Augustin Verot
Encyclopedia
Bishop Augustin VerotBishop Augustin Verot (May 1804 at Le Puy
, France
– June 10, 1876 at St. Augustine
, Florida
USA) was the third Bishop
of Diocese of Savannah, and the first Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine.
He studied at St-Sulpice, Paris
, was ordained priest by Archbishop de Quelenon, September 20, 1828, subsequently joined the Society of St-Sulpice, and in 1830 came to Baltimore
. He taught science, philosophy, and theology at St. Mary's College
and the seminary until 1853, when, being appointed pastor at Ellicott's Mills, he continued four years in missionary activity. Nominated Vicar Apostolic of Florida, December 11, 1857, he was consecrated Titular Bishop
of Danabe, on April 25, 1858, by Archbishop Francis Patrick Kenrick in the cathedral of Baltimore.
Religious conditions in Florida, owing chiefly to repeated mutations and instability in both civil and ecclesiastical regimes, were disheartening. Unbounded zeal and resourcefulness characterized Bishop Verot's administration from the beginning. The new vicariate had only three priests. He sought assistance in France and soon the churches at St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Key West
were repaired, new ones were erected at Tampa
, Fernandina
, Palatka
, Mandarin
, and Tallahassee and provided with resident pastors, religious communities were introduced, and Catholic schools inaugurated. In July, 1861, Bishop Verot was translated to the See of Savannah, retaining meanwhile vicarial powers over Florida. He would remain bishop throughout the social upheaval caused by the American Civil War
and Reconstruction. His courage and energy inspired his parishioners with patience and resolution in repairing the great losses they sustained in their religious and material interests. The Florida vicariate was constituted a diocese in March, 1870, and Bishop Verot became first Bishop of St. Augustine, concentrating henceforth all his efforts on the work begun there fourteen years previously.
Florida owes to Bishop Verot's initiative much of its present material as well as religious progress. He was amongst the first to advocate its claim as a health resort and its adaptability for the culture of products which have since become valuable. He made an annual visitation of the whole diocese, establishing churches and schools at advantageous points, and aiming to lay a broad and solid foundation on which his successors might build. He loved to revive the memory of Florida's early martyrs. His numerous contributions on religious and historical themes in contemporary periodicals possess permanent value; his best-known writings are his Pastoral on Slavery and his Catechism. He took a prominent part in the Plenary Council of Baltimore and in the First Vatican Council
.
Le Puy
Le Puy is the name, or part of the name, of several communes in France:* Le Puy, Doubs, in the département of Doubs* Le Puy, Gironde, in the département of Gironde* Le Puy-en-Velay, in the département of Haute-Loire...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– June 10, 1876 at St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
USA) was the third Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Diocese of Savannah, and the first Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine.
He studied at St-Sulpice, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, was ordained priest by Archbishop de Quelenon, September 20, 1828, subsequently joined the Society of St-Sulpice, and in 1830 came to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. He taught science, philosophy, and theology at St. Mary's College
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
and the seminary until 1853, when, being appointed pastor at Ellicott's Mills, he continued four years in missionary activity. Nominated Vicar Apostolic of Florida, December 11, 1857, he was consecrated Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Danabe, on April 25, 1858, by Archbishop Francis Patrick Kenrick in the cathedral of Baltimore.
Religious conditions in Florida, owing chiefly to repeated mutations and instability in both civil and ecclesiastical regimes, were disheartening. Unbounded zeal and resourcefulness characterized Bishop Verot's administration from the beginning. The new vicariate had only three priests. He sought assistance in France and soon the churches at St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
were repaired, new ones were erected at Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Fernandina
Fernandina
Fernandina may refer to:*Fernandina Beach, Florida*Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands*Fernandina , a citrus fruit...
, Palatka
Palatka
Palatka may refer to:*Palatka, Florida, a city in the United States*Palatka, Russia, an urban-type settlement in Magadan Oblast, Russia*East Palatka, Florida, a census-designated place in the United States...
, Mandarin
Mandarin, Florida
Mandarin is a neighborhood located in the southern most portion of Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida, United States. It is located on the eastern banks of the St. Johns River, across from Orange Park...
, and Tallahassee and provided with resident pastors, religious communities were introduced, and Catholic schools inaugurated. In July, 1861, Bishop Verot was translated to the See of Savannah, retaining meanwhile vicarial powers over Florida. He would remain bishop throughout the social upheaval caused by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and Reconstruction. His courage and energy inspired his parishioners with patience and resolution in repairing the great losses they sustained in their religious and material interests. The Florida vicariate was constituted a diocese in March, 1870, and Bishop Verot became first Bishop of St. Augustine, concentrating henceforth all his efforts on the work begun there fourteen years previously.
Florida owes to Bishop Verot's initiative much of its present material as well as religious progress. He was amongst the first to advocate its claim as a health resort and its adaptability for the culture of products which have since become valuable. He made an annual visitation of the whole diocese, establishing churches and schools at advantageous points, and aiming to lay a broad and solid foundation on which his successors might build. He loved to revive the memory of Florida's early martyrs. His numerous contributions on religious and historical themes in contemporary periodicals possess permanent value; his best-known writings are his Pastoral on Slavery and his Catechism. He took a prominent part in the Plenary Council of Baltimore and in the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
.