  the  love 
of  God;  and  this  was  the  animating  principle  of  all 
his  actions.  His  ardent  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls, 
which  caused  him  cheerfully  to  undergo  so  many  labors 
and  endure  so  many  privations, — on  what  was  it  based, 

*  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Bruyere,  correspondent  of  the  Catholic  Tele- 
graph and  Advocate.     February  23,  1850. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  361 

but  the  ardent  wish  to  promote  thereby  the  glory  of 
God  ?  He  knew  and  felt,  that  the  most  sublime  of  all 
occupations,  is  that  which  makes  men  co-operate  with 
God  for  the  salvation  of  souls  ransomed  by  the  blood  of 
His  Son. 

This  principle  of  divine  love  was  kept  alive  in  his 
heart  by  constant  prayer.  He  never  omitted  his  daily 
meditation,  even  during  the  course  of  his  longest  and 
most  fatiguing  journeys.*  Whenever  it  was  at  all  pos- 
sible, he  daily  offered  up  the  holy  sacrifice,  and  passed 
some  time  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  We  have 
seen  also,  that  he  never  omitted  to  recite  daily  a  por- 
tion of  the  Kosary.  He  also  frequently  perused,  with 
much  relish,  books  of  devotion,  and  treatises  on  spirit- 
ual subjects. 

"  His  conversation  was  in  heaven."  His  treasure 
was  there  ;  and  thither  his  heart  instinctively  turned. 
He  possessed  a  happy  tact  in  directing  conversation 
towards  spiritual  subjects,  without  annoying  his  com- 
panions or  visiters.  Every  one  perceived  at  a  glance, 
that  "  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
spoke."  No  one  was  ever  thrown  into  contact  with  him, 
without  receiving  an  impression  favorable  to  piety. 
He  was  a  living  example  of  what  St.  Paul  says:  "  Piety 
is  profitable  unto  all  things."  It  influenced  his  most 
ordinary  actions,  and  gave  them  a  winning  grace  and 
sweet  attractiveness,  not  of  this  world.  Whithersoever 
he  went,  a  blessing  seemed  to  follow  in  his  footsteps. 
His   daily   walk,  deportment,  and  conversation   thus 

*  A  standing  entry  in  his  Journal,  while  traveling,  was  the  inti- 
mation, at  the  beginning  of  each  day,  in  a  kind  of  short-hand,  that 
he  and  his  companions  had  performed  their  "spiritual  exercises." 


364  SKETCHES   OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

my  heart,  was  the  resemblance  which  I  thought  I  saw 
between  your  family,  and  this  good  and  vigilant  moth- 
er who  was  moving  before  my  eyes." 

In  one  word,  he  was  possessed,  in  a  high  degree, 
of  every  christian,  sacerdotal,  and  episcopal  virtue. 
Faults  and  imperfections  he,  no  doubt,  had  ;  for  human 
nature  is  at  best  imperfect  and  frail ; — but  for  the 
smallest  faults  he  did  the  most  ample  penance. 

In  him  his  Diocese  has  lost  a  holy  Bishop,  and  the 
Hierarchy  of  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  a  bril- 
liant ornament.  But  though  "  dead,  he  yet  speaketh." 
His  works  remain.  Besides  the  many  institutions  of 
charity,  and  monuments  to  religion  and  learning  which 
he  reared,  he  has  left  behind  him,  for  all  future  genera- 
tions, the  priceless  legacy  of  his  virtues. 

May  they  be  long  embalmed  in  our  minds,  and  in 
our  hearts  ! 


APPENDIX. 


Ipnfc 


«*»»■» 


THE  CHARACTER  AND  SPIRIT 


OF 


BISHOP  FLAGET. 


The  second  part  of  the  French  Life  is  devoted  to  Sketches  of  the 
Virtues  of  our  holy  prelate,  drawn  from  the  personal  observation 
of  the  writer,  who  was  his  traveling  companion  in  Europe  for 
eighteen  months.*  They  are  written  according  to  a  plan  not  unu- 
sual with  French  biographers,  who  deem  the  inward  life  and  spirit 
of  an  eminent  individual  worthy  of  at  least  as  much  study  as  his 
public  acts.  We  republish  such  portions  of  this  portraiture,  as 
have  been  deemed  most  interesting  to  readers  in  this  country  ;  who 
cannot  fail  to  be  edified  by  the  estimate  of  the  prelate's  character, 
made  by  one  who  knew  him  intimately  during  his  last  visit  to  Eu- 
rope. For  the  translation  we  are  indebted  to  a  person  of  known 
taste  and  accuracy. 

I. 
HIS    SPIRIT    OF    PRAYER. 


While  sojourning  in  Europe,  his  time  was  so  en- 
grossed by  visits  which  he  was  compelled  to  make  or 
receive,  by  sermons  which  he  was  constantly  requested 
to  deliver  in  parishes,  communities,  and  houses  of  edu- 

*  These  Sketches  are  entitled:  "Monseignbur  Flaget  :  Etude 
sur  son  Esprit  et  ses  Vertus." 


368  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 


cation,  that  his  patient  condescension  was  constantly 
put  to  most  severe  trials.  But,  on  all  occasions,  an  un- 
alterable serenity  and  affability  appeared  in  his  words 
and  manner.  Those  who  had  the  happiness  of  ap- 
proaching him,  were  charmed  as  soon  as  they  beheld 
him.  His  speech, — the  expression  of  his  countenance, 
all  bespoke  the  union  of  his  soul  with  God.  For  he 
began  each  day  by  fervent  prayers,  and  by  meditation 
prepared  his  heart  for  the  duties  and  struggles  of  his 
office.  He  habitually  rose  at  a  very  early  hour,  in  or- 
der to  enjoy  uninterrupted  communion  with  God  ;  and 
when  I  repaired  to  his  room,  in  order  to  obtain  his  first 
blessing,  his  reception  had  in  it  something  so  paternal 
and  touching,  that  it  was  easy  to  perceive  that  he  had 
been  conversing  with  the  Most  High. 

Being  one  day  much  indisposed,  I  urged  him  to  sleep 
later  the  next  day.  "O  no !  "  he  replied  immediately, 
with  unwonted  vivacity,  "it  is  only,  at  that  time  that  I 
can  speak  to  God  as  I  should.  Deprive  me  not  of  this 
happiness." 

The  life  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  the  habitual 
subject  of  his  meditations.  I  once  inquired  of  him, 
whether  he  was  in  the  habit  of  using  a  book  when  me- 
ditating. "  Yes,"  said  he  ;  "  but  when  I  meditate  on 
the  passion  of  the  Lord, — and  I  generally  do  so, — I  have 
no  need  of  one.     I  know  all  that  by  heart." 

More  than  once  I  surprised  him,  while  engaged  in  this 
holy  exercise.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  his 
humble  and  respectful  attitude,  or  the  expression  of  pro- 
found recollection  which  was  stamped  on  his  features. 
He  seemed  to  have  entirely  forgotten  his  fatigues  and 
sufferings  ;  the  presence  of  God  engrossed  his  thoughts. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  369 

But,  at  the  approach  of  certain  festivals,  his  fervor  re- 
doubled. In  1838,  he  was  at  Turin  during  the  Christ- 
mas solemnities.  The  missionaries  of  St.  Vincent  of 
Paul  having  courteously  offered  him  hospitality,  he  was 
permitted  to  repair  to  a  little  oratory,  where  he  might 
adore  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  cold  was  excessive, 
and  the  Bishop  was  laboring  under  an  indisposition 
which  terminated  in  a  dangerous  illness  ;  but  he  con- 
tinued to  repair  to  his  cherished  oratory,  where,  it  was 
evident  to  all,  he  received  signal  favors.  His  prayer 
seemed  the  overflowing  of  a  heart  burning  with  divine 
love.  At  times,  profound  sighs  expressed  the  emotions 
of  his  s,oul;  and,  unable  to  speak,  his  eyes  were  be- 
dewed with  tears.  "  God," — he  observed  to  me,  at  this 
period, — "  has  given  me  the  grace,  from  my  youth,  to 
meditate  on  those  mysteries  with  an  especial  relish. 
To  contemplate  this  divine  Savior  in  the  manger,  has 
ever  afforded  me  a  singular  pleasure.  I  have  interro- 
gated our  Americans,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  atten- 
tions which  are  bestowed  upon  the  children  of  the  sav- 
ages and  slaves  at  the  moment  of  their  birth  ;  and  I 
have  discovered  that  they  are  far  better  treated  than 
was  this  divine  Infant !  Oh  !  God  of  love  ! — and,  after 
that,  dare  I  complain  of  anything  ?  " 

He  loved  also  to  reflect  on  the  parable,  in  which  the 
Sovereign  Master  compares  himself  to  a  vine,  of  which 
his  disciples  are  the  branches.  "  I  have  never,"  he 
said,  u  meditated  on  this  text  without  profit.  Oh  !  my 
God,  grant  that  this  little  branch  may  ever  remain  at- 
tached to  the  divine  trunk.  Ah  !  my  child,  it  is  from 
this  sacred  trunk  that  all  life  proceeds."  These  last 
24 


370  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

words  were    accompanied   by  one  of  those  expressive 
looks,  he  so  often  cast  towards  heaven. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  remembrance  of  our  Lord,  in 
some  of  the  mysteries  of  His  holy  life,  was  ever  present 
to  the  mind  of  the  venerable  Bishop  ;  and  that  he  thence 
derived  strength  and  consolation.  u  Truly,-'  he  was 
wont  to  say,  "  when  we  consider  the  mystery  of  the  in- 
carnation, we  are  led  almost  to  rejoice  for  the  sin  of  our 
first  parents.  To  have  a  God  for  Father  and  Redeem- 
er !     Felix  culpa  ! — happy  fault !  !  " 

But,  of  all  the  mysteries,  the  one  in  which  he  most 
delighted,  was  that  of  the  Holy  Eucharist ; — it  is  not 
possible  to  describe  the  piety  with  which  he  offered  up 
the  divine  Sacrifice.  All  present  were  profoundly  im- 
pressed by  his  manner.  I  remember  a  distinguished 
Archbishop,  who  respectfully  carried  away  the  sacred 
linens  of  which  Bishop  Flaget  had  made  use ;  and  the 
Archbishop's  secretary  afterwards  remarked  to  me  :  "  I 
am  very  sure  it  was  to  preserve  them  as  relics.''  As  to 
his  thanksgiving,  it  may  be  asserted  that  it  lasted  the 
entire  day  ;  for  everything  reminded  him  of  the  happi- 
ness he  had  enjoyed  in  the  morning.  He  often  spoke 
to  me  of  it,  and  invited  me  to  think  of  it  also ;  and, 
having  one  day  said  to  him  :  "  My  Lord,  you  would 
have  been  happy  to  repose,  like  St.  John,  on  the  bosom 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  would  you  not  V'  "  Alas  ! ' 
he  replied,  with  that  accent  of  faith  which  animated  all 
his  words,  "  I  might  do  so  every  day ;  for  this  good 
Savior  comes  daily  to  me.  What  grieves  me  is,  that  I 
think  not  sufficiently  of  Him.  I  think  of  Him  often,  it 
is  true,  but  I  ought  never  to  forget  Him."  On  another 
occasion,  he  said  to  me :  "  A  God  who  desires  to  give 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  371 

Himself  to  us  !  No,  I  see  no  severity  in  the  sentence 
which  shall  condemn  such  ungrateful  wretches.  Soon 
will  this  condemnation  be  pronounced  :  '  Depart  from 
me,  ye  accursed.'  " 

The  pious  Bishop  was  far  from  falling  into  this  sin  of 
ingratitude.  His  heart  swelled  with  the  liveliest  em* 
tions  of  gratitude  ;  and  I,  one  day,  having  spoken  in 
admiration  of  the  happiness  which  St.  Paul  experienced 
in  pronouncing  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ :  "  Ah,"  said 
he  to  me,  with  touching  pathos,  "  one  cannot  love  any 
thing  else." 

It  was  not  merely  at  certain  stated  periods,  that  Bish- 
op Flaget  practiced  this  holy  recollection  and  spirit  of 
prayer.  He  never  lost  sight  of  the  presence  of  God  ; — 
and  the  different  objects  he  beheld,  instead  of  proving 
sources  of  distraction  to  him,  tended  to  promote  recol- 
lection. From  his  American  correspondence,  it  is  evi- 
dent that,  for  many  years,  he  had  contracted  the  habit  of 
being  ever  mindful  of  the  presence  of  God.  Some  ex- 
tracts from  this  correspondence  will  prove  our  asser- 
tion : 

In  1805,  the  prelate  had  retired  for  some  time  to  the 
country,in  order  to  recover  from  the  effects  of  a  long 
illness.  From  his  solitude,  he  wrote  thus  to  his  fam- 
ily : — "  Often  I  plunge  into  the  depths  of  those  immense 
forests,  where  are  seen  trees  coeval  with  time.  Far 
away  from  the  noise  and  confusion  of  cities,  nothing 
interrupts  my  solitary  walks.  Even  the  sun  seems  to 
respect  these  retreats;  for  his  rays  reach  me  not. 
Amid  this  repose  of  nature,  I  remember  with  pleasure 
what  history  relates  of  the  ancient  Germans, — that  they 
made  a  deitv  of  the  silence  of  the  forests  ; — and,  exten- 


372  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

ding  my  view  higher  than  those  poor  barbarians,  I  adore 
the  Author  of  this  silence,  and  the  Source  of  all  Peace. 
What  pious  thoughts  have  come  to  my  mind  !  What 
contempt  do  I  not  conceive  for  the  world,  and  ail  it 
contains  !  Happy,  could  I  only  learn  to  contemn  my- 
self, and  to  desire  that  others  should  also  contemn  me !  " 

At  a  later  period,  the  duties  of  the  ministry  having 
led  him  to  the  famous  Falls  of  Niagara,  he  wrote  to  his 
brothers  as  follows:  — "  This  spectacle,  perhaps  the 
greatest  and  most  magnificent  which  the  universe  pre- 
sents, furnished  me  with  subjects  of  meditation,  which 
I  shall  never  forget.  After  having  passed  three  or  four 
hours  in  contemplating  those  volumes  of  water,  which 
are  precipitated  with  a  prodigious  velocity,  from  a 
height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  it  seemed  to  me  I 
had  been  there  but  a  moment ; — my  eyes  still  desired 
to  rest  upon  this  scene.  But  night  cast  over  it  her 
sombre  veil,  and  I  reluctantly  retraced  my  way  to  the 
hotel.  As  I  walked  on,  I  repeated  often  to  myself: 
Alas !  torrents  of  grace  are  daily  flowing  upon  the 
hearts  of  men, — and  upon  mine  in  particular, — and, 
like  those  rocks  over  which  this  immense  river  rolls, 
we  are  not  penetrated  by  them  ;  and  grace  returns 
again  into  the  infinite  abyss  whence  it  proceeds,  with- 
out having  produced  any  fruit.'"  * 

It  is  said  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisium,  that  he  loved  to 
behold  impenetrable  ibrests,  lofty  rocks,  harvest  fields 
and  smiling  vineyards,  the  beauty  of  the  wide  extended 
meadow,  the  freshness  of  fountains,  the  verdure  of  gar- 
dens, earth  and  fire,  air  and  winds ;   and  that  he  ex- 

*  See  his  fuller,  but  similar  description  of  the  Falls,  taken  from 
his  Journal — supra,  Chapter  viii — p.  129 — seqq. 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  373 

horted  them  to  remain  pure  in  order  to  honor  God  and 
serve  Him.  Bishop  Flaget  evinced  similarly  elevated 
tastes.  Every  thing  in  nature  spoke  to  him  of  God, 
and  his  active  mind  saw  in  each  creature  a  motive  for 
praising  and  blessing  the  Creator.  Thus,  when  the 
time  of  prayer  came,  he  had  no  effort  to  make  in  order 
to  recollect  himself ;  it  might  rather  be  said  that  he 
then  entered  into  his  proper  element.  Prayer  was  his 
life ;  and  it  has  been  already  seen  that,  although  age  de- 
prived him  of  all  else,  it  could  not  take  from  him  this 
precious  treasure. 

We  may  hence  affirm  that  this  holy  Bishop  was  truly 
a  man  of  prayer ;  and,  amid  the  labors  and  turmoils  of 
a  life  constantly  agitated,  he  was  able  to  maintain  the 
spirit  of  prayer.  This  it  was  that  enabled  him  to  per- 
form such  great  actions  ;  for,  though  of  ourselves  we 
can  do  nothing,  if  God  be  with  us,  we  can  do  all 
things. 


II. 

HIS   HABITUAL   PEACE   OF   MIND. 


The  peace  of  mind  which  Bishop  Flaget  enjoyed  re- 
minds me  of  a  beautiful  thought,  found  in  the  works  of 
the  learned  Father  Saint  Jure.  This  pious  author  com- 
pares the  world  to  an  immense  sphere,  of  which  God  is 
the  centre  : — c*  As  when  a  globe  is  turning  round  upon 
its  axis,  those  parts  most  distant  from  the  centre  move 
with  accelerated  velocit}^,  while  those  that  are  near  par- 
take in  some  degree  of  the  immobility  of  that  centre  ; 
in  like  manner,  in  this  vast  universe,  where  all  crea- 
tures are  borne  along  with  fearful  rapidity,  those  that 
remain  close  to  God, — the  common  Centre  of  all  things, 


374  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

— partake,  in  a  certain  degree,  of  His  unalterable  peace 
and  eternal  repose." 

This  doctrine  being  incontestable,  it  is  evident  that 
the  soul  of  Bishop  Flaget  must  have  been  ever  near  to 
God  ;  for  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a  peace  more 
perfect  than  that  which  he  possessed.  To  be  candid, 
however,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  he  seemed 
sometimes  agitated  by  the  difficult}-  in  which  he  found 
himself  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  his  position,  by  the 
obstacles  he  met  with  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  pi- 
ous designs,  and  the  scandals  he  witnessed  ;  but,  even 
under  those  circumstances,  he  soon  regained  tranquil- 
lity of  heart,  by  seeking  for  it  in  God. 

When  it  was  question  of  his  personal  interests  or 
feelings,  it  was  rarely  that  he  manifested  either  dejec- 
tion or  anxiety.  He  had  beforehand  prepared  himself 
for  disappointment  and  contradiction ;  and  he  was  not, 
consequently,  disconcerted.  He  sought  himself  so  lit- 
tle, that  he  seldom  experienced  much  pain  in  disap- 
pointment ;  and  his  will  was  kept  in  such  habitual  sub- 
jection, that,  amidst  all  trials,  his  first  impulse  was  to 
bless  the  hand  that  sent  them.     *     *     * 

He  knew  how  to  adapt  himself  to  all  situations ;  and 
he  was  contented  every  where.  Towards  the  close  of 
our  journey,  I  had  the  weakness  to  show  some  disincli- 
nation for  this  wandering  life,  adding,  that  I  longed  to 
be  again  in  my  room.  "  As  to  me,"  said  he,  "  now 
that  I  have  not  a  room  of  my  own,- 1  consider  myself  at 
home  everv  where." 

I  can  never  forget  his  entrance  into  the  town  of  An- 
necy.  He  had  started  from  Lausanne  in  the  morning ; 
the  road  had  proved  much  longer  than  the  guide  books 
indicated,  and  the  accommodations  greatly  interior  to 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  375 

what  is  generally  found  on  our  roads  in  France  ;  so 
that,  instead  of  arriving  at  eight  o'clock  at  night,  as 
the  Bishop's  secretary  had  been  informed  we  should,  it 
was  midnight  when  we  reached  our  destination.  The 
hotels  were  at  that  time  crowded  ;  they  had  ceased  to 
look  for  the  Bishop  at  the  episcopal  palace,  and  lie 
knew  not  where  to  find  lodgings.  After  useless  re- 
searches, the  carriage  brought  him  a  second  time  to  the 
General  Hotel  ;  but  we  were  again  refused  admission, 
as  there  was  not  a  room  to  give  us.  I  then  asked  the 
prelate,  if  he  would  object  to  pass  the  night  on  a  mat- 
tress, placed  on  the  floor  ;  to  which  he  replied  :  "  Oh  ! 
I  do  not  need  even  a  mattress  ;  I  am  accustomed  to 
sleep  in  the  woods.  If  you  can  procure  me  an  arm- 
chair and  some  fire,  I  shall  sleep  perfectly  well.'* 

But,  in  addressing  him,  I  had  given  him  the  title  of 
"My  Lord,"  and  the  waiters  having  heard  it,  one  of 
them  said  to  me  :  "  Sir,  you  shall  have  two  beds.  The 
Bishop  having  descended  from  the  carriage,  I  remained 
to  attend  to  our  baggage ;  in  a  few  moments  I  found 
him  at  the  kitchen  tire,  keeping  profound  silence.  I 
took  the  liberty  of  asking  him  the  subject  of  his  reflec- 
tions. "  I  was  thinking,  said  he,  with  a  smile,  "  that 
St.  Francis  of  Sales  is  laughing  at  us  in  Heaven.  *  Xo 
doubt,'  he  says,  '  they  are  expecting  to  lodge  in  a  sup- 
erb palace  ;  well !  I  will  give  them  one  after  my  own 
fashion ! '  Then  he  laughed  heartily,  adding,  that 
he  was  happy  I  had  such  inconveniences  to  exper- 
ience. Having  told  him,  that  he  would  not  be  so  illy 
accommodated  as  I  had  at  first  feared,  two  beds  having 
been  offered  us,  he  seemed  displeased,  saying  that  no 
one  should  be  incommoded  on  his  account.  But  meas- 
ures had  already  been  taken ;  and  some  moments  after, 


376  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

we  were  introduced  into  a  small  chamber  belonging  to 
the  servants,  where  the  Bishop  considered  himself  too 
well  accommodated.  The  next  day,  according  to  his 
custom,  he  rose  early,  in  order  to  disturb  no  one.  He 
made  a  seat  of  his  traveling  bag ;  and  when  I  awoke', 
I  found  him  thus  seated,  tranquilly  reciting  his  office. 

When  we  proceed  to  treat  of  the  simplicity  and  con- 
descension of  the  good  Bishop,  we  shall  dwell  more  at 
length  on  this  happy  condition  of  a  calm  and  peaceful 
soul.  In  effect,  the  virtues  go  hand  in  hand, — all  of 
them  descend  from  heaven ;  and  when  they  meet  on 
earth,  it  is  easily  seen  that  they  are  sisters ;  for  they 
mutually  assist  one  another,  and  labor  often  in  the 
same  work,  with  a  touching  harmony.  We  will  only 
add,  that  Bishop  Flaget  was  one  of  those  men  of  peace 
spoken  of  in  the  Following  of  Christ,  who  are  proper 
to  promote  the  peace  of  others.  On  merely  accosting 
him,  one  felt  the  influence  of  that  peace  which  was  im- 
printed on  his  countenance,  which  embellished  his  fea- 
tures, and  accompanied  all  his  words. 

The  language,  addressed  by  him  to  the  students  of  the 
little  seminary  of  Iseure,  fell  with  peculiar  grace  and 
efficacy  from  his  lips.  He  said  to  them:  "Be  friends 
of  virtue,  and  when  age  shall  whiten  your  locks,  and 
you  can  give  to  your  own  hearts  the  testimony  that 
your  lives  have  been  pure  and  without  spot,  you  will 
not  fear  death ;  you  will,  on  the  contrary,  regard  it  as 
a  happiness,  because  it  will  open  heaven  for  you." 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  377 

III. 

HIS  HUMILITY. 


It  may  be  concluded  from  what  has  been  said,  that  a 
virtue  thus  solidly  established,  must  have  had  for  its 
foundation  a  profound  humility.  This  humility,  ever 
exhibited  in  the  life  of  Bishop  Flaget,  was  grave  and 
dignified,  simple  and  natural;  because  it  was  sincere. 
There  was  seen  in  him  nothing  of  that  studied  manner, 
or  that  affected  politeness,  which  is  often  but  a  veil  cast 
over  pride  and  self-love.  It  was  not  necessary  for  him 
to  compose  himself,  in  order  to  speak  and  act  as  the 
humble  are  wont  to  do. 

One  day,  I  having  taken  the  liberty  of  remonstrating 
with  him  on  a  certain  subject,  he  replied :  "I  thank 
you  ;  if  I  have  been  mistaken,  it  is  not  at  all  astonish- 
ing; I  have  been  awkward  all  my  life." 

He  had,  on  the  same  day,  requested  me  to  make 
some  alterations  in  a  manuscript  of  his ;  which  I  did, 
as  his  habit  of  speaking  English  rendered  him  liable 
to  commit  errors  in  writing  French;  but  I  requested 
him  to  say  nothing  about  it,  giving  him  good  reasons 
for  thus  acting.  "No,"  said  he;  "never  shall  I  say 
that  I  have  done  what  I  have  not  done."  Then  he  ad- 
ded: "While  at  Rome,  I  wrote  a  little  notice,  at  the 
request  of  the  Holy  Father,  which  I  submitted  to  the 
correction  of  the  young  ecclesiastic  who  accompanied 
me.     And,  of  course,  I  did  not  conceal  the  fact." 

At  the  borough  of  St.  Andeol,  a  compliment  having 
been  addressed  to  the  venerable  prelate  by  the  orphans 
of  the  Presentation  convent,  he  made  the  following 
modest,  but  touching  response:  "I,  too,  my  children, 
was  left  an  orphan  at  three  years  of  age,  and  if  kind 


378  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

friends  had  not  taken  care  of  me,  I  should  never  have 
received  the  education,  which  I  owe  to  divine  Provi- 
dence." 

I  had  traveled  with  the  Bishop  for  nine  months, 
when  I  discovered  at  Toulouse,  that  he  had  no  stamp 
for  his  letters.  I  then  offered  to  have  one  engraved  for 
him,  and  asked  him  what  were  the  armorial  bearings  of 
his  family  ?  "  I  was  born  of  poor  parents,''  he  answer- 
ed, "and  have  never  had   any  coat  of  arms."     "But 

now  that  you  are  a  Bishop," "]So;  I  have  never 

thought  of  such  things ; — the  cross  and  a  crown  of 
thorns  would  suit  me  best,  and  you  can  have  them  en- 
graved on  the  seal,  adding  the  inscription :  In  ckuce 
salus."     I  acted  accordingly. 

"  Yes,  my  child,"  he  observed  on  another  occasion, 
"  I  am  poor,  and  was  born  of  poor  parents ;  I  have  lived 
in  poverty,  and  hope  to  die  poor."     *     *     * 

On  the  3d  of  November  following,  as  the  traveling 
carriage  was  approaching  Belley,  closing  his  Breviary, 
he  said  to  me:  "I  have  just  been  reading  the  legend 
of  St.  Charles ;  this  biography  frightens  me.  When  I 
see  this  saint  dying  at  the  age  of  forty -five,  after  hav- 
ing done  so  much,  what  must  I  think  of  myself?" 
"But,"  I  remarked,  "you  have  traveled  more  than  he 
did."  "Oh!  yes,  undoubtedly;  but  all  his  steps  were 
for  God;  whithersoever  he  went,  he  labored;  and, 
sometimes,  I  have  journeyed  over  a  hundred  leagues 
without  meeting  a  single  Catholic."  I  endeavored  to 
represent  to  him,  that  such  journeys  were  more  painful 
than  those  of  St.  Charles.  "Even  so,"  said  he;  "but 
then  all  must  be  done  for  God.  Oh !  no,  my  dear 
child,  I  have  yet  much  to  do  in  order  to  become  an  in- 
terior man.     It  is  true,  I  do  not  often  appear  exteriorly 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  379 

angry  or  agitated ;  but  within  my  soul  there  is  often 
much  agitation,  and  I  ought  to  be  master  of  all  its  im- 
pulses. If,  for  example,"  he  added,  alluding  to  a  conver- 
sation he  had  had  with  me  four  months  previously,  "  the 
Bishop  of  Belley  should  refuse  me,  saying:  'Go  from 
my  house ; '  and  that,  on  repairing  to  the  hotel,  the 
landlord  should  address  me  thus :  c  Oh !  behold  this 
Bishop,  who  has  caused  himself  to  be  so  much  talked 
0f5 — .this  pretended  worker  of  miracles ;  we  are  well 
acquainted  with  you,  and  want  none  of  your  company; ' 
well,  I  ought  to  bear  all  this  without  complaining,  even 
without  thinking  it  hard  !  " 

Such  virtue  must  confound  our  pride,  for  the  words 
we  have  cited  were  spoken  in  sincerity.  His  heart,  as 
truthful  as  a  child's,  abhorred  the  shadow  of  a  false- 
hood ;  but  I  must  not  omit  to  state,  that  Bishop  Flaget 
had  attained  this  height  of  virtue,  only  after  long  and 
violent  efforts ;  he  called  to  his  aid  all  the  succors  of 
grace.  I  will  even  add, — for  the  consolation  of  those 
who  may  be  discouraged  because  they  have  gained  so 
few  victories  over  themselves, — those  words  which  he 
addressed  to  me  in  confidence:  "Every  day,  in  my 
meditations,  I  have  a  reflection  on  the  love  of  humilia- 
tions; but  I  acknowledge  to  you  in  sincerity,  that  I 
have  never  yet  been  able  to  desire  them,  and  to  seek 
for  them.  At  my  nightly  examination,  I  am  embarras- 
sed ;  it  seems  to  me  that,  were  I  asked :  Have  you  at- 
tributed to  your  merit,  to  your  talents,  the  honor  that 
has  been  rendered  you  ?  I  could  answer  in  the  negative ; 
but  that,  notwithstanding,  there  was  always  in  my 
heart  a  feeling  of  self-gratulation." 

God,  no  doubt,  permitted  the  holy  Bishop  to  experi- 
ence those  attacks  of  self-love,  in  order  to  increase  his 


380  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

merits,  by  multiplying  his  combats ;  for  he  never 
shrank  from  the  contest ;  and  to  secure  the  victory,  he 
armed  himself,  by  filling  his  mind  and  heart  with  the 
pure  doctrines  of  faith.  When  he  wished  to  make  use 
of  them  for  his  defence,  he  had  but  to  turn  within  him- 
self, and  there  he  heard  an  interior  voice  which  repeat- 
ed to  him  incessantly,  as  he  one  day  said-  to  me: 
"  Whatever  may  be  our  condition,  we  are  still  too  well 
treated ;  for  if  we  were  driven  from  society,  it  would 
be  only  what  we  merit.  One  single  venial  sin  renders 
us  unworthy  of  the  smallest  favor." 


IY. 

THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  HE  RECEIVED   THE   HONORS 

PAID  HIM. 


To  be  humble  in  obscurity  is  a  rare  virtue ;  for  there 
are  so  many  avenues  to  pride  in  the  human  heart,  that 
this  perfidious  enemy  easily  gains  admittance  therein. 
But  to  preserve  humility  when  at  the  height  of  glory, 
and  when  honors  seem  to  pursue  us,  is  the  attribute  of 
noble  souls,  who  have  obtained  the  most  exalted  virtue. 
All  the  saints  have  not  been  subjected  to  this  severe 
ordeal ;  on  the  contrary,  the  greater  part  of  them  have 
lived  poor  and  unknown.  But  it  was  agreeable  to 
divine  wisdom,  sometimes  to  invest  his  saints  with  a 
mantle  of  earthly  glory,  in  order  thereby  to  show  how 
immense  is  the  glory  prepared  for  them  in  eternity. 

Bishop  Flaget  has  been  thus  distinguished.  In  Eu- 
rope, he  was  every  where  received  with  extraordinary 
demonstrations  of  esteem,  respect,  and  veneration ;  he 
was  treated  not  only  as  an  illustrious  visiter,  but  as  a 
saint.     To  converse  with  him  and  receive  his  benedic- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  381 

tion,  was  considered  a  singular  happiness.  Priests  and 
laity, — all  were  anxious  to  have  a  place  in  his  remem- 
brance. As  to  the  prelates,  it  was  evident  that  they 
regarded  him  as  an  apostle,  and  experienced,  in  his 
company,  those  sentiments  of  profound  admiration, 
which  the  presence  of  a  saint  produces.  But  let  us 
examine  in  what  manner  the  good  Bishop  received  all 
these  honors. 

Nothing  was  seen  in  him,  which  would  indicate  that 
his  self-love  was  thereby  gratified ;  his  countenance 
was  dignified,  peaceful  and  recollected.  He  did  not 
reject  those  flattering  testimonials  of  regard ;  but  with 
calmness,  allowed  them  to  fall  at  his  feet.  One  day  as 
1  observed,  that  such  marks  of  honor  might  be  danger- 
ous to  virtue,  he  tranquilly  replied,  that  when  God 
subjects  a  soul  to  such  an  ordeal,  He  fortifies  it  by  His 
grace. 

The  reception  which  he  received  in  the  palaces  of  the 
different  Bishops,  was  most  touching.  Frequently,  the 
prelates  fell  on  their  knees  to  receive  his  benediction. 
At  Aire,  Bishop  Savy,  though  a  paralytic,  came,  with 
his  clergy,  the  inmates  of  his  seminary  and  college,  in 
procession,  to  meet  him.  The  night  of  our  arrival  at 
Vintimille  was  dark  and  gloomy,  and  in  order  to  reach 
the  episcopal  palace,  it  was  necessary  to  ascend  a  hill. 
The  Bishop  of  the  place  had  kindly  sent  a  litter  to  con- 
vey Bishop  Flaget  to  his  residence;  but  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  he  could  be  induced  to  enter  the  convey- 
ance. 

But  the  scene  was  still  more  touching  at  the  moment 
of  separation,  as  he  was  then  better  known  and  more 
appreciated.     The  Bishops,  after  having  lavished  favors 


382  SKETCHES    OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

upon  him,  always  considered  themselves  the  obliged 
party;  they  implored,  as  a  favor,  that  he  would  give 
them  his  benediction.  When  leaving  Bourges,  Bishop 
Flaget  was  giving  his  blessing  to  the  little  orphans  who 
had  been  presented  to  him,  when,  to  his  great  confu- 
sion, he  saw  the  venerable  Archbishop  de  Yillele  kneel- 
ing in  their  midst.  This  circumstance  so  much  affected 
him,  that  he  made  frequent  allusions  to  it  during  the 
day. 

Although,  as  we  have  before  said,  Bishop  Savy  was 
afflicted  with  paralysis,  he  rose  when  taking  leave  of 
the  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  saying,  in  an  agitated  voice: 
'  I  have,  my  Lord,  a  favor  to  ask  of  you  ;  you  have 
blessed  this  city ;  now,  I  beg  you,  bless  this  child,  (it 
was  his  nephew.)  and  in  him  all  his  family/'  As  he 
spoke,  his  eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  Bishop  Flaget 
was  likewise  deeply  moved,  and,  perceiving  that  his 
friend  was  kneeling,  he  knelt  also,  and  in  this  attitude 
gave  his  benediction  to  all  present. 

A  similar  scene  took  place  at  Xevers,  between  him- 
self and  Bishop  Naudo.  I  was  the  only  witness  of  this 
edifying  contest  between  the  modest  prelates,  each  re- 
fusing to  give  to  the  other  his  episcopal  benediction. 
Bishop  Flaget  eventually  yielded,  on  condition  that 
Bishop  Xaudo  would  afterwards  give  him  his ;  but  the 
latter,  rising  quickly,  retired  to  the  other  side  of  the 
room,  while  the  former  kissed  the  floor  on  which  he 
had  trod,  saying:  u  At  least,  my  Lord,  I  will  kiss  the 
place  on  which  you  have  walked." 

During  his  travels  in  France  and  Piedmont,  he  was 
courteously  welcomed  and  entertained  by  the  first  fam- 
ilies.    At  Turin,  his  Excellency,  the   Minister  of  For- 


CHARACTER    OF    R18HOP    FLAGET.  383 

eign  Affairs,  treated  him  with  the  utmost  kindness. 
Being  admitted  to  the  table  of  His  Majesty,  Charles 
Albert,  he  was  placed  at  the  right  of  the  Queen ;  but 
there,  as  elsewhere,  he  retained  the  same  modesty  and 
simplicity.  The  desire  of  pleasing  God,  at  all  times, 
occupied  his  mind.  All  that  came  from  men  seemed 
to  him  of  little  value.  "They  do  not  know,1'  said  he, 
"  the  heart;  of  twenty  judgments  which  they  form, 
nineteen  are  false  ;  but  if  he,  who  is  the  subject  of  their 
eulogies,  enters  into  himself,  he  soon  finds  enough  to 
humble  him.  Oh!  I  hope  vanity  may  never  enter  into 
my  heart.'1 

The  modest  Bishop,  however,  feared  the  attacks  of 
self-love.  He  knew  that  it  is  an  enemy  which  is  never 
conquered,  and  he  frequently  examined  himself  on  this 
subject,  calling  to  his  aid  the  most  moving  considera- 
tions of  faith.  He,  on  one  occasion,  remarked  to  me: 
"  I  believe  that  God  has  in  store  for  me  some  great 
humiliations  ;  for,  have  you  ever  seen  any  man  receive 
more  honors  than  I  have  for  some  months  past  %  God 
will  doubtless  see  that,  in  the  end,  I  shall  need  to  be 
humbled.'1  Having,  in  my  reply,  made  use  of  the 
word  prison,  he  immediately  rejoined :  "  Prison  !  ah ! 
it  would  be  the  greatest  happiness  for  me  to  be  impris- 
oned. I  may  be  deceived,  but  it  seems  to  me  I  should 
glory  in  it.  That  which  I  fear,  is  an  attack  upon  my 
character ;  for  instance,  were  my  reputation  blackened 
by  an  atrocious  calumny,  I  should  be  sorely  tried.  But 
God,"  added  he,  "  is  infinitely  wise ;  He  knows  what  is 
most  for  His  glory.11  On  another  occasion,  he  expressed 
similar  sentiments,  saying:  "  Yes,  I  am  persuaded 
God  will  send  me  some  great  affliction,  and  I  often 


384  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

beg  Him  to  do  so ;  for  it  is  by  afflictions  that  we  are 
purified." 

It  was  truly  admirable  to  observe  the  perfect  liberty 
and  noble  independence,  which  this  holy  man  preserv- 
ed amid  the  homages  every  where  lavished  upon  him. 
On  the  contrary,  in  proportion  as  they  increased,  he 
became  more  and  more  disengaged  from  all  that  this 
world  can  give,  and  those  circumstances  which  might 
have  been  fatal  to  others,  served  but  to  augment  in 
him  the  love  of  God.  "  This  journey,"  he  remarked 
to  me,  ikis  extremely  useful  to  me,  because  it  teaches 
me  not  to  fix  my  affections  on  any  thing  here  below. 
All  those  fine  palaces,  those  magnificent  dwellings,  be- 
long not  to  me;  I  must  soon  leave  them.'1     *     * 

In  proportion  as  God  seemed  pleased  to  exalt  him, 
this  good  Bishop  sought  to  humble  himself.  He  was 
no  doubt  gratified  to  see,  that  the  good  work  in  which 
he  was  engaged,  received  an  additional  lustre  from  the 
honors  bestowed  on  him ;  but  the  smoke  of  human 
glory  passed  over  his  soul,  without  dimming,  in  the 
least,  its  purity.  Divine  grace,  which  seeks  only  to  be 
diffused,  is  delighted  to  enter  into  the  hearts  of  the 
saints. 


Y. 

HIS  KINDNESS  AND  GENTLENESS. 


It  is  not  sufficient  to  say  that  Bishop  Flaget  was 
kind ;  we  ought  rather  to  say  that  he  was  kindness  it- 
self. Nature  had  bestowed  upon  him  a  heart  suscepti- 
ble, tender,  and  affectionate.  During  the  journey,  in 
which  I  had  the  happiness  to  accompany  him,  he  expe- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  385 

rienced  anxieties  and  embarrassments  of  various  kinds ; 
but  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  seen  him  manifest 
impatience  or  ill  humor.  Always  forgetful  of  himself, 
he  was  ever  ready  to  oblige  others.  He  was  impor- 
tuned by  questions,  oftentimes  puerile,  and  which  had 
become  wearisome  to  him  from  repetition ;  but  he 
invariably  replied  with  grace  and  kindness.  As  I  have 
before  said,  every  one  wished  to  preserve  a  memorial 
of  him,  and  in  each  place  where  he  stopped,  he  was  re- 
quested to  write  his  name  on  small  pictures.  This  he 
was  called  on  to  do  so  frequently,  that  it  must  have  be- 
come exceedingly  annoying;  but  he  never  showed  dis- 
gust or  disinclination.  I  remember  a  venerable  curate, 
who  brought  him  a  very  large  number  of  these  little 
pictures,  in  order  to  have  his  signature  affixed  to  them. 
The  Bishop  took  them  with  his  usual  kindness,  and  af- 
terwards said:  "  Rather  than  disappoint  the  curate,  I 
would  sit  up  all  night." 

As  the  prelate  was  proceeding  from  Besancon  to 
Yesoul,  a  boy  had  got  behind  the  carriage.  I,  perceiv- 
ing it,  told  him  to  descend ;  but  he  answered  that  he 
had  a  sore  foot.  Our  vehicle  was  small ;  yet  the  Bishop 
insisted  upon  the  boy's  having  a  place,  saying:  "Oh! 
we  can  suffer  a  little  inconvenience  for  charity." 

It  was  proposed  to  him  to  visit  an  ancient  castle  near 
Foix.'  He  was  undecided,  fearing  that  this  excursion 
might  be  merely  for  the  gratification  of  curiosity.  But 
when  I  told  him  that  prisoners  were  there  confined,  he 
hesitated  no  longer,  and  was  happy  to  have  it  in  his 
power  to  address  to  these  poor  people  some  words  of 
comfort. 

I  had  often  occasion  to  remark  his  exquisite  sensibil- 


386  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

itv.  When,  at  the  altar,  he  recited  the  Collect  for 
friends  and  benefactors,  his  heart  overflowed  with  gra- 
titude. The  slightest  service  rendered  him,  called  forth 
expressions  of  thankfulness  so  touching,  that  they 
seemed  to  surpass  the  benefit.  When  he  received  from 
his  Diocese  a  letter,  which  expressed  the  regret  his  ab- 
sence caused,  or  gave  him  information  of  some  melan- 
cholv  event,  he  was  sad  and  almost  overcome;  but  he 
forbore  intruding  his  griefs  on  others.  As  we  were 
walking  together  one  day,  he  spoke  to  me  of  a  letter 
which  had  greatly  affected  him.  1  inquired  whether 
he  had  just  received  it:  '' No,"  said  he,  "it  reached 
me  yesterday ;  but  I  did  not  wish  to  sadden  others  by 
alluding  to  my  grief." 

He  was  reading,  in  one  of  our  journeys,  the  Annals 
of  the  Propagation  of  Faith ;  but  when  he  came  to  the 
account  of  the  martyrdom  of  the  young  Abbe  Cornay, 
he  closed  the  book,  observing:  "It  is  impossible  for 
me  to  continue  reading,  so  much  am  I  affected  by  the 
sufferings  of  this  young  priest."  But,  a  few  moments 
afterwards,  his  lively  faith  overcoming  his  natural  sen- 
sibility, he  added:  "Oh!  how  good  is  God,  to  give  so 
young  a  person  such  admirable  courage !  " 

While  at  Turin,  he  received  intelligence  which  ex- 
ceedingly grieved  him.  Bishop  Sav}^  whom  he  much 
loved,  had  had  a  second  attack  of  paralysis.  He  sent 
for  me  to  read  the  letter  which  bore  the  news,  saying, 
with  deep  emotion :  "  I  could  not  read  it  all  at  once ; 
I  had  to  pause,  in  order  to  compose  myself.  Willingly 
would  I  take  his  sickness,  because  at  my  age,  and  at 
the  end  of  my  career,  I  am  good  for  nothing ;  but  he  is 
yet  young  and  vigorous.     But  God  knows  what  is  best ; 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  387 

perhaps  this  worthy  Bishop  is  more  useful  to  his  Dio- 
cese in  his  present  suffering  condition,  than  if  he  were 
in  perfect  health." 

In  one  of  his  journeys  in  America,  Bishop  Flaget 
met  a  French  lady  who  was  a  Protestant,  and  who  ad- 
dressed very  harsh  language  to  him,  in  the  course  of  a 
conversation  respecting  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes.  This  lady,  at  the  end  of  the  journey,  was  un- 
able to  pay  her  traveling  bills.  The  Bishop  immedi- 
ately gave  her  the  sum  of  which  she  was  in  need.  His 
generosity  made  her  bitterly  regret  the  hasty  language 
she  had  used  towards  him. 

Habituated  as  was  Bishop  Flaget  to  princely  recep- 
tions, he  had,  however,  on  one  occasion,  reason  to  com- 
plain of  the  unbecoming  manner  in  which  a  visit  he 
had  purposed  making,  was  announced;  but  the  only 
vengeance  he  took,  was  to  write  a  most  tender  and  af- 
fectionate letter  to  the  offending  party. 


VI. 

HIS  FIRMNESS. 


But,  though  thus  mild  and  gentle,  the  Bishop  was 
inexorable  on  points  of  duty.  He  condescended  to 
every  request  which  demanded  only  a  personal  sacri- 
fice ;  but  when  the  glory  of  God  required  that  he  should 
refuse,  he  became  inflexible. 

I  seem  now  to  hear  the  impressive  language  of  this 
venerable  old  man,  as,  on  a  certain  occasion,  he  spoke 
to  me  on  the  subject.  I  had  been  deputed  to  ascertain 
public  sentiment  with  regard  to  a  journey  some  per- 
sons desired  him  to  make,  for  the  interests  of  the  Pro- 


388  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

pagation  of  Faith.  I  inquired  of  the  prelate,  if  he 
himself  would  oppose  any  obstacle  to  tiiis  enterprize. 
"But,"  said  he,  "I  must  first  have  the  command  of 
the  JPope."  "Of  course/'  I  rejoined;  "but  were  he  to 
give  the  command,  would  you  be  willing  to  perform 
the  journey  V  k*  Oh  ! '"  replied  the  holy  man,'  '*  if  the 
Fope  were  to  command  me  to  proceeed  to  Botany  Bay, 
I  should  go  without  reluctance.  My  dear  child,  I  seem 
weak  and  yielding,  and  in  some  circumstances  I  confess 
I  am  so ;  but  if  conscience  requires  me  to  do  a  thing, 
nothing  stops  me.  I  have  traveled  a  hundred  leagues, 
in  order  to  promulgate  an  interdict  against  an  unhappy 
priest,  who  had  obliged  me  to  pronounce  against  him 
the  censures  of  the  Church." 

In  conversing  with  the  prelate  about  his  project  of 
returning  to  America,  I  was  often  struck  with  his  ex- 
quisite sensibility  and  unshaken  firmness.  He  ac- 
knowledged to  me,  that  leaving  his  friends  in  France 
would  cause  him  intense  pain ;  but  that  nothing  could 
prevent  his  return  to  America.  He  had  hoped  to  com- 
plete his  travels  through  France  in  the  month  of 
November;  and,  regardless  of  the  sufferings  to  which 
he  might  be  exposed,  he  resolved  immediately  to  depart 
for  his  Diocese.  "  Undoubtedly,"  he  remarked  to  me, 
"  in  this  matter,  I  am  thinking  of  self.  At  my  age, 
one  should  think  of  death,  and  although,  in  Bardstown, 
I  must  experience  privations,  I  prefer  being  there.  My 
Coadjutor,  seeing  me  infirm,  will  be  with  me  as  much 
as  possible ;  he  will  be  my  consolation ;  but  business 
will  often  call  him  to  a  distance,  and  I  shall  be  left  in 
my  solitude.  Yet  what  matters  it,  to  suffer  for  one  or 
two  years  \ " 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  389 

One  day,  I  had  the  curiosity  to  ask  him,  if  he  did 
not  dread  a  sea-voyage.  He  replied:  **  I  never  think 
of  such  things;  no,  my  child,  I  say  to  myself,  what 
matter  is  it  whether  J   die  at  sea,  or  in  my  chamber '. 

» 

I  am  certain,  wherever  I  mav  die,  I  shall  do  the  will 
of  God." 

This  reply  of  the  holy  old  man  came  from  his  heart. 
I  have  been  told  that,  in  one  of  his  voyages  across  the 
ocean,  while  the  vessel  was  driven  about  by  a  violent 
storm,  he  was  buried  in  a  profound  sleep,  tranquil  as 
that  of  infancy.  His  traveling  companion,  who  had 
not  before  crossed  the  ocean,  was  unable  to  sleep. 
Fear  alone  would  have  prevented  him  from  closing  his 
eyes.  The  storm  increasing  every  moment,  he  went  to 
awake  the  Bishop,  who,  raising  his  head,  said  to  him, 
wTith  the  utmost  calmness:  "You  are  a  child  ;  you  are 
too  easily  frightened  by  the  cries  of  the  sailors.  More- 
over, if  God  wishes  to  find  us  tombs  here,  what  differ- 
ence does  it  make  !  Is  it  not  as  wrell  to  be  devoured  bv 
fish,  as  to  be  gnawed  by  worms  ? " 

It  is  needless,  however,  to  make  farther  quotations. 
The  entire  life  of  Bishop  Flaget  is  an  undubitable 
proof  of  his  heroic  fortitude.  There  was  in  his  char- 
acter a  beautiful  mingling  of  sweetness,  condescension, 
and  noble  firmness.  His  extreme  sensibility  might 
have  degenerated  into  weakness;  but  his  generous 
faith  sanctified  and  elevated  it.  To  his  fellow  crea- 
tures, he  was  gentleness  itself;  in  the  service  of  God, 
he  was  firm  and  faithful.  Thus  it  may  be  said  of  him, 
that  he  was  beloved  by  God  and  man. 


390  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


VII. 

HIS  CONFORMITY  TO  THE  WILL  OF  GOD. 


St.  Francis  of  Sales,  writing  to  St.  Jane  Frances  de 
Chantal,  besought  her  to  lose  her  will  in  the  divine 
will,  as  a  drop  of  water  is  swallowed  up  in  the  ocean.  It 
mav  be  affirmed,  that  this  counsel,  which- includes 
within  itself  all  other  counsels,  had  become  the  con- 
stant rule  of  the  Bishop  of  Bardstown.  He  had  so 
changed  his  will  into  the  will  of  God,  that  those  two 
wills  seemed  but  one.  Every  thing  with  him  was  re- 
ducible to  this  problem : — to  know  what  God  required  of 
him.  Sometimes,  the  solution  of  it  was  difficult;  then, 
he  was  undecided,  irresolute  ;  but  as  soon  as  all  his 
doubts  were  removed,  all  hesitation  ceased ;  not  for  a 
moment  was  he  restrained  by  the  apprehension  of  dif- 
ficulties or  obstacles.  To  do  the  will  of  God  appeared 
to  him  always  easy;  nay,  the  thought  of  accomplishing 
that  adorable  will  constituted  his  joy  and  happiness. 
This  desire  was  his  only  passion. 

These  expressions  might  seem  exaggerated  ;  but  all 
who  have  known  Bishop  Flaget  intimately,  can  testify 
to  their  truth. 

He  was  much  indisposed  at  Rodez,  and  obliged  to 
take  remedies.  The  physicians  had  likewise  recom- 
mended repose.  Having  expressed  a  desire  to  know 
on  what  day  it  was  probable  we  should  resume  our 
journey,  as  I  wished  to  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments, I  received  the  following  answer:  "I  cannot  yet 
inform  vou;  all  that  I  wish  is,  to  do  the  will  of  God. 
What  I  ask  of  Him  is,  to  make  known  to  me  His  sacred 
will ;  either  by  causing  me  to  become  very  sick,  or  by 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  391 


giving  me   such   health,  that,  without   imprudence,    i 
may  resume  my  journey." 

On  a  similar  occasion,  the  pious  Bishop  expressed 
the  same  thought  and  desire,  but  in  terms  still  more 
impressive.  He  was  then  at  Turin.  "I  have  just," 
said  he,  "begged  of  God  to  make  His  holy  will  known 
to  me;  either  by  granting  me  health,  if  he  wishes  1. 
to  continue  this  visitation  ;  or,  if  His  glory  will  nut 
thereby  be  promoted,  to  send  me  an  attack  of  illness ; 
but  such  illness  as  will  leave  me  in  no  doubt  as  to  what 
He  requires  of  me.  I  have  never  prayed  with  so  much 
fervor.  All  that  I  desire  is,  to  know  His  holy  will.  I 
have  never  asked  any  thing  else.""  Thus,  he  wished 
neither  for  health  nor  for  sickness,  neither  tor  repose 
nor  for  action.  All  things  were  indifferent  to  him  ; — 
but  to  know  the  way  which  God  had  marked  out  for 
him. 

Perceiving  me  at  one  time  to  be  discouraged,  he  ad- 
dressed me  thus:  "Whether  our  undertaking  be  suc- 
cessful or  not,  our  consolation  is,  to  know  that  we  are 
doing  the  will  of  God.  I  also  meet  with  things  that 
annoy  and  discourage  me,  but  what  matter  (  If  the 
carriage  were  to  overset  and  crush  me,  and  if  I  had 
time  to  utter  a  prayer,  I  would  bless  God,  because  in 
dying  I  was  fulfilling  His  will." 

Frequently  I  have  heard  him  say,  during  our  jour- 
ney, that  as  the  Pope  had  imposed  on  him  the  mission 
he  was  then  fulfilling',  he  was  sure  that  he  was  doing- 
God's  will,  and  that  this  assurance  rendered  him  per- 
fectly happy;  whereas,  in  his  own  Diocese,  two  paths 
were  sometimes  before  him,  so  that  he  was  embar- 
rassed, not  knowing  which  to  choose.     Then  he  would 


392  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

add :  "  Yes,  I  should  be  most  happy  to  die  now,  for  I 
should  be  sure  of  dying  in  the  accomplishment  of  God's 
will." 

Such  protestations  were  not,  with  the  Bishop,  vain 
forms  of  speech.  Even  had  he  desired  to  tell  a  false- 
hood, I  do  not  believe  he  could  have  done  it.  As  he 
thought,  so  he  spoke.  Besides,  when  divine.  Provi- 
dence subjected  him  to  trials,  it  was  easy  to  see,  that 
his  expressions  of  submission  to  the  decrees  of  heaven 
came  from  his  heart. 

The  prelate,  having  asked  for  his  Diocese  a  young 
ecclesiastic,  who  shortly  after  left  for  China,  I  inquir- 
ed of  him,  whether  the  announcement  of  the  departure 
of  this  gentleman  had  not  saddened  him  \  *'Oh!  not 
at  all,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  done  all  that  I  could  to  ob- 
tain his  services  for  my  Diocese,  but  God  did  not  will 
it ;  who  knows  but  that  I  would  have  deprived  him  of 
the  grace  of  martyrdom  ?" 

When  he  had  received  a  letter  bearing  sad  news,  he 
consoled  himself  by  repeating  the  prayer  of  the  holy 
Pope,  Pius  VII. :  "  So  be  it ;  may  He  be  praised ;  " — 
and  he  pronounced  the  following  words  with  peculiar 
relish  :  w*  May  the  most  amiable  will  of  God  be  praised 
in  all  things." 

Before  setting  out  for  Piedmont,  the  pious  Bishop 
had  consulted  Gregory  XVI. ,  not  wishing  to  proceed 
beyond  France,  without  a  special  authorization.  So 
soon  as  this  authorization  was  received,  he  set  out, 
without  any  solicitude ;  but  the  weather  was  extremely 
inclement  when  he  left  Chambery,  to  repair  to  Turin ; 
the  snow  was  falling  heavLbr,  and  every  thing  prognos- 
ticated a  most  rigorous  season.     The  good  Bishop,  re- 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  393 

fleeting  that  the  snow  would  render  the  passage  of  Mt. 
Cenis  exceedingly  difficult,  turning  towards  me,  said, 
with  a  joyous  manner:  "We  are  now  certain  that  we 
are  doing  the  will  of  God ;  yes,  it  is  He  who  wishes  us 
to  be  in  the  midst  of  this  snow.  We  must  then  be 
satisfied.  Were  I  at  present  traveling  to  Turin,  for  my 
own  satisfaction — for  example,  to  solicit  some  valuable 
present — how  anxious  and  tormented  should  I  be !  But, 
as  it  is,  I  do  the  will  of  God,  and  I  am  contented." 

This  determination  of  Bishop  Flaget,  to  conform  in 
all  things  to  the  will  of  God,  caused  him  to  watch  care- 
fully every  emotion  of  his  heart,  and  each  impulse  of 
his  will.  Thus,  after  having  sent  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  an  humble  letter,  asking  the  commands  of  the 
Holv  See  as  to  his  future  movements,  he  said  to  me : 
"I  confess,  I  am  anxious  to  know  what  the  Pope's  an- 
swer will  be  ;  " — but  correcting  himself,  he  added : 
"No,  no;  I  ought  not  to  be  anxious  for  any  thing; 
what  I  desire  is,  to  know  the  will  of  God."  When  he 
received  this  answer,  it  was  easy  to  see  how  happy  he 
felt  to  be  thus  assured  of  God's  will.  Frequently  he 
was  heard  to  exclaim:  uOh!  how  contented  I  feel! 
I  ever  feel  satisfied  when  I  know  exactly  what  God  wishes 
of  me."  He  was  no  longer  in  doubt  or  hesitation ; 
and  he  spoke  frequently  of  his  approaching  return  to 
America. 

The  merchant  pursues  not  fortune,  nor  the  soldier 
glory,  with  more  ardor,  than  he  sought  to  accomplish 
the  will  of  God.  He  accepted  beforehand  all  the  sacri- 
fices which  his  Sovereign  Master  should  require  of  him, 
adding  to  the  merit  of  his  labors,  that,  still  greater  per- 
haps, of  his  intentions.     No ;  he  was  not  of  the  num- 


394  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 

ber  of  those  indolent  servants,  who  say  much  and  do 
nothing;  he  did  much,  and  would  have  desired  to  do 
still  more.  Thus,  we  may  confidently  hope,  that  He, 
who  looks  with  complacency,  not  only  upon  the  actions 
which  we  perform  for  His  glory,  but  also  upon  the  gen- 
erous desires  by  which  we  anticipate,  as  it  were,  His 
will,  has  ordered  his  angels  to  prepare  for  the  pious 
Bishop  a  crown  of  resplendent  glory. 


VIII. 
HIS  FILIAL  OBEDIENCE  TO  THE   SOVEREIGN  PONTIFF. 


It  may  be  said,  that  the  perfect  conformity  to  the 
will  of  God,  of  which  we  have  just  spoken,  explains 
the  respectful  and  filial  submission  which  Bishop  Fla- 
get  ever  rendered  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff.  His  faith 
beheld  in  him  the  representative  of  Jesus  Christ  on 
earth;  thus,  to  obey  the  Pope  was  to  obey  God.  The 
will  of  the  Pope,  once  expressed,  was  for  him,  so  clear 
a  manifestation  of  the  will  of  God,  that  he  hastened 
with  a  holy  ardor  to  obey  it.     *     *     * 

We  have  already  seen  that  he  was  ready,  at  the  man- 
date of  His  Holiness,  to  proceed  to  the  most  distant  re- 
gions of  the  world.  But  it  is  well  to  examine  what  the 
good  Bishop  understood  by  an  order  of  the  Pope.  One 
day,  as  he  expressed  a  desire  that  the  Sovereign  Pontiff 
might  decidedly  pronounce,  whether  or  not  he  should 
proceed  on  his  travels,  I  took  the  liberty  of  asking  him : 
"  What  would  you  do,  my  Lord,  if  the  Pope  were  mere- 
ly to  manifest  a  desire  for  the  prolongation  of  your 
visitation  ? "  "  Oh  !  I  should  set  out,"  replied  he, 
"immediately  and  without  hesitation.     The  Pope,  in 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  395 

such  circumstances,  will  never  give  a  positive  order; 
but  his  wishes  are  commands.  If  the  Pope  were  to 
show  a  desire  that  you  should  do  something,  and  if  you 
refused  to  do  it,  would  you  not,  my  dear  child,  have 
disobeyed  him  ? '  This  language,  from  the  lips  of  a 
Bishop,  seventy-five  years  of  age,  is  more  instructive 
and  impressive  than  a  volume  of  controversy. 

However,  it  conveys  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  the  re- 
spectful tenderness,  which  he  felt  for  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff.  He  would  often  exclaim :  "I  assure  you,  if  the 
Pope  were  to  tell  me  to  set  out  for  Japan,  I  would  im- 
mediately do  so.  It  is  my  delight  to  do  the  will  of 
Rome."  He  frequently  received  letters  urging  him  to 
return  to  his  Diocese  ; — the  affectionate  regret  therein 
expressed  that  he  remained  still  in  Europe,  deeply  af- 
fected his  heart ;  but  his  resolution  was  unshaken.  His 
reply  was :  "  I  can  do  only  as  the  Pope  directs  me  to 
do." 

At  the  time  the  Bishop  was  writing  the  letter  to  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  of  which  we  have  already  spoken,  he 
said  to  me,  with  a  beaming  countenance:  "I  am  ex- 
posing to  the  Pope  the  reasons  for  and  against  the  pro- 
posed measure.  I  then  leave  the  decision  to  him. 
Now  he  will  be  obliged  to  express  positively  what  his 
wishes  are ;  whatever  they  may  be,  I  am  disposed  to 
comply  with  them.  Were  he  to  tell  me  to  go  to  China, 
I  believe  I  would  start  instantly,  if  I  found  a  vessel 
ready  to  sail."  In  fine,  when  the  answer  to  this  letter 
arrived  from  Rome,  not  only  did  the  holy  Bishop  has- 
ten to  obey  ;  but  he  submitted  his  own  judgment,  with- 
out comment  and  with  evident  joy,  and  availed  himself 
of  every  opportunity  to  eulogize  the  decision  of  Gregory 


396  SKETCHES    OF    THE    LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


XVI.  In  a  moment  of  fatigue  and  suffering,  he  ob- 
served to  me  :  "  I  see  plainly  that  the  Pope  was  right. 
I  should  not  have  been  able  to  continue  the  journey  ; 
my  health  would  not  have  permitted  it.''  And,  at  an- 
other time,  as  he  felt  his  strength  gradually  decreasing, 
he  exclaimed  :  "  Oh  !  blessed  be  God  !  How  well  the 
Church  is  governed !  No ;  I  do  not  believe  I  could 
have  prosecuted  this  journey." 

This  respect  and  veneration — this  more  than  filial 
tenderness  for  the  Holy  See, — was  evidenced  in  the 
least,  as  well  as  in  the  greatest  things.  He  took  great 
delight  in  speaking  of  the  Pope,  in  recounting  the  ben- 
efits he  had  received  from  him,  and  in  exalting  his 
goodness  and  wisdom.  While  at  Rome,  he  obtained 
frequent  audiences  of  Pope  Gregory  XYI.  The  Holy 
Pontiff  had  conceived  a  particular  affection  for  him, 
and  he  treated  him  with  unusual  familarity.  Once,  in 
conversation  with  the  Bishop,  he  familiarly  opened  his 
snuff-box,  and  presented  it  to  the  latter,  who,  taking  a 
pinch,  preserved  it  as  something  precious. 

The  Bishop  and  myself  were,  at  one  time,  conversing 
on  the  subject  of  the  congregation  for  the  Propagation 
of  Faith,  and  the  zeal  which  the  city  of  Lyons  had 
always  shown  for  that  holy  work.  Among  the  causes 
to  which  he  ascribed  this  piety,  he  failed  not  to  men- 
tion the  benediction  which  Pope  Pius  VII.  had  be- 
stowed on  this  city,  when  he  passed  through  it.  "  Oh  ! 
yes,"  said  he  ;  "  I  am  sure  that  this  Holy  Father  raised 
both  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  that  an  ocean  of  grace 
was  poured  upon  this  city." 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  397 

IX. 

HIS    MORTIFICATION. 


All  those  who  have  studied  the  secrets  of  the  spirit- 
ual life,  know  that  its  maxims  may  be  reduced  to  the 
two  following :  to  die  to  ourselves,  and  to  live  of  a  new 
life  ;  that  is  to  say,  to  destroy  in  ourselves, — or  at  least, 
to  subdue, — the  fatal  inclinations  which  have  their  ori- 
gin in  sin ;  in  order  that  grace,  acting  with  an  entire 
liberty,  may  give  us  the  habit  of  thinking  and  acting 
as  Jesus  Christ  thought  and  acted.  This  virtue,  which 
makes  us  thus  die  to  ourselves,  is  called,  in  the  language 
of  the  Church,  the  virtue  of  mortification.  It  controls 
the  external  senses,  the  divers  faculties  of  the  soul,  the 
entire  being  ; — for  the  whole  man  is  bound  bv  the 
chains  of  sin.  The  instincts  of  this  body  of  clay  draw 
us  always  towards  the  earth  ;  and  our  soul,  which 
ought  to  command  and  govern  these  earthly  instincts, 
suffers  itself  to  be  subjected  by  them.  Christian  morti- 
fication, therefore,  is  constantly  striving  to  restore  to 
the  soul  its  liberty,  by  recalling  to  it  the  remembrance 
of  its  primitive  greatness.  This  mortification  is  not, 
then,  an  isolated  virtue  ;  it  is  the  basis  and  the  measure 
of  all  other  virtues.  Hence,  wherever  we  behold  great 
and  heroic  virtues,  we  may  be  assured  that  mortifica- 
tion is  combined  with  them.  But  it  manifests  itself 
under  different  forms.  In  some  persons,  it  is  shows  in 
the  practice  of  voluntary  penance  ;  in  others,  it  finds  its 
exercise  in  the  patient  endurance  of  the  trials  and  sor- 
rows that  beset  the  path  of  life  ;  but,  in  all,  its  triumph 
consists  in  dying  to  one's  self,  and  living  of  the  life  of 
the  spirit. 


398  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

In  Bishop  Flaget,  its  influence  was  visible  in  various 
ways.  His  body,  accustomed  to  hardships,  required 
but  little  ;  and  he  was  never  seen  to  seek  his  own  ease, 
nor  the  gratification  of  his  own  taste.  His  imagination, 
kept  in  a  holy  bondage,  reposed  in  God  ;  his  mind  was 
occupied  with  God,  and  his  heart  loved  only  God  ;  for, 
having  wisely  disciplined  his  extreme  sensibility,  he 
loved  those  who  were  dear  to  him  in  God  and  for  God. 
"  My  will,*-  said  he,  "  has  been  so  subdued  in  the  mis- 
sions, that  now  it  can  submit  to  any  thing.  When  I 
was  at  Baltimore,  I  loved  study ;  but  I  was  frequently 
assigned  duties  which  rendered  it  impossible  for  me  to 
apply  to  it.  At  first,  my  will  rebelled  ;  when  I  became 
conscious  of  it,  L  oh  ! '  I  said  to  myself,  '  this  will  must 
be  trampled  under  foot."  It  was  well  for  me  that  I  was 
obliged  thus  to  conquer  it;  for  now  I  am  contented 
even-  where."  The  good  Bishop  spoke  truly.  He  was 
never  heard  to  complain  of  the  fatigues  of  traveling,  of 
bad  lodgings,  nor  of  a  hard  bed.  He  pleasantly  re- 
marked, **  that  at  home  he  slept  on  an  indifferent  bed  ; 
and  that  thus  he  w  as  always  sure  of  finding  a  better 
one.  when  he  traveled,  than  that  to  which  he  was  ac- 
customed." 

Nor  was  the  holy  prelate  more  fastidious  with  regard 
to  his  clothing.  "  You  see,"  he  would  say  to  me,  "  I 
am  not  accustomed  to  all  these  little  attentions.  Some- 
times, in  my  missions,  I  had  good  clothing  ;  sometimes 
I  had  not.  Hence,  such  inconveniences  do  not  annoy 
me." 

The  splendid  repasts  which  were  given,  in  his  honor, 
were  irksome  to  him  ;  yet  he  did  not  complain  ;  but  he 
remarked  :  "We  hear  persons  speak  of  good  wines,  and 


CHARACTER    OF    BISHOP    FLAGET.  399 

delicately  prepared  dishes,  as  if  such  things  merited 
attention.  This  is  always  disagreeable  to  me.  I  ac- 
knowledge, that  the  magnificent  entertainments  to 
which  I  am  invited  cause  me  to  think  of  God.  Oh  ! 
God  of  Love  !  " 

In  one  of  the  Departments  of  France,  a  commissary 
of  police,  accompanied  by  another  officer,  came  to  the 
presbytery,  to  inquire  who  the  strange  Bishop  was,  and 
whether  he  was  provided  with  suitable  papers  !  It  was 
evident,  they  executed  the  commission  with  reluctance; 
but  the  curate  of  the  parish  was  deeply  mortified  by 
this  proceeding.  When  the  prelate  was  informed  of  the 
object  of  their  visit,  he  said  with  much  gayety,  "that 
he  would  consider  it  a  happiness  to  be  put  in  prison, 
and  to  glorify,  by  his  chains,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  thought  of  honoring  this  divine  Model,  by  imi- 
tating His  severe  and  mortified  life,  was  ever  present 
to  the  holy  Bishop.  Had  he,  for  this  object,  recourse 
to  the  instruments  of  penance,  of  which  so  many  saints 
had  made  use  ?  I  cannot  say ; — the  modesty  of  the  pre- 
late forbade  my  interrogating  him  on  such  matters. 
But  a  rapid  view  of  the  labors  and  trials,  with  which 
his  whole  life  has  been  marked,  suffices  to  show  that  he 
practiced  heroic  mortification.  Towards  the  conclusion 
of  his  journey,  I  was  conversing  with  him  on  his  ap- 
proaching return  to  America,  and  alluded  to  the  joy  lie 
would  experience  on  seeing  again  his  two  Coadjutors  : 
"  Ah  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  that  will  be  too  much  consola- 
tion for  me  ;  and,  perhaps,  too  much  natural  satisfac- 
tion will  accompany  it."  Thus  we  see,  that  this  holy 
Bishop  mistrusted  the  best  emotions  of  the  heart,  and 
could  say,  with  St.  Francis  of  Sales :  "If  I  were  con- 


400  SKETCHES    OK   THE   LIFE,    TIMES    AND 


J 


scious  of  the  least  love  which  was  not  for  God,  I  should 
instantly  banish  it  from  my  heart." 

Is  not  this  condition  of  the  soul  a  beginning  of  the 
celestial  beatitude  I  It  mav  be  so  called ;  but  it  is  re- 
plete  with  pain  and  toil ;  for,  however  eagerly  we  may 
seek  God,  it  must  always  be  with  fear  and  solicitude. 
Each  instant  we  are  in  danger  of  losing  Him  ;  and  we 
shall  infallibly  lose  Him,  if  we  place  not  a  vigilant  sen- 
tinel at  the  door  of  our  heart.  These  continual  strug- 
gles prevent  our  happiness  from  being  perfect  here 
below.  But  the  day  shall  come  when  we  will  be  per- 
mitted to  lay  down  our  arms ;  because,  our  enemies  hav- 
ing been  vanquished,  it  will  be  no  longer  necessary  to 
combat.  Our  joy  will  then  be  augmented  by  the  re- 
membrance of  past  trials  and  labors  ;  and  we  shall  un- 
derstand, with  the  Apostle,  that  there  is  no  proportion 
between  our  sacrifices  and  the  reward  prepared  for 
them. 


X. 

HIS  PATIENCE  IN  THE  TIME  OF  SICKNESS. 


Bishop  Flaget  had  naturally  a  robust  constitution. 
Yet,  from  his  correspondence,  we  ascertain  that  he  was 
often  attacked  by  severe  illness.  He  was  very  near 
dying  at  Havana,  and  he  was  obliged  to  desist  from  his 
labors  in  the  United  States  several  times,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  bad  health  ;  but  the  laborious  and  agita- 
ted life  which  he  led,  may  well  account  for  these 
frequent  indispositions. 

The  cholera  which  attacked  him  in  1833,  a  severe 
illness  which  afterwards  detained  him  several  months 


CHARACTER   OF    BISHOP   FLAGET.  401 

at  Angers,  and  the  infirmities  of  age,  had  greatly  di- 
minished the  strength  of  the  venerable  prelate,  when 
I  had  the  honor  of  forming  his  acquaintance.  Often, 
while  we  were  traveling  together,  he  was  obliged 
to  rest  several  days  at  a  time,  and  to  receive  medi- 
cal attention.  He  submitted  to  his  physicians  and 
nurses  with  the  docility  of  a  child,  and  bore  the 
inconveniences  and  sufferings  of  his  condition,  as 
coming  immediately  from  the  hands  of  divine  Prov- 
idence. 

At  Rodez,  it  was  deemed  necessary  that  he  should 
consult  a  physician.  I  was  struck  by  the  first  in- 
terview between  himself  and  the  doctor.  The  pre- 
late spoke  on  different  subjects,  but  said  not  a  word 
of  his  indisposition.  I  observed:  "But,  my  Lord, 
you  say  nothing  of  your  illness!"  The  physician, 
who  understood  his  patient,  rejoined,  with  a  smile: 
"Oh!  that  is  a  matter  of  secondary  consideration 
with  the  Bishop."  Two  or  three  days  after  this 
visit,  I  inquired  of  him  what  medicine  the  doctor 
had  prescribed?  "Ah ! '  said  he,  "I  do  not  know; 
I  have  not  inquired  what  it  was.  God  has  given  me 
the  grace  always  to  practice  great  docility  towards 
my  physicians.  I  know  it  is  the  Almighty  who  im- 
parts to  medicines  their  efficacy.  Physicians  pre- 
scribe such  or  such  remedies,  but  it  is  God  who  ren- 
ders them  efficacious.  Hence  I  say  to  Him :  I  sub- 
mit to  whatever  Thou  shalt  order ;  if  it  is  a  poison 
that  is  given  me,  I  shall  do  Thy  will  in  taking  it." 

He  received,  with  effusions  of  gratitude,  the  cares 
26 


402  SKETCHES    OF   THE   LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

and  attentions  bestowed  on  hirn  during  sickness, 
and  had  always  a  kind  and  gracious  word  for  each 
one  that  approached  him.  It  was  truly  edifying,  to 
see  the  readiness  with  which  he  took  the  prescribed 
remedies.  He  never  manifested  the  slightest  repug- 
nance, nor  made  any  objection  to  whatever  might  be 
proposed  for  his  benefit ;  so  that  it  was  really  a  pleas- 
ure to  nurse  him. 

Yet  this  venerable  man,  so  mild,  so  patient,  so  re- 
signed, was  not  satisfied  with  himself.  "It  is  singu- 
lar," said  he  to  me,  "that  whenever!  am  indisposed, 
my  head  is  affected ;  I  am  unable  to  Hix  my  atten- 
tion, to  meditate  and  pray. — Oh!  the  saints  were 
not  so.  Hence,  I  never  fail  to  implore  God  to  en- 
able me  to  prepare  for  death  before  my  last  illness 
attacks  me."  God  undoubtedly  heard  his  prayer,  as 
may  be  seen  from  perusing  an  account  of  the  last 
years  of  his  beautiful  and  holy  life.  What  then 
must  be  the  purity  of  heaven,  since  the  pure 
gold  of  his  eminent  virtues  was  subjected  to  the 
crucible,  in  order  to  be  purified  from  the  stains  of 
earth !  How  holy  the  society  of  the  celestial  Court, 
if  those  whose  lives  we  have  so  justly  admired  in 
this  world,  are  not  found  worthy  to  enter  there,  un- 
til they  have  effaced,  by  the  tears  of  repentance, 
those  slight  stains,  imperceptible  to  us!  Such 
thoughts  overwhelm  the  mind,  but  the  heart  draws 
from  them  hope  and  comfort;  for  He  who  requires 
of  us  such  exalted  virtues,  has  prepared  for  them  an 
infinite  recompense. 


CHARACTER   OP   BISHOP   FLAGET.  403 

XL 
HIS  LOVE  FOR  HIS  DIOCESE. 


A  Bishop,  on  the  day  of  his  consecration,  contracts 
a  strict  alliance  with  that  portion  of  the  Church 
which  is  then  confided  to  his  care.  A  ring  is  placed 
on  his  finger,  as  a  sign  and  memorial  of  this  sacred 
union,  which  he  always  wears, — thus  indicating  the 
indissolubility  of  his  alliance.  Hence,  to  love  his 
Diocese  becomes  one  of  his  first  and  sweetest  du- 
ties* 

Bishop  Flaget  spoke  invariably  of  his  diocesans 
with  a  truly  fraternal  affection.  During  his  stay  at 
the  bishopric  of  Cahors,  some  friends  were  felicitat- 
ing him,  on  the  success  of  his  journey,  and  the  fa- 
vors which  heaven  had  bestowed  on  him  at  each 
step.  He  responded  to  these  courteous  expressions, 
by  saying  "that  he  was  disposed  to  traverse  the 
whole  of  France,  if  the  Pope  so  ordered  or  desired ; 
though,  without  doubt,  he  should  prefer  being  in 
his  Diocese ; '  then  he  added,  with  his  wonted  grace 
of  manner:  "Lately,  I  have  received  another  letter, 
expressing  the  ardent  desire  of  the  people  of  Ken- 
tucky to  see  me.  It  is  not  astonishing ;  their  father 
is  absent,  and  they  are  beginning  to  think  him  in- 
different towards  them.  Assuredly,  thanks  be  to 
God,  I  am  not  guilty  of  this  sin." 

"When  he  received  good  news  from  his  beloved 
Kentucky, — as  the  announcement  of  a  conversion, 
or  the  detail  of  some  edifying  event, — he  was  in  an 


404  SKETCHES   OF   THE    LIFE,    TIMES   AND 

ecstasy  of  joy,  and  lie  spoke  of  it  to  all  who  ap- 
proached him.  One  day,  after  the  perusal  of  a  let- 
ter, bearing  such  news,  he  said  with  deep  emotion : 
"  God  is  too  good  to  me.  I  fear  I  shall  never  be 
sufficiently  grateful." 

Just  before  he  left  France,  the  good  Bishop  visited 
a  city,  where  he  had  formerly  sojourned  for  some 
time.  The  superior  of  the  seminary,  presuming  that 
the  prospect  of  his  approaching  departure  was  pain- 
ful to  him,  addressed  to  him  some  words  of  encour- 
agement. The  Bishop  listened  to  him  politely;  but 
at  the  close  of  his  remarks,  laughed  heartily,  saying : 
"Would  you  know,  sir,  the  pain  I  experience,  on 
the  eve  of  returning  to  my  Diocese  ?  It  is  that 
which  a  father  feels,  on  seeing  again  his  children, 
from  whom  he  has  been  long  separated."  At  anoth- 
er time,  he  remarked  to  one  of  his  friends:  "I 
should  wish  to  have  wings,  that  I  might  fly  to  my 
own  children." 

After  Bishop  Flaget  had  decided  upon  his  return 
to  Kentucky,  and  while  he  was  preparing  for  his 
immediate  departure,  he  was  informed  that  some 
of  his  friends  had  commenced  negotiations  with 
Rome,  in  order  to  keep  hirn  in  France.  They 
had  hoped  to  persuade  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  that 
the  prelate,  by  remaining  in  Europe,  could  render 
himself  useful,  not  only  to  one  Diocese,  but  to  all 
the  missions.  These  tidings  caused  him  great  per- 
plexity. He  did  not  wish  to  disoblige  the  Pope  by 
a  refusal ;  but  he  was  most  anxious  to  return  to  his 


CHARACTER   0£   BISHOP   FLAGET.  405 

children.  He  wrote  to  this  effect  to  the  Cardinal 
Prefect  of  Propaganda,  protesting,  at  the  same  time, 
his  filial  submission  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff.  The 
good  Bishop  was  in  suspense,  and  at  a  loss  how  to 
act.  But  he  deferred,  for  a  while,  his  departure. 
Ko  answer  coming  from  Pome,  he  wrote  to  me  from 
Billom,  on  the  10th  of  June,  1839,  stating  that  he 
had  fixed  his  departure  for  the  8th  of  July  following. 
Almost  immediately  after  receiving  his  letter,  I 
understood  that  the  Pope  had  rejected  the  proposi- 
tion which  was  so  repugnant  to  Bishop  Flaget's  feel- 
ings ;  I  hastened  to  inform  him  of  this.  He  wrote 
me  thus  in  reply :  "I  thank  God,  my  dear  child,  for 
the  news  you  have  communicated  to  me ;  for,  in  fix- 
ing the  period  of  my  departure  three  weeks  earlier 
than  I  had  at  first  intended,  I  was  influenced  by  the 
desire  to  travel  in  company  with  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
of  Cincinnati;  but  my  chief  motive  was,  that  I 
might  be  on  the  way  before  the  arrival  of  the  Sov- 
ereign Pontiff's  letter.  Thus  I  hoped  to  be  able  at 
least  once  more  to  see  my  spiritual  children,  and  to 
prove  to  them  that  absence  had  not  diminished  my 
tender  affection  for  them.  My  wooden  palace  in 
Bardstown  is  to  me  more  charming  than  those  mag- 
nificent mansions  in  which  I  have  dwelt  for  the  last 
three  years.  If  after  having  resided  five  or  six 
months  with  my  beloved  children,  you  should  ar- 
rive with  an  order  from  the  Pope  for  me  to  return 
to  France,  it  would  assuredly  afflict  me  deeply ;  but 


406        CHARACTER  OF  BISHOP  FLAGET. 

a  hundred  times  more  poignant  would  have  been  my 
sorrow,  had  your  letter  announced  to  me  that  I  must 
now  remain  in  France." 


j&&*POSTCRIPT.~@a 


A  few  errors  were  discovered  while  the  preceding  pages  were 
passing  through  the  press ;  too  late,  however,  to  have  them  correc- 
ted in  the  text.  As  our  chief  aim  has  been  to  be  as  accurate  as 
possible,  we  will  here  point  out  two  such  mistakes,  which  are  deem- 
of  some  importance,  and  will  then  add  a  few  other  remarks. 

Page  40,  line  18,  for  "civil  court,"  read  parish.  Page  342,  line 
6,  for  "two  years,*'  read  one  year. 

In  reference  to  the  account,  (on  page  21,)  of  the  Bishop's  mother 
having  appeared  to  him  when  he  was  a  child,  it  may  be  proper  to 
state,  that,  while  recounting  the  incident  in  his  old  age,  the  prelate 
appeared  to  be  fully  convinced  of  its  reality. 

The  date  assigned  on  page  24,  as  that  at  -which  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Sult":lan  congregation,  is  more  properly  that  of  his 
first  entrance  into  lie  Sulpician  seminary  at  Clermont.  He  prob- 
ably became  a  Sulpician  only  one  or  two  years  later  ;  and  very 
shortly  afterwards  was  Pc.it  to  the  solitude  of  Issy.  It  is  certain, 
as  stated  in  the  text,  that  he  continued  his  theological  studies  for 
about  two  years,  ia  ■  •  a  Sulpician  seminary  at  Clermont,  during 
which  time  he  was  oraamed  sub-deacon  by  Bishop  De  Bonald. — 
See  his  own  letter  on  the  subject,  p.  23 — note. 

We  will  add,  that  the  translation  in  the  Appendix  is  occasionally 
somewhat  free,  both  in  order  to  give  it  the  English  turn  of  expres- 
sion, and  to  condense  the  facts  or  reflections  of  the  original,  so  that 
they  might  not  occupy  to  much  space.  In  a  few  instances,  also, 
where  shorter  passages  are  not  translated,  the  asteriski  have  been 
unintentionally  omitted. 


O'.'