Louis Amadeus Rappe
Encyclopedia
Louis Amadeus Rappe was a French
-born prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Cleveland
from 1847 to 1870.
s, Louis Amadeus Rappe was born in Audrehem
, Pas-de-Calais, to Eloi and Marie Antoinette (née Noël) Rappe. He was one of ten children and labored in the fields until October 1820, when he entered the College of Boulogne
(then under Benoit Haffreingue
). After graduating in 1826, Rappe entered the seminary
of Arras
and was later ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop (later Cardinal
) Hugues de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauragais on March 14, 1829. He then served as pastor
of Wismes
until 1834, when he became chaplain
at the Ursuline
convent
in Boulogne.
In 1839 he accepted an invitation from Bishop John Baptist Purcell
to join the Diocese of Cincinnati
, Ohio
, finally arriving in the United States
in October 1840. He was then sent to Chillicothe
to learn English
from William Marshall Anderson
. Rappe was assigned in 1841 to minister to the Catholic laborers on the Miami and Erie Canal
and the settlers along Maumee River
; his unofficial parish
limits extended from Toledo
to the Indiana
border and as far south as Allen County
. He advocated total temperance
, once saying, "Drunkenness, and all debaucheries which attend it, degrade men, disgrace the faith, and precipitate many into endless fortunes"; and established a branch of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
, also preparing a convent
and school
for them. Having hitherto labored by himself, he eventually received Rev. Louis De Goesbriand
as an assistant in 1846.
On April 23, 1847, Rappe was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Cleveland
by Pope Pius IX
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following October 10 from Bishop Purcell, with Bishop Richard Vincent Whelan
serving as a co-consecrator
, at Cincinnati
. Two days after his consecration, he published his first pastoral letter
, in which he express his desire "to be regarded as your friend and father, rather than your superior." At that time, the diocese contained 42 churches and 21 priests; the first and only Catholic church in Cleveland
was St. Mary's on the Flats. He soon established the city's first parochial school
, which doubled as a chapel
.
Rappe purchased an episcopal residence in 1848, and also laid the cornerstone
of the new St. John's Cathedral
on October 22 of that year. He founded a seminary at his residence that year as well. In 1849 he went to Europe
to recruit clergy for the diocese, returning in 1850 with four priests, five seminarians
, two Sisters of Charity
and six Ursuline nun
s. Rappe founded an orphanage
for girls in 1851 and one for boys in 1853, consecrated St. John's Cathedral on November 7, 1852 and, the want of a hospital
felt severely due to the Civil War
, established St. Vincent Charity Hospital in 1865. He also introduced into the diocese the Grey Nuns
, Good Shepherd Sisters
, Little Sisters of the Poor
, Franciscan
s, and Jesuits
. He attended the First Vatican Council
from 1869 to 1870.
Rappe, however, eventually met strong opposition and resigned as Bishop on August 22, 1870. He left the diocese with more than 100,000 Catholics, 107 priests, 160 churches, and 90 schools. He spent the next seven years at St. Albans
, Vermont
, attending to the missions
in Vermont and Canada
. He was also offered another diocese, but declined. The Bishop died at St. Albans at age 76.
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...
-born prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Cleveland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
from 1847 to 1870.
Biography
The son of peasantPeasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s, Louis Amadeus Rappe was born in Audrehem
Audrehem
Audrehem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The village is located 11 miles northwest of Saint-Omer, at the junction of the D223 with the D217E road.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, Pas-de-Calais, to Eloi and Marie Antoinette (née Noël) Rappe. He was one of ten children and labored in the fields until October 1820, when he entered the College of Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
(then under Benoit Haffreingue
Benoit Haffreingue
Benoit Agathon Haffreingue was a French priest based in Boulogne-sur-Mer. He is known for having rebuilt the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Boulogne-sur-Mer as a result of what he believed was a call from God...
). After graduating in 1826, Rappe entered the 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...
of Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
and was later ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop (later Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
) Hugues de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauragais on March 14, 1829. He then served as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Wismes
Wismes
Wismes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Wismes is located twelve miles southwest of Saint-Omer, at the D132 and D205 road junction, comprising the villages and hamlets of Wismes, Cantemerle, Fourdebecques, Marival, Rietz-Mottu,...
until 1834, when he became chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at the Ursuline
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Boulogne.
In 1839 he accepted an invitation from Bishop John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
to join the Diocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, finally arriving in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in October 1840. He was then sent to Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
to learn English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from William Marshall Anderson
William Marshall Anderson
William Marshall Anderson was an American scholar, explorer and politician, noted for his detailed travel journals in the Rocky Mountains and Imperial Mexico.-Background:...
. Rappe was assigned in 1841 to minister to the Catholic laborers on the Miami and Erie Canal
Miami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured by and they...
and the settlers along Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
; his unofficial parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
limits extended from Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
to the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
border and as far south as Allen County
Allen County, Ohio
Allen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. Its population was 106,331 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Lima, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lima–Van Wert–Wapakoneta Combined Statistical Area....
. He advocated total temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, once saying, "Drunkenness, and all debaucheries which attend it, degrade men, disgrace the faith, and precipitate many into endless fortunes"; and established a branch of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and ministry...
, also preparing a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
and school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
for them. Having hitherto labored by himself, he eventually received Rev. Louis De Goesbriand
Louis De Goesbriand
Louis Joseph Mary Theodore De Goesbriand was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington in the United States from 1853 until his death in 1899.-Early career:...
as an assistant in 1846.
On April 23, 1847, Rappe was appointed the first Bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the newly-erected Diocese of Cleveland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
by Pope Pius IX
Pope 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...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following October 10 from Bishop Purcell, with Bishop Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia ....
serving as a co-consecrator
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Two days after his consecration, he published his first pastoral letter
Pastoral letter
A Pastoral letter, often called simply a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances...
, in which he express his desire "to be regarded as your friend and father, rather than your superior." At that time, the diocese contained 42 churches and 21 priests; the first and only Catholic church in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
was St. Mary's on the Flats. He soon established the city's first parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
, which doubled as a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
.
Rappe purchased an episcopal residence in 1848, and also laid the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the new St. John's Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral, Cleveland
In the 1830s, Catholics started to arrive in the Western Reserve region of Ohio, United States, so the Archdiocese of Cincinnati sent priests up to the Northeast Ohio area to serve. The first parish in Cleveland was St. Mary's of the Flats. In 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Catholic Diocese of...
on October 22 of that year. He founded a seminary at his residence that year as well. In 1849 he went to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to recruit clergy for the diocese, returning in 1850 with four priests, five seminarians
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 Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
and six Ursuline nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. Rappe founded an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
for girls in 1851 and one for boys in 1853, consecrated St. John's Cathedral on November 7, 1852 and, the want of a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
felt severely due to the 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...
, established St. Vincent Charity Hospital in 1865. He also introduced into the diocese the Grey Nuns
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
, Good Shepherd Sisters
Good Shepherd Sisters
The Good Shepherd Sisters is a Roman Catholic order of women religious. In addition to the standard vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Good Shepherd Sisters take the following fourth vow of zeal for souls [to save souls], particularly of women and girls."I bind myself to the labor for...
, Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
, Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s, and Jesuits
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...
. He attended 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...
from 1869 to 1870.
Rappe, however, eventually met strong opposition and resigned as Bishop on August 22, 1870. He left the diocese with more than 100,000 Catholics, 107 priests, 160 churches, and 90 schools. He spent the next seven years at St. Albans
St. Albans (town), Vermont
St. Albans is a town in Franklin County, Vermont. The population was 6,392 at the 2010 census. The town completely surrounds the city of St. Albans, which was separated from the town and incorporated in 1902. References to "St. Albans" prior to this date generally refer to the town center, which...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, attending to the missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in Vermont and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was also offered another diocese, but declined. The Bishop died at St. Albans at age 76.