Background
He was born on September 7, 1795 at Montbrison, near Lyons, France.
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Michael Portier
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Well schooled by devoted parents, he was in attendance at the seminary of Lyons. Later he completed his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore.
Career
He answered the personal appeal of Bishop Louis Guillaume Valentin Du Bourg, of New Orleans, for missionaries. Along with the Bishop and thirty-five volunteers, he sailed on a French warship from Bordeaux and arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, September 4, 1817. He was ordained priest by Du Bourg in the St. Louis cathedral on Michaelmas day, 1818. He was called to New Orleans by Du Bourg, there he established a collegiate school on the Lancastrian plan and acted as vicar-general.
In 1825, he yielded to peremptory orders from Rome and accepted appointment as vicar-apostolic of the Floridas and Alabama, for which purpose he was consecrated titular bishop of Oleno by Bishop Rosati in St. Louis, November 5, 1826. The vicariate had only three churches - at Mobile, St. Augustine, and Pensacola - and the Bishop himself was the only priest.
Ordaining his sole deacon, he visited France in 1829 in search of priests and financial support from the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. He returned with two priests and four seminarians to find that the vicariate had been erected into the diocese of Mobile. Outside of the diocese, Portier was known in ecclesiastical circles as a conspicuous member of the various councils of Baltimore and of New Orleans.
He died of dropsy after long suffering.
Achievements
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Michael Portier was the first Bishop of Mobile, served for thirty years. During his administration the frame church gave way to a brick Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception; Spring Hill College, Providence Infirmary, academy, a boy's orphanage were founded at Mobile; and a dozen churches were erected in the larger towns. He also recruited religious orders of men and women to teach and care for parishioners.
Personality
He was respected for his personality, namely, sound judgment, liberality of sentiment, and generous service among the poor.
Connections
There is no informatioan about his marital status.
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Born
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Died
May 14, 1859 (aged 63) -
Resting place
Mobile, Alabama, United States -
Nationality
American -
Religion
Roman Catholic