Charles John Seghers
Encyclopedia
Charles John Seghers was a Belgian clergyman and missionary bishop. He is considered to be the founder of the Alaska
Mission.
, in Belgium.
He attended school at the Jesuit High School of Ste. Barbe in Ghent, and the American College
in Leuven
. Ordained priest in May 1863 in Mechlin, Belgium, he left soon after to begin his missionary work in the area of Vancouver
, Canada in November of that year.
. He returned to Rome
to take part in the First Vatican Council
. He was appointed as a diocesan administrator in 1871, and later Bishop of Vancouver Island (now Bishop of Victoria) on 29 June 1873. He made his first visit to Alaska
, which was included in his diocese, three weeks later. He made five visits to Alaska during his term as bishop. In June 1878, he left Nulato, Alaska
, where he had set up a temporary headquarters, and set sail to San Francisco, where he learned he had been appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Oregon City, later to be renamed the Archdiocese of Portland
. Although he personally would have preferred remaining a missionary, he accepted the appointment. He would later become the Archbishop in 1880. In that capacity, he visited Rome in 1883, and took part that year in the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. After petitioning Pope Leo XIII
to be reassigned to Vancouver again, his wish was granted. This allowed him to return to missionary work. He established missions in Juneau and Sitka, and also founded a school and hospital in Juneau.
and Aloysius Robaut, and one layman, Frank Fuller, he sailed from Victoria with the intention of reaching the upper Yukon
. When they reached the confluence of the Yukon River
and Stewart River
, Seghers decided the other two priests should spend the winter there, while he and Fuller would press on to Nulato. Father Tosi expressed concerns about this proposal, noting that Fuller had displayed signs of emotional instability. Seghers acknowledged the concern, and how the lateness of the season would likely impact his work. He gave as his reasons for going ahead anyway as his wish to fulfill a promise made to the people of Nulato to return eight years earlier, and that there were stories that an Anglican priest, who was allegedly at St. Michael, Alaska
, might arrive there and establish himself before Seghers. As they continued down the river, Seghers came to realize that, as traveling conditions and the boat deteriorated, Fuller's mind did as well. On October 16, he wrote in his diary: Peculiar conversation with (Fuller) in which, for the third time, he gives evidence of insanity. On November 27, Seghers and Fuller, with two native guides they had acquired at Nuklukayet, decided to spend the night at the fish camp at what is today known as "Bishop's Rock". Seghers was in high spirits, laughing frequently, thinking that he would finally reach Nulato the following day. Fuller, however, remained sullen, looking suspiciously at his companions and remaining agitated throughout the night.
Between six and seven the next morning, the party arose and prepared for the final leg of their journey. As Seghers bent over to pick up his mittens, Fuller fired a single shot which killed Seghers instantly.
His body was taken to St. Michael for burial. The next year, it was exhumed and sent to Victoria, and buried in the crypt at St. Andrew's Cathedral. He is still referred to as "the founder of the Alaska missions."
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Mission.
Early years and formation
Seghers was born at GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, in Belgium.
He attended school at the Jesuit High School of Ste. Barbe in Ghent, and the American College
The American College of the Immaculate Conception
The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College at Louvain, was a Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium, which operated under the auspices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops...
in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. Ordained priest in May 1863 in Mechlin, Belgium, he left soon after to begin his missionary work in the area of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada in November of that year.
Missionary work
While there, he founded St. Joseph's Hospital in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. He returned to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to take part 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...
. He was appointed as a diocesan administrator in 1871, and later Bishop of Vancouver Island (now Bishop of Victoria) on 29 June 1873. He made his first visit to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, which was included in his diocese, three weeks later. He made five visits to Alaska during his term as bishop. In June 1878, he left Nulato, Alaska
Nulato, Alaska
Nulato is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 336.-Geography:Nulato is located at ....
, where he had set up a temporary headquarters, and set sail to San Francisco, where he learned he had been appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Oregon City, later to be renamed the Archdiocese of Portland
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean...
. Although he personally would have preferred remaining a missionary, he accepted the appointment. He would later become the Archbishop in 1880. In that capacity, he visited Rome in 1883, and took part that year in the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. After petitioning Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
to be reassigned to Vancouver again, his wish was granted. This allowed him to return to missionary work. He established missions in Juneau and Sitka, and also founded a school and hospital in Juneau.
Death
In 1886, with two Jesuit priests, Pascal TosiPascal Tosi
Pascal Tosi was an Italian Jesuit, missionary and co-founder of the Alaska mission and Church.-Biography:Tosi was born on 25 April 1837 in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy. He was one of the first two Jesuits missionaries to set foot in Alaska...
and Aloysius Robaut, and one layman, Frank Fuller, he sailed from Victoria with the intention of reaching the upper Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. When they reached the confluence of the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
and Stewart River
Stewart River
The Stewart River is a long river in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It originates in the Selwyn Mountains, which stand on the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. From there, the Stewart flows west, past the village of Mayo...
, Seghers decided the other two priests should spend the winter there, while he and Fuller would press on to Nulato. Father Tosi expressed concerns about this proposal, noting that Fuller had displayed signs of emotional instability. Seghers acknowledged the concern, and how the lateness of the season would likely impact his work. He gave as his reasons for going ahead anyway as his wish to fulfill a promise made to the people of Nulato to return eight years earlier, and that there were stories that an Anglican priest, who was allegedly at St. Michael, Alaska
St. Michael, Alaska
St. Michael is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 368.-Geography:St. Michael is located at on the east side of St...
, might arrive there and establish himself before Seghers. As they continued down the river, Seghers came to realize that, as traveling conditions and the boat deteriorated, Fuller's mind did as well. On October 16, he wrote in his diary: Peculiar conversation with (Fuller) in which, for the third time, he gives evidence of insanity. On November 27, Seghers and Fuller, with two native guides they had acquired at Nuklukayet, decided to spend the night at the fish camp at what is today known as "Bishop's Rock". Seghers was in high spirits, laughing frequently, thinking that he would finally reach Nulato the following day. Fuller, however, remained sullen, looking suspiciously at his companions and remaining agitated throughout the night.
Between six and seven the next morning, the party arose and prepared for the final leg of their journey. As Seghers bent over to pick up his mittens, Fuller fired a single shot which killed Seghers instantly.
His body was taken to St. Michael for burial. The next year, it was exhumed and sent to Victoria, and buried in the crypt at St. Andrew's Cathedral. He is still referred to as "the founder of the Alaska missions."