Jean-Baptiste Brondel

Jean-Baptiste Brondel
Jean-Baptiste Brondel
Born	23 February 1842; Bruges, Belgium
Died	3 November 1903 (aged 61); Helena, Montana
Occupation	Catholic bishop

Jean-Baptiste Brondel (23 February 1842 – 3 November 1903) was a Belgian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served in Canada as Bishop of Vancouver Island (1879–83) and in the United States as Bishop of Helena (1884–1903).

Biography[]

Jean-Baptiste Brondel was born in Bruges to Charles Joseph and Isabella (née Becquet) Brondel.^[1] 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.^[2] He received his early education from the Xaverian Brothers in his native city.^[3] In 1852, he entered the College of St. Louis in Bruges, where he studied for ten years.^[4] Inspired by the works of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, he decided to become a missionary in North America.^[2] He then studied philosophy and theology at the American College of Louvain.^[5]

Brondel was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx on 17 December 1864.^[6] At age 24, he was below the age requirement for ordination but was granted a dispensation by Pope Pius IX.^[2] He continued his studies at the American College for two more years, and arrived at Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, in 1866.^[4] He taught at Holy Angels College in Vancouver for one year before coming to the Washington Territory, where he served as rector of the church at Steilacoom with its attendant missions for ten years.^[1] During his tenure there, he also built churches in Tacoma and Olympia.^[4] He was transferred to Walla Walla in 1877, but returned to Steilacoom the following year.^[5]

On 26 September 1879, Brondel was appointed the third Bishop of Vancouver Island by Pope Leo XIII.^[6] He received his episcopal consecration on the following 14 December from Archbishop Charles J. Seghers.^[6] The diocese included Vancouver Island, which was a British territory, as well as Alaska, which belonged to the United States.^[2] He continued to serve as bishop until 7 April 1883, when he was named Vicar Apostolic of Montana.^[6] The vicariate was later elevated to the Diocese of Helena on 7 March 1884, with Brondel becoming its first bishop.^[6]

During his tenure, Brondel traveled throughout the state, establishing several new parishes and building churches.^[7] He also significantly increased the number of priests; by 1903, the number of seminarians in Montana increased from one to thirteen.^[7] He took a particular interest in the evangelization of Native Americans, and the United States government often used his popularity among that community to further its welfare.^[5] He died at Helena at age 61, and was buried in a vault under the cathedral of that city.^[1]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. XIII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1906.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Schoenberg, Wilfred P. (1987). A History of the Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest, 1743–1983.
^ O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). The Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, 1790–1922. Washington, D.C.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: Catholic Publications.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "John Baptist Brondel". Catholic Encyclopedia.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cheney, David M. "Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Bishop John Baptist Brondel". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.

External links[]

Jean-Baptiste Brondel at Find a Grave (years shown on the marker are as Bishop of Helena)

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by none (diocese erected)	Bishop of Helena 1884–1903	Succeeded by John Patrick Carroll
Preceded by –	Vicar Apostolic of Montana 1883–1884	Succeeded by none
Preceded by Charles-Jean Seghers	Bishop of Vancouver Island 1879–1883	Succeeded by Charles-Jean Seghers

[national-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. XIII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1906.

[history-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Schoenberg, Wilfred P. (1987). A History of the Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest, 1743–1983.

[odonnell-3] O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). The Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, 1790–1922. Washington, D.C.

[shea-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: Catholic Publications.

[catholic-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "John Baptist Brondel". Catholic Encyclopedia.

[hierarchy-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cheney, David M. "Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}

[helena-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Bishop John Baptist Brondel". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.

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show v t Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Bishops	Ordinaries Jean-Baptiste Brondel John Patrick Carroll George Joseph Finnigan Ralph Leo Hayes Joseph Michael Gilmore Raymond Hunthausen Elden Francis Curtiss Alexander Joseph Brunett Robert C. Morlino George Leo Thomas Austin Anthony Vetter
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Helena Parishes St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Laurin St. Francis Xavier Church, Missoula St. Ignatius Church, St. Ignatius St. Mary's Mission Church, Stevensville Former St. Joseph's Church, Moiese St. Joseph's Mission Church, Townsend
Education	Higher Education Carroll College High schools Butte Central Catholic High School, Butte Loyola Sacred Heart High School, Missoula
Miscellany	Holy Rosary Church Rectory, Bozeman
Catholicism portal

show v t Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
Ordinaries	Bishops of Nesqually Augustin-Magloire Blanchet Egidius Junger Bishops of Seattle Edward John O'Dea Gerald Shaughnessy Archbishops of Seattle Thomas Arthur Connolly Raymond Hunthausen Thomas Joseph Murphy Alexander Joseph Brunett J. Peter Sartain Paul D. Etienne
Auxiliary Bishops	Thomas Edward Gill Nicolas Eugene Walsh Donald Wuerl George Leo Thomas Joseph J. Tyson Eusebio Elizondo Almaguer Daniel Henry Mueggenborg
Churches	Cathedral St. James Cathedral Proto-Cathedral Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater, Vancouver Parishes Blessed Sacrament Church, Seattle Holy Rosary Church, Tacoma North American Martyrs Church, Edmonds St. Rose de Viterbo Church, Longview Missions St. Anne's Mission, Marysville St. Francis Xavier Mission, Toledo Immaculate Conception, Steilacoom
Education	Higher Education Seattle University Saint Martin's University High Schools Archbishop Murphy High School, Everett Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma Bishop Blanchet High School, Seattle Eastside Catholic School, Sammamish Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue Holy Names Academy, Seattle John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Burien O'Dea High School, Seattle Pope John Paul II High School, Lacey Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle Seton High School, Ridgefield
Priests	Jean-Baptiste Brondel Joseph Patrick Dougherty Joseph Francis McGrath Cornelius Michael Power Francis X. Prefontaine
Miscellany	Calvary Cemetery, Seattle Camp Gallagher, Lakebay St. Edward Seminary, Kenmore House of Providence, Vancouver PeaceHealth Providence Health & Services St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma
Catholicism portal

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General	ISNI 1 VIAF 1 WorldCat
National libraries	United States Vatican

Jean-Baptiste Brondel

Born	(1842-02-23)23 February 1842 Bruges, Belgium
Died	3 November 1903(1903-11-03) (aged 61) Helena, Montana
Occupation	Catholic bishop