Jean-Baptiste Brondel

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Jean-Baptiste Brondel
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Jean-Baptiste Brondel
Bishop of Helena
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Helena
Successor	John Patrick Carroll
Orders
Ordination	17 December 1864; by Engelbert Sterckx
Consecration	14 December 1879; by Charles J. Seghers
Personal details
Born	23 February 1842; Bruges, Belgium
Died	3 November 1903 (aged 61); Helena, Montana
Education	American College of Louvain; College of St. Louis

Jean-Baptiste Brondel (23 February 1842 – 3 November 1903) was a Belgian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Vancouver Island in British Columbia and Alaska (1879–1883) and as vicar apostolic and bishop of the Diocese of Helena in Montana (1884–1903).

Biography

Early life

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, Brondel 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 in Leuven, Belgium.^[5]

Priesthood

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

Brondel arrived at Vancouver, British Columbia in 1866.^[4] He taught at Holy Angels College in Vancouver for one year, then moved to the Washington Territory in the United States. 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, both in Washington.^[4] Brondel was transferred to Walla Walla in 1877, but returned to Steilacoom the following year.^[5]

Bishop of Vancouver Island

On 26 September 1879, Brondel was appointed the third bishop of the Diocese of Vancouver Island by Pope Leo XIII.^[6] He received his episcopal consecration on 14 December 1879 from Archbishop Charles J. Seghers.^[6] The diocese included Vancouver Island, a British territory, as well as Alaska, an American territory.^[2]

Vicar apostolic of Montana

On 7 April 1883, Leo XIII named Brondel as vicar apostolic of Montana.^[6]

Bishop of Helena

The vicariate was elevated to the Diocese of Helena on 7 March 1884 by Leo XIII, 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 aims in the community.^[5]

Jean-Baptiste Brondel died at Helena at age 61, and was buried in a vault under the cathedral of that city.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Vol. XIII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1906.
^ ^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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: Catholic Publications.
^ ^a ^b ^c "John Baptist Brondel". Catholic Encyclopedia.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cheney, David M. "Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}
^ ^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] The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Vol. XIII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1906.

[history-2] 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[shea-4] Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: Catholic Publications.

[catholic-5] "John Baptist Brondel". Catholic Encyclopedia.

[hierarchy-6] Cheney, David M. "Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}

[helena-7] "Bishop John Baptist Brondel". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.

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v t e 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
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v t e 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 Frank R. Schuster
Churches	Cathedral St. James Cathedral Proto-cathedral Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater, Vancouver Parishes Blessed Sacrament, Seattle Holy Rosary, Tacoma North American Martyrs, Edmonds St. Rose de Viterbo, Longview Missions St. Anne, Marysville St. Francis Xavier, Toledo Immaculate Conception, Steilacoom
Education	Higher education Seattle University Saint Martin's University, Lacey 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, Vancouver
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 Virginia Mason Franciscan Health division of Catholic Health Initiatives
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