James Oliver Van de Velde
Encyclopedia
James Oliver Van de Velde (April 3, 1795 - November 13, 1855) was a U.S. Catholic bishop born in Belgium
. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago
between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope
for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health. In 1853, the transfer was granted; Van de Velde became bishop of the Diocese of Natchez, in Mississippi
, where he served until his death two years later.
Van de Velde was born April 3, 1795, near Dendermonde
, Belgium
, known more commonly in French as Termonde. He was soon given to a "pious aunty" to raise in St. Amand, in Flanders
. A priest, fleeing the French Revolution
, was staying with the same family and encouraged the boy to be devout. At the age of ten, Van de Velde was sent to a boarding school
in Ghent
. He did so well that by the age of eighteen he was teaching French and Flemish
.
He had been teaching for only a short time when the Battle of Waterloo
changed the political situation of the Low Countries
. Belgium was reunited with Holland under William of Orange
who was known for his vicious persecutions of Catholics. Planning to emigrate to England or Italy, Van de Velde began studying English and Italian. However, a seminary director persuaded him to stay in Belgium and teach Latin, French, and Flemish, while studying religion with the possibility of joining the priesthood.
, a missionary headed to the Americas on May 16, 1817. The initial plan was for Van de Velde to complete his theological studies in a seminary in Bardstown, Kentucky. However, while crossing the Atlantic in the brig Mars, Van de Velde fell during a storm and "burst a blood vessel," which caused such loss of blood that, upon arrival in America, he was left too weak to make the overland journey to Kentucky. Instead, he retired to St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore to recuperate. The storm had been so violent that the ship was adrift for three days without sails or a helm until repairs could be made. In addition, Van de Velde suffered from seasickness for a full month of the crossing.
Father Nerinckx advised Van de Velde to enter Georgetown College
and the novitiate of the Society of Jesus
rather than the seminary at Bardstown.
After he completed his two-year Jesuit novitiate at Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
, Van de Velde continued his academic and theological studies for eight more years.
Though Van Assche received the letter in July 1820, it was not until September 23, 1821 that he arrived in Philadelphia. During the delay Van Aasche was able to recruit eight other men to come with him and Nerinckx on their return to America. Father Nerinckx, himself, had recruited two men to become lay brothers at his own mission of Loretto in Kentucky
. However, after their arrival in Philadelphia, the two groups briefly separated.
Van Assche's party of nine took a steamboat to Baltimore
, where Archbishop Maréchal
attempted to get Van Assche and his traveling companions to remain and attend his seminary
. Two men agreed, one knowing he would not be able to join the Jesuit novitiate due to an outstanding debt to his own brother.
The remaining seven traveled overland by carriage to join Van de Velde at Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
. Father Nerinckx, who had advised the young men on shipboard to prefer the Society of Jesus to any other ecclesiastical opportunity, had temporarily separated from the group when they landed in Philadelphia, and now visited them at the Jesuit seminary in White Marsh, Maryland
to congratulate them before returning to Kentucky, from which his "begging trip" had begun more than a year before. The seven had begun their probationary periods there October 6, 1821.
The recruitment of seven new applicants from Europe on the basis of a single letter from Van de Velde was an impressive accomplishment. At the time he had hardly finished his own two-year novitiate with the order. This contingent would eventually become the core of the Jesuit mission presence in Missouri
.
, and was proud to note that when he began, it was "a mere handful of some two hundred books and[he] left it in 1831 a great collection of twenty thousand volumes." He also had command of numerous languages in which he preached and wrote: English, Flemish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin.
, a finishing school
for Catholic girls. In 1829, he took over the missions of Rockville and Rock Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland
.
in 1833. Van de Velde became a fully professed member of the Jesuits by taking his final vows in 1837, and by 1840, he was president of the Saint Louis University.
. Three days later, Van de Velde departed via stagecoach for the trip from Chicago to St. Louis. Two years after their brief meeting, Bishop Quarter of Chicago died suddenly on April 10, 1848. The papal bull announcing Van de Velde's appointment as the next Bishop of Chicago arrived in the United States in December 1848.
—Van de Velde was consecrated Bishop of Chicago in the Church of St. Francis Xavier, attached to the University of St. Louis. The consecration was performed by Peter Richard Kenrick
, Archbishop of St. Louis.
, and was shocked to learn that some of them had not had access to a priest for as much as four years.
, 1849, two days after his arrival in the city, Van de Velde did not stay long in Chicago. The brutal winter climate there aggravated his rheumatism
to the point that, not once, but twice he asked the Pope to permit him to resign as Chicago's bishop and return to being simply a Jesuit. Despite his physical discomfort, Van de Velde embarked (and largely succeeded) in accomplishing his many resolute plans:
The Baltimore conference began May 9, 1852. Among the issues decided by the Plenary Council was that Illinois should be divided into two bishoprics; Chicago in the north and Quincy
in the south. However, Van de Velde believed this reduction of his workload would not satisfactorily address his health issues. Since it was known that he planned to visit Europe and petition the Pope about his desire to resign his bishopric, Van de Velde was chosen by the First Plenary Council of Baltimore to take the proposed decrees of the Church in the United States to Rome for Papal approval. He departed in late spring and did not arrive back in the US until November 28, 1852.
and reiterated his health problems. The pope showed the "greatest affability." If Bishop Van de Velde was not to be allowed to resign the bishopric completely, he pleaded for a transfer. One year from the time of his return to Chicago (at the end of 1852) he was installed as Bishop in the warm weather state of Mississippi. Bishop Van de Velde was appointed to take over the diocese of Natchez, Mississippi
on July 29, 1853, a year after the death of Bishop John Joseph Chanche
, the founding bishop in that state. Bishop Van de Velde left Chicago on November 3 and arrived in Natchez November 23, 1853, and took formal possession of his See on December 18.
It had taken Van de Velde twenty months since attending the 1852 Plenary Council and asking them to endorse his request of resignation from the See of Chicago to actually get to Natchez and assume his new bishopric. His two earlier attempts to resign added an unknown number of months to those twenty. The process of his transfer to Natchez was long and arduous, and certainly exceeded the time he actually was bishop there.
was epidemic in the city at that time and had killed forty of his parishioners. Already suffering a slight fever from the inflammation of his broken leg, Bishop Van de Velde caught yellow fever as well. Bishop Van de Velde made his final Confession twice, once in the evening and again in the morning, and the young priest at his bedside reported that he himself was so overcome that the Bishop had to help him with the wording of the ritual of Last Rites. Initially unable to take Communion due to the severity of his symptoms, the young priest considered it a special blessing that Van de Velde rallied sufficiently to be able to accept the sacrament just prior to his death.
. He was sixty years old.
His body was placed on view in lavish vestments with his eyes still partially open and his casket displayed on a tilt, "so as to give the impression of being partially erect," according to a letter sent back to Europe by a Jesuit priest informing fellow Jesuits and other European Catholics of Van de Veldes' death. His wake lasted long into the night and he was buried the next day, November 14, after a funeral Mass sung at the St. Mary's Cathedral by the Archbishop of New Orleans, Anthony Blanc.
.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health. In 1853, the transfer was granted; Van de Velde became bishop of the Diocese of Natchez, in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, where he served until his death two years later.
Childhood
His full name, almost never referenced in any materials about his life or religious career, was John Andrew James Oliver Benedict Rottheir Van de Velde.Van de Velde was born April 3, 1795, near Dendermonde
Dendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, known more commonly in French as Termonde. He was soon given to a "pious aunty" to raise in St. Amand, in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. A priest, fleeing the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, was staying with the same family and encouraged the boy to be devout. At the age of ten, Van de Velde was sent to a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Ghent
Ghent
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...
. He did so well that by the age of eighteen he was teaching French and Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
.
He had been teaching for only a short time when the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
changed the political situation of the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. Belgium was reunited with Holland under William of Orange
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
who was known for his vicious persecutions of Catholics. Planning to emigrate to England or Italy, Van de Velde began studying English and Italian. However, a seminary director persuaded him to stay in Belgium and teach Latin, French, and Flemish, while studying religion with the possibility of joining the priesthood.
Education
In 1815, Van de Velde began attending the famous Archiepiscopal Seminary at Mechlin. Two years later, he was one of the students selected by Father Charles NerinckxCharles Nerinckx
Rev. Charles Nerinckx was a Roman Catholic missionary priest who migrated from Belgium to work in Kentucky. He founded the Sisters of Loretto religious order.-Early life and education:...
, a missionary headed to the Americas on May 16, 1817. The initial plan was for Van de Velde to complete his theological studies in a seminary in Bardstown, Kentucky. However, while crossing the Atlantic in the brig Mars, Van de Velde fell during a storm and "burst a blood vessel," which caused such loss of blood that, upon arrival in America, he was left too weak to make the overland journey to Kentucky. Instead, he retired to St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore to recuperate. The storm had been so violent that the ship was adrift for three days without sails or a helm until repairs could be made. In addition, Van de Velde suffered from seasickness for a full month of the crossing.
Father Nerinckx advised Van de Velde to enter Georgetown College
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. Chartered as a college in 1829, Georgetown College was the first Baptist college west of the Allegheny Mountains...
and the novitiate of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
rather than the seminary at Bardstown.
After he completed his two-year Jesuit novitiate at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Van de Velde continued his academic and theological studies for eight more years.
Novitiate
While in Belgium, Van de Velde had mentored a young man named Judocus Francis Van Assche. Father Nerinckx was making a funding trip to Belgium in 1820 and delivered a letter from Van de Velde to Van Aasche which strongly urged his former pupil to join Van de Velde in the new land.Though Van Assche received the letter in July 1820, it was not until September 23, 1821 that he arrived in Philadelphia. During the delay Van Aasche was able to recruit eight other men to come with him and Nerinckx on their return to America. Father Nerinckx, himself, had recruited two men to become lay brothers at his own mission of Loretto in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. However, after their arrival in Philadelphia, the two groups briefly separated.
Van Assche's party of nine took a steamboat 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...
, where Archbishop Maréchal
Ambrose Maréchal
Most Reverend Ambrose Maréchal, S.S. was the third Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland.Motto: Auspice Maria; "Under the protection of Mary."Ambrose Maréchal was born at Ingré near Orléans, France, on August 28, 1764...
attempted to get Van Assche and his traveling companions to remain and attend his seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. Two men agreed, one knowing he would not be able to join the Jesuit novitiate due to an outstanding debt to his own brother.
The remaining seven traveled overland by carriage to join Van de Velde at Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Father Nerinckx, who had advised the young men on shipboard to prefer the Society of Jesus to any other ecclesiastical opportunity, had temporarily separated from the group when they landed in Philadelphia, and now visited them at the Jesuit seminary in White Marsh, Maryland
White Marsh, Maryland
White Marsh is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,485 at the 2000 census.- History :...
to congratulate them before returning to Kentucky, from which his "begging trip" had begun more than a year before. The seven had begun their probationary periods there October 6, 1821.
The recruitment of seven new applicants from Europe on the basis of a single letter from Van de Velde was an impressive accomplishment. At the time he had hardly finished his own two-year novitiate with the order. This contingent would eventually become the core of the Jesuit mission presence in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Librarian
From the period 1818 to 1831, Van de Velde was the librarian for Georgetown CollegeGeorgetown College
Georgetown College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. Chartered as a college in 1829, Georgetown College was the first Baptist college west of the Allegheny Mountains...
, and was proud to note that when he began, it was "a mere handful of some two hundred books and
Ordination
Van de Velde was ordained on September 25, 1827, by the same Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal of Baltimore who had offered seminary educations to the Belgian men Van de Velde successfully recruited to the Jesuits. After his ordination Van de Velde completed his Georgetown education and, for two years' was the chaplain for the nearby Convent and Academy of the VisitationGeorgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School was founded in Washington, DC in 1799 as the Georgetown Academy for Young Ladies. It was also formally referred to as the Convent and Academy of the Visitation. Since 1799, the school has continued for over 200 years as a college preparatory school for women...
, a finishing school
Finishing school
A finishing school is "a private school for girls that emphasises training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience, with classes primarily on etiquette...
for Catholic girls. In 1829, he took over the missions of Rockville and Rock Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.
Professor
In 1831, Van de Velde was sent to a professorship at the new Jesuit College of St. Louis, Missouri. where he taught rhetoric and mathematics. The college became the University of St. LouisSaint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in 1833. Van de Velde became a fully professed member of the Jesuits by taking his final vows in 1837, and by 1840, he was president of the Saint Louis University.
Vice-Provincial
Van de Velde continued to rise within the ranks of his order. In 1843 he became Vice-Provincial of the Society of Jesus. Three years later, as Western Provincial of the Jesuits, he attended an important council in Baltimore. He returned to St. Louis with a difficult itinerary by train through Boston, Albany, and Detroit, arriving in Chicago on June 13, 1846. He was hosted there by Chicago's bishop, William QuarterWilliam Quarter
William J. Quarter was an Irish American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Chicago .-Biography:...
. Three days later, Van de Velde departed via stagecoach for the trip from Chicago to St. Louis. Two years after their brief meeting, Bishop Quarter of Chicago died suddenly on April 10, 1848. The papal bull announcing Van de Velde's appointment as the next Bishop of Chicago arrived in the United States in December 1848.
Bishoprics
On February 11, 1849—Sexagesima SundaySexagesima
Sexagesima , or, in full, Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Gregorian Rite liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with Anglican and Lutheran origins.The name "Sexagesima"...
—Van de Velde was consecrated Bishop of Chicago in the Church of St. Francis Xavier, attached to the University of St. Louis. The consecration was performed by Peter Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick was the first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River.-Early life and ordination:He was born and educated in Dublin, Ireland and ordained to the priesthood in 1832...
, Archbishop of St. Louis.
A Pastoral Pattern
On his way to Chicago, Van de Velde stopped and said Mass in the southern regions of his new diocese; in St. Louis, Missouri and in the Illinois towns of Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and Quincy. He preached in English, German, and French. He arrived in Chicago on Friday, March 30, 1849. These first weeks set a pattern for his pastoral activities as bishop: he would perform remarkable feats of travel within Illinois to minister to a Catholic population which was very poor and short of priests. He traveled by "river packet, stage, carriage, 'mud-wagon', and towards the end, occasionally by railroad", despite his poor health and Illinois' extremes of weather. He traveled by horseback when necessary, and slept on the road or in the mud-wagons. He said Mass for Germans in the state capitol, SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, and was shocked to learn that some of them had not had access to a priest for as much as four years.
Plans for his flock
Installed as bishop on Palm SundayPalm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, 1849, two days after his arrival in the city, Van de Velde did not stay long in Chicago. The brutal winter climate there aggravated his rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
to the point that, not once, but twice he asked the Pope to permit him to resign as Chicago's bishop and return to being simply a Jesuit. Despite his physical discomfort, Van de Velde embarked (and largely succeeded) in accomplishing his many resolute plans:
- the building of dozens of churches throughout Illinois,
- the start of what would become a major hospital which, in subsequent years became Rush Medical CollegeRush Medical CollegeRush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
, and continued to use the Sisters of Mercy as the nursing staff, - creating orphanages for boys and girls left without families and homeless after the 1849 choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic.
Baltimore Conference
On April 30, 1852, he informed the faithful of his Chicago See of his intention of proceeding to Rome after a national plenary conference of Roman Catholic clergy to be held in Baltimore. He appointed an "Administrator and Vicar-General," Father P.T. (Patrick Thomas) McElhearne, to be his agent until his return. He was gone more than six months, until December, 1852.The Baltimore conference began May 9, 1852. Among the issues decided by the Plenary Council was that Illinois should be divided into two bishoprics; Chicago in the north and Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
in the south. However, Van de Velde believed this reduction of his workload would not satisfactorily address his health issues. Since it was known that he planned to visit Europe and petition the Pope about his desire to resign his bishopric, Van de Velde was chosen by the First Plenary Council of Baltimore to take the proposed decrees of the Church in the United States to Rome for Papal approval. He departed in late spring and did not arrive back in the US until November 28, 1852.
Rome
Van de Velde had two audiences with Pope Pius IXPope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
and reiterated his health problems. The pope showed the "greatest affability." If Bishop Van de Velde was not to be allowed to resign the bishopric completely, he pleaded for a transfer. One year from the time of his return to Chicago (at the end of 1852) he was installed as Bishop in the warm weather state of Mississippi. Bishop Van de Velde was appointed to take over the diocese of Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
on July 29, 1853, a year after the death of Bishop John Joseph Chanche
John J. Chanche
Bishop John Joseph Mary Benedict Chanche, S.S. was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Natchez from 1841 to 1852.-Early Life and Family:John Mary Joseph Chanche was born October 4, 1795, in Baltimore, Maryland...
, the founding bishop in that state. Bishop Van de Velde left Chicago on November 3 and arrived in Natchez November 23, 1853, and took formal possession of his See on December 18.
It had taken Van de Velde twenty months since attending the 1852 Plenary Council and asking them to endorse his request of resignation from the See of Chicago to actually get to Natchez and assume his new bishopric. His two earlier attempts to resign added an unknown number of months to those twenty. The process of his transfer to Natchez was long and arduous, and certainly exceeded the time he actually was bishop there.
Natchez, Mississippi
The new Bishop of Natchez began an ambitious and much-needed program of land acquisition and repairs to church properties. But, on October 23, 1855, only months after his arrival, he slipped on the front steps of his residence and broke his leg. Yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
was epidemic in the city at that time and had killed forty of his parishioners. Already suffering a slight fever from the inflammation of his broken leg, Bishop Van de Velde caught yellow fever as well. Bishop Van de Velde made his final Confession twice, once in the evening and again in the morning, and the young priest at his bedside reported that he himself was so overcome that the Bishop had to help him with the wording of the ritual of Last Rites. Initially unable to take Communion due to the severity of his symptoms, the young priest considered it a special blessing that Van de Velde rallied sufficiently to be able to accept the sacrament just prior to his death.
Death
With his death only 23 months after arrival in Natchez, Bishop Van de Velde had little time to make any lasting impact on his new diocese. At 7AM on November 15, 1855, after weeks of fever and five final hours of paroxysms and sliding in and out of consciousness, Van de Velde expired on the feast day of St. Stanislaus, to whom he had reportedly just completed a novenaNovena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
. He was sixty years old.
His body was placed on view in lavish vestments with his eyes still partially open and his casket displayed on a tilt, "so as to give the impression of being partially erect," according to a letter sent back to Europe by a Jesuit priest informing fellow Jesuits and other European Catholics of Van de Veldes' death. His wake lasted long into the night and he was buried the next day, November 14, after a funeral Mass sung at the St. Mary's Cathedral by the Archbishop of New Orleans, Anthony Blanc.
.
See also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of JacksonRoman Catholic Diocese of JacksonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mobile, in the southern United States of America. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state of Mississippi, an area of . It is the largest diocese, by area, in the United...
, formerly Diocese of Natchez - Pierre-Jean De SmetPierre-Jean De SmetPierre-Jean De Smet , also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus , active in missionary work among the Native Americans of the Midwestern United States in the mid-19th century.His extensive travels as a missionary were said to total...
, fellow Belgian-American Jesuit from Van de Velde's hometown; author of eulogistic letter
External links
- St. Mary Basilica Archives, Natchez, Mississippi, James Oliver Van de Velde, S.J., second Bishop of Natchez
- St. Mary Basilica Natchez, Mississippi