Background
Peter Verdaguer y Prat was born in Sant Pere de Torelló, county of Osona in the Province of Barcelona, to Francisco Verdaguer and Maria Prat Verdaguer.
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Peter Prat
Edit ProfileEducation
He attended the seminaries of Vic and Barcelona before coming to the United States, where he completed his theological studies at Saint Vincent"s Seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Career
He served as Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville from 1890 until his death in 1911. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, Certificated Master, on December 12, 1862. He then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, California, serving as a missionary and pastor of San Bernardino and in Los Los Angeles
On July 25, 1890, Verdaguer was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville, Texas, and Titular Bishop of Aulon by Pope Leo XIII. He received his consecration on the following November 9 in Barcelona from Bishop Jaime Catalá y Albosa, the Bishop of Barcelona, with Bishops José Morgades y Gili and José Meseguer y Costa serving as co-consecrators.
Returning to the United States, Verdaguer arrived in his new vicariate the following spring. He then removed the episcopal see from Corpus Christi to Laredo.
He opened two hospitals, several churches and parochial schools, and an orphanage. He also increased the number of Catholics by 40,000, and the number of priests from 10 to 32.
Verdaguer later died while traveling to Mercedes for Confirmation ceremonies, aged 75.
He is buried at Laredo Catholic Cemetery.
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Born
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Died
October 26, 1911 (aged 75) -
Religion
Catholic Church