A history of the CM Vincentian order of priests and brothers in America

1. Journey of Faith:
The Congregation of the Mission in the U.S.A.

2. Saint
Vincent
had
first
sent
his
priests
to
Rome
as
a
way
of
having
direct
communica9ons
with
the
Holy
See
(1631).
By
1659,
the
Vincen9ans
were
able
to
find
a
permanent
residence
in
the
Monte
Citorio
district
of
Rome.
This
was
to
be
the
star9ng
point
of
the
American
Vincen9an
mission.
In
1815,
Louis
William
Valen9ne
Dubourg,
a
Sulpician
priest
who
had
been
named
apostolic
administrator
of
Louisiana
(a
sprawling
area
which
had
come
under
American
rule
in
1803),
went
to
Rome
to
recruit
priests.
On
his
arrival
in
Rome,
he
found
out
that
Louisiana
was
to
be
made
into
a
diocese
and
that
he
was
to
be
its
first
bishop.
He
resolved,
however,
not
to
accept
the
appointment,
unless
he
could
obtain
sufficient
priests.
Coming to America: Origins
Bishop
Dubourg

3. One
evening,
on
returning
to
Monte
Citorio,
Dubourg
heard
a
young
Vincen9an
priest
giving
a
spiritual
conference
to
a
group
of
clerics.
So
deeply
impressed
was
the
bishop-­‐elect
that
he
resolved
to
have
this
priest,
and
perhaps
more
of
his
Community,
for
his
sparsely
seTled
diocese.
The
young
priest's
name
was
Felix
De
Andreis.
De
Andreis
had
long
wanted
to
serve
on
the
foreign
missions,
especially
China.
Dubourg
spoke
to
the
young
priest
and
asked
him
to
accompany
him
to
the
United
States,
primarily
to
establish
a
seminary
in
Louisiana.
Two
days
later
Dubourg
had
an
audience
with
the
Pope
and
received
final
approval
for
De
Andreis
and
five
or
more
other
Vincen9ans
to
go
to
Louisiana.
Coming to America: Origins
Felix
De
Andreis,
C.M.

4. A[er
their
arrival
in
America,
the
missionaries
were
to
be
given
a
month
to
survey
the
local
scene
and
discern
its
needs.
Before
seTling
in
any
place
or
parish,
the
missionaries
would
start
with
a
mission
“in
order
to
make
a
good
beginning
and
promote
the
solid
and
permanent
welfare
of
these
poor
souls…”
whose
state
could
not
“be
otherwise
than
deplorable,”
“through
ignorance
and
vice,
since
neglec9s
urenda
filix
innascitur
agris
["in
neglected
fields
there
springs
up
the
coarse
fern
which
must
be
burned"
Horace,
Sa9res
1,3,37.]”
It
was
also
foreseen
that
they
would
erect
a
seminary
as
soon
as
possible,
aided
by
the
modest
fees
required
of
the
seminarists.
All
of
this
sounded
simple
enough,
but
as
we
will
see,
their
journey
had
many
tedious
and
difficult
turns.
The Plan

5. Since
the
an9cipated
seminary
was
to
be
founded
in
lower
Louisiana,
the
study
of
French
was
necessary.
The
missionaries
would
depart
from
Rome
in
two
groups,
one
of
which
would
travel
by
sea,
the
other
by
land,
un9l
they
would
eventually
meet
in
Toulouse.
BY
SEA
A[er
a
journey
of
more
than
two
months,
the
missionaries
arrived
at
Toulouse
on
19
January
1816.
BY
LAND
From
Piacenza
the
small
band
went
to
France
by
way
of
the
Alps,
a
perilous
journey
in
the
depth
of
winter.
They
joined
their
fellow
missionaries
at
Toulouse
on
25
January
1816.
The Journey, Part 1: Rome to Toulouse

6. Shortly
therea[er
they
again
divided
into
two
groups
and
met
at
Bordeaux
in
early
February,
1816.
They
stayed
there
almost
four
months,
during
which
everyone
studied
French,
and
the
priests
ministered
and
preached
in
the
local
parishes.
The Journey, Part 2: Toulouse to Bordeaux
The
former
seminary
at
Bordeaux,
as
it
looks
today

7. On
24
April,
they
were
stunned
by
a
leTer
from
Dubourg
that
informed
them
of
two
important
changes.
The
first:
he
would
not
be
journeying
to
America
with
them.
The
second:
the
site
of
the
proposed
seminary
had
been
changed
from
lower
to
upper
Louisiana.
The
impulsive
bishop
had
administered
a
major
shock
to
the
small
band!
His
original
inten9on
had
been
to
found
the
seminary
near
New
Orleans.
But
adverse
circumstances
there
caused
Dubourg
to
change
his
see
to
St.
Louis.
English
now
became
as
important
as
French,
and
the
missionaries
would
have
to
undertake
the
study
of
a
new
and
complex
language.
Two
of
the
priests
gave
up
in
despair
and
abandoned
the
group.
Two
new
recruits,
however,
came
forward.
Change of Plans

8. Arrangements
were
made
to
sail
on
an
American
brig
called
The
Ranger,
which
weighed
anchor
at
midnight
on
12/13
June
1816.
On
board
were
thirteen
missionaries:
De
Andreis,
Rosa9,
Acquaroni,
Carreo,
Ferrari,
Deys,
Dahmen,
Gonzalez,
Tichitoli,
Blanka,
Flegifont,
Boranvaski,
and
de
LaTre.
Before
boarding
the
ship,
they
made
one
last
break
with
their
pasts:
they
laid
aside
their
cassocks
and
donned
the
black
suits,
9es,
and
round
hats
that
were
characteris9c
of
the
American
clergy.
The
group
quickly
turned
the
ship
into
a
floa9ng
seminary.
Spiritual
exercises
were
held
with
regularity,
and
classes
were
given
in
theology
and
English.
The Journey, Part 3: Bordeaux to Baltimore

9. Sea
voyages
in
that
age
were
dangerous
and
uncomfortable,
and
this
one
was
no
excep9on.
Some
were
afflicted
by
sea
sickness.
They
encountered
at
least
one
serious
storm.
The
missionaries
made
a
novena
to
St.
Vincent,
and
fasted.
Their
prayers
were
answered:
on
26
July
they
arrived
safely
at
Bal9more.
Arrival in Baltimore

10. De
Andreis
wrote,
"Our
first
impulse
on
landing
was
to
kneel
and
kiss
the
ground
but
the
place
where
we
disembarked
was
so
crowded
that
we
deferred
doing
that."
The
band
had
landed
in
a
foreign
country,
with
a
limited
command
of
the
local
language,
and
eighty
pieces
of
baggage.
They
were
quickly
welcomed
and
helped
by
the
Sulpicians
of
Saint
Mary's
Seminary.
Some
lodged
at
the
seminary,
while
others
were
given
hospitality
in
two
local
parishes.
Arrival in Baltimore

11. Following
instruc9ons
he
had
received
from
Dubourg,
De
Andreis
immediately
wrote
to
Benedict
Joseph
Flaget,
also
a
Sulpician
and
the
bishop
of
Bardstown,
Kentucky.
Flaget
quickly
replied,
urging
the
group
to
come
to
Kentucky
before
the
onset
of
winter.
On the Road Again: to Kentucky
Nazareth, KY is 3 miles north of
Bardstown. In 1813, there were
6 Sisters of Charity there and
Catherine Spalding was named
their first Mother Superior.
Side Note:
Bishop
Flaget

12. The
Sulpicians
at
Saint
Mary's
took
up
a
collec9on
in
the
city
to
help
with
the
expenses
of
the
journey
and
donated
some
books
for
the
proposed
seminary.
The
Jesuit
superior
at
Georgetown
also
contributed
funds.
De
Andreis
made
prepara9ons
for
departure.
The
band
was
again
divided
into
two
groups.
The
first,
under
the
leadership
of
Brother
Blanka,
was
to
go
on
foot
to
PiTsburgh
together
with
the
wagons
carrying
the
baggage.
They
departed
on
3
September
1816.
The
second
group,
led
by
De
Andreis,
le[
by
stagecoach
a
week
later.
First step to Kentucky: Baltimore to Pittsburgh

13. The
journey,
as
described
by
De
Andreis,
was
harrowing.
The
roads
were
primi9ve
and
dangerous.
At
one
point
Acquaroni
and
two
companions
became
lost.
At
another
a
landslide
almost
killed
them
all.
The
climax
came
when
the
stagedriver
decided
that
he
could
not
cross
the
flooded
Juniata
River
and
le[
his
passengers
at
an
inn.
They
eventually
crossed
by
canoe
and
caught
another
stage
on
the
other
side.
For
the
last
segment
of
their
trip
they
were
compelled
to
abandon
the
stagecoach
altogether,
put
their
possessions
in
a
wagon,
and
walk
to
PiTsburgh.
It
had
taken
them
nine
days
to
cover
240
miles.
It
is
small
wonder
that
De
Andreis
admiTed
to
feelings
of
melancholy
as
he
recalled
the
beauty
and
warmth
of
Rome.
First stage to Kentucky: Baltimore to Pittsburgh
Pain@ng
“The
Juniata
River”
by
George
Inness.
Near
Harrisburg,
PA
Nego@a@ng
a
muddy
road

14. Though
they
were
well
received
and
lodged
by
both
Catholics
and
non-­‐
Catholics
in
PiTsburgh,
they
were
delayed
there
because
Brother
Blanka
had
not
arrived
with
the
baggage.
When
he
did,
the
Ohio
River
was
too
low
to
permit
them
to
take
a
flatboat.
It
was
not
un9l
26
October
1816
that
the
river
had
risen
sufficiently
to
permit
their
departure.
The
flatboat
was
immediately
converted
into
another
floa9ng
seminary,
with
a
fixed
schedule
of
spiritual
exercises
and
classes.
Second stage to Kentucky: Pittsburgh to Louisville
Flatboat
descending
the
Ohio
River.

15. The
missioners
had
9me
to
enjoy
the
beau9es
of
the
new
country
and
to
stroll
along
the
riverbanks
during
stopovers.
Rosa9
admired
the
color
and
variety
of
American
birds,
though
he
considered
their
song
inferior
to
those
of
Europe.
De
Andreis,
on
the
other
hand,
was
more
concerned
about
his
first
sight
of
raTlesnakes,
which
he
described
in
detail
in
leTers
to
Europe.
They
reached
Louisville
on
19
November
and
were
immediately
invited
by
Flaget
to
come
to
the
seminary
of
Saint
Thomas,
a
few
miles
south
of
Bardstown,
where
he
had
his
residence.
Second stage to Kentucky: Pittsburgh to Louisville
On
the
banks
of
the
Ohio
River.

16. Thus,
the
first
Vincen9ans
who
traveled
from
France
had
arrived
in
Bardstown,
KY.
The
original
inten9on
was
to
leave
the
clerics
at
the
seminary
of
St.
Thomas
while
the
rest
of
the
expedi9on
went
to
St.
Louis.
Because
of
oncoming
winter
and
the
lack
of
accommoda9ons
in
St.
Louis,
it
was
decided
that
all
would
spend
the
winter
at
St.
Thomas.
As
it
turned
out,
they
spent
almost
two
years
there.
They
studied
theology,
French,
and
English,
and
the
priests
ministered
to
Catholics
scaTered
through
Kentucky
and
Indiana.
Settling Temporarily in Bardstown
St.
Joseph
Cathedral,
Bardstown,
KY.
The
cornerstone
was
laid
in
1816
and
the
first
services
conducted
in
1819.
It
is
the
first
cathedral
west
of
the
Allegheny
Mountains.
Ins@tu@on
s@ll
in
opera@on.
First
chapel
at
St.
Thomas.

17. Bishop
Dubourg
was
ini9ally
displeased
with
the
decision
to
stay
at
Bardstown,
but
a[er
his
arrival
in
Bal9more
with
new
recruits
for
the
mission
(September
1817)
he
asked
De
Andreis,
Rosa9,
Blanka,
and
Flaget
to
go
to
Saint
Louis
to
prepare
for
his
arrival
there.
When
they
arrived
there
in
October
they
found
a
town
of
2000
persons,
wooden
buildings,
unpaved
streets,
and
no
resident
priest.
They
were
also
disappointed
to
discover
that
the
local
Catholics
were
totally
apathe9c
about
the
arrival
of
their
bishop.
Kentucky to St. Louis, Missouri
Engraving,
on
a
ten
dollar
note
issued
by
the
Bank
of
St.
Louis
in
1817;
the
earliest
known
illustra@on
of
St.
Louis.

18. While
Flaget
was
trying
to
ignite
some
enthusiasm
for
Dubourg's
coming,
a
delega9on
arrived
from
the
Barrens
SeTlement,
about
eighty
miles
south
of
the
city.
They
represented
a
small
colony
of
Catholics
of
English
descent
who
had
migrated
from
Maryland
by
way
of
Kentucky
early
in
the
century
and
who
were
eager
to
have
the
services
of
a
resident
priest.
Up
to
that
9me
the
seTlement
was
only
visited
by
a
priest
once
a
month.
The
delegates
made
a
preliminary
offer
of
a
tract
of
land
for
the
proposed
seminary,
in
return
for
which
they
would
have
the
ministra9ons
of
the
seminary
priests.
Laying Plans and Getting Started in St. Louis
Benedict
Joseph
Flaget

19. Flaget
returned
with
Rosa9
to
Bardstown,
which
they
reached
on
6
November.
De
Andreis,
who
was
in
delicate
health,
stayed
at
Sainte
Genevieve,
Missouri.
On
1
December
Bishop
Dubourg
arrived
at
St.
Thomas,
accompanied
by
five
priests,
one
deacon,
two
subdeacons,
nine
seminarians,
three
Chris9an
Brothers,
and
five
Flemish
laymen
who
intended
to
form
a
community
of
brothers.
Dubourg
was
determined
to
go
immediately
to
his
new
see
city
in
spite
of
the
inclemencies
of
winter.
He
le[
on
12
December,
together
with
Flaget,
Father
Stephen
Badin
(who
was
the
first
priest
ever
ordained
in
the
United
States
in
1793),
and
a
seminarian.
On
31
December
they
reached
Sainte
Genevieve
and
were
welcomed
by
De
Andreis.
When
Dubourg
and
De
Andreis
arrived
in
Saint
Louis
on
6
January
1818,
another
deputa9on
from
the
Barrens,
consis9ng
of
the
trustees
of
the
parish
church,
awaited
them
to
discuss
the
offer
of
land.
Arrival of Bishop Dubourg
Rosa@,
who
later
became
the
first
bishop
of
the
new
St.
Louis
diocese
Dubourg

20. By
April,
Dubourg
had
an
opportunity
to
visit
the
site
personally.
He
was
sa9sfied
both
with
regard
to
the
land
and
the
disposi9ons
of
the
people.
The
offer
was
accepted,
and
the
seminary
was
to
be
established
at
the
Barrens
SeTlement,
now
Perryville,
Missouri.
The
offer
was
of
640
acres
of
land.
The
parishioners
subscribed
$1500
to
be
paid
in
five
yearly
installments
for
the
construc9on
of
"a
seminary
of
learning"
on
the
land.
Arrival of Bishop Dubourg

21. During
this
9me
De
Andreis
remained
in
St.
Louis.
He
helped
evangelize
the
African-­‐Americans,
both
slave
and
free.
It
caused
some
surprise
among
the
local
popula9on
that
a
man
of
culture
and
gen9lity
would
do
such
work.
Equally
notable
was
his
concern
for
the
Na9ve
Americans.
De
Andreis
was
fascinated
by
the
possibility
of
being
a
missionary
to
the
Indians
and
apparently
achieved
some
mastery
of
the
local
dialect.
He
translated
the
Our
Father
and
intended
to
begin
a
catechism.
On
3
December
1818
he
opened
the
first
American
novi9ate
of
the
Congrega9on
of
the
Mission
in
Saint
Louis,
using
a
small
house
on
church
property
next
to
the
bishop's
house.
He
called
the
novi9ate
Gethsemane
and
considered
it
the
one
thing
closest
to
his
heart.
At
about
the
same
9me
he
began
teaching
theology
in
a
boys
school
founded
by
Bishop
Dubourg,
the
predecessor
of
the
present
Saint
Louis
University.
Meanwhile, Back in St. Louis...
De
Andreis
and
the
Indians.

22. The
move
of
the
remainder
of
the
faculty
and
seminarians
from
Bardstown
to
the
Barrens
was
delayed
for
over
a
year.
One
obstacle
was
the
slow
pace
of
construc9on
of
the
new
seminary.
Neverthless
on
15
September,
twenty-­‐five
priests,
brothers,
and
seminarians
le[
Saint
Thomas,
going
by
boat
to
the
junc9on
of
the
Ohio
and
Mississippi
and
from
there
by
land
to
the
Barrens
arriving
2
October.
Since
the
buildings
were
not
ready
for
them,
and
they
had
to
lodge
with
some
of
the
local
people.
At
the
site
of
the
seminary
itself
there
were
only
three
log
cabins,
one
of
which
served
as
a
kitchen
and
refectory,
the
other
two
as
lodgings
for
those
designing
and
building
the
seminary.
The
seminary
of
Saint
Mary's
of
the
Barrens
had
begun
its
long
and
evenvul
history.
Completion of the Move to the Barrens
One
of
the
cabins
St.
Mary’s
of
the
Barrens
Seminary

23. During
the
nineteenth
century
St.
Mary’s
func9oned
as
a
lay
college,
a
Vincen9an
seminary,
diocesan
seminary,
parish,
working
farm,
and
small
academy.
The
diocesan
seminary
was
relocated
to
St.
Louis
in
1842,
and
in
1868
the
Vincen9an
seminary
moved
to
Germantown,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
The
division
of
the
American
Province
into
East
and
West
led
to
the
reopening
of
St.
Mary’s
as
an
apostolate
school
in
1886.
Two
years
later
the
novi9ate
and
scholas9scate
returned.
In
1888,
St.
Mary’s
once
again
became
an
ac9ve
seminary
and
served
as
the
Western
Province's
house
of
forma9on
un9l
the
mid
1980s.
St. Mary’s of the Barrens

24. Source:
The American Vincentians: A Popular History of the Congregation
of the Mission in the United States 1815-1987 by John Rybolt, C.M.
http://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/18/
Other interesting links to explore:
archive.org/stream/historicaltribut00howl#page/n7/mode/2up
news.library.depaul.press/full-text/2012/09/05/felix-deandreis/
newadvent.org/cathen/01470c.htm