(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
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John Baptist Brondel was born on February 23, 1842 was the son of Charles Joseph Brondel, a successful chair manufacturer of Bruges in Belgium. One of seven children, he was the youngest of his parents' five sons; his eldest brother and one of his sisters also pursued religious careers.
Finishing the elementary school conducted by the Xaverian Brothers, John Brondel attended the local College of St. Louis (1851 - 61). On graduation he dedicated his life to the American missions and enrolled in the American College at Louvain as a protege of Bishop Blanchet of Nesqually, Washington Territory. He was then educated at the American College of the University of Louvain and ordained priest at Mechlin, Belgium, by Cardinal Engelbert Stercks (17 December, 1864).
After being educated at the American College of the University of Louvain and ordained priest at Mechlin, Belgium, he was ordained (1864) at Mechlin by Cardinal Sterckx, John Brondel set forth via Panama for Puget Sound. For ten years he served the scattered white colonists and fur-men, half-breed traders, and Indians from missions at Walla Walla and at Steilacoom on the Sound.
His selection as third bishop of Vancouver (1879) was a merited honor, but one which did not transform the humble missionary. Four years later, he was further burdened with the administration of the vicariate of Montana, and in 1884 he was transferred to the diocese of Helena as its first bishop. The Jesuits, who had been in the field since the arrival of De Smet, assigned their church in Helena to the Bishop who was welcomed in the name of the Catholics by Hon. Thomas Carter, later a powerful Republican senator.
The life of Brondel became the history of his diocese. Regarded as a father by the Crows, Nez Percés, Flatheads, and Blackfeet tribesmen of whom there were 10, 000 in Montana, he served the government faithfully on peace missions.
Before the end of his life most of the Indians were Catholics and provided with chapels and ten schools. On visitations by stage coach and horse, the Bishop averaged 9, 000 miles per year, which quite astounded his French correspondents.
By 1903, he had increased the number of young men preparing for a priestly life in Montana from one to 13.
Prior to his death, Bishop Brondel petitioned the Holy See for the division of his diocese due to the difficulties involved in traveling the entire state. His request was approved and on May 18, 1904, the Diocese of Great Falls, covering the eastern two-thirds of the state, was erected.
Bishop Brondel died November 3, 1903, and was succeeded by John Carroll as second Bishop of Helena. His death was regarded as a great loss to the work of the evangelization and civilization of the Indians. He was buried 7 November, 1903, in a vault under the cathedral in Helena.
Jean-Baptiste Brondel's chief achievement was in founding and establishing the first churches at Olympia and Tacoma. He managed to gain solid respect and was especially successful among the Indians, even among the distant Chinooks of Alaska. On 26 September 1879, Brondel was appointed the third Bishop of Vancouver Island by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 14 December from Archbishop Charles J. Seghers. The diocese included Vancouver Island, which was a British territory, as well as Alaska, which belonged to the United States. He continued to serve as bishop until 7 April 1883, when he was named Vicar Apostolic of Montana. The vicariate was later elevated to the Diocese of Helena on 7 March 1884, with Brondel becoming its first bishop. His diocese grew during his régime from thirteen to fifty-three priests serving sixty-five churches and a hundred chapels. An orphan asylum, nine parochial schools, an industrial school, a home for the aged, eight hospitals, St. Vincent's Academy in Helena, an Ursuline academy in Miles City, and a Good Shepherd home in Helena gave further evidences of Brondel's administrative activities. As the mines were commercially developed and as railroads replaced trails, the Catholic population of his diocese grew to 50, 000.
(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
John Baptist Brondel was never married.
