Stephen Badin
Encyclopedia
Reverend Fr. Stephen Theodore Badin (July 17, 1768 – April 21, 1853) was ordained
a priest
by Bishop John Carroll on May 25, 1793. His was the first Roman Catholic priest ordination in the United States
.
, France
, Badin completed his theological studies and after ordination continued to learn the English language until he was appointed to the Mission of Kentucky.
down the Ohio River
to Maysville, Kentucky
then overland to Lexington
. By April, 1794 he had established Bardstown, Kentucky
as the home location for his mission. For the next 14 years he served the area alone, travelling on horseback between Kentucky Catholic settlements. One estimate puts his travels at over 100,000 miles in the saddle. In 1806 he received permanent help with the arrival of Rev. Charles Nerinckx
.
Badin returned to France in 1820 to accept the pastorship of a parish near Orléans, the city of his birth. He worked constantly to secure gifts of money and church furniture to send to the Kentucky mission churches.
Badin gave 524 acres (2.1 km²) of land near South Bend, Indiana to the Diocese of Vincennes. This land later became the site of the University of Notre Dame
.
He returned to America
in 1828, first on a mission to Michigan
, then returning to Kentucky in 1829. In 1830 he offered his services to Bishop Edward Fenwick
of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
, and continued missionary work with the Pottawattamie Indians at St. Joseph's River. He continued in this mission until 1836.
He returned to Bardstown, Kentucky
in 1837 and resumed missionary work. In September 1846 he accepted the pastorship of the French settlement at Bourbonnais Grove
, Kankakee County
, Illinois
for two years.
His final mission to Kentucky came in 1848 and lasted about two years.
was Archbishop of Cincinnati. There he spent his final years until his death in 1853.
He was buried at the cathedral crypt until in 1904 the Archbishop of Cincinnati, William Henry Elder
, permitted the removal of his body and re-interment at the University of Notre Dame
, Indiana
.
, located in Hamilton, Ohio
was named in his honor. There is a Badin Hall on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
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....
a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
by Bishop John Carroll on May 25, 1793. His was the first Roman Catholic priest ordination in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
Born in OrléansOrléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, 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...
, Badin completed his theological studies and after ordination continued to learn the English language until he was appointed to the Mission of Kentucky.
Missionary
His mission began in the fall of 1793. He travelled by flatboatFlatboat
Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with (mostlyNOTE: "(parenthesized)" wordings in the quote below are notes added to...
down the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
to Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville...
then overland to Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. By April, 1794 he had established Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
as the home location for his mission. For the next 14 years he served the area alone, travelling on horseback between Kentucky Catholic settlements. One estimate puts his travels at over 100,000 miles in the saddle. In 1806 he received permanent help with the arrival of Rev. Charles Nerinckx
Charles 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:...
.
Badin returned to France in 1820 to accept the pastorship of a parish near Orléans, the city of his birth. He worked constantly to secure gifts of money and church furniture to send to the Kentucky mission churches.
Badin gave 524 acres (2.1 km²) of land near South Bend, Indiana to the Diocese of Vincennes. This land later became the site of the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
.
He returned to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1828, first on a mission to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, then returning to Kentucky in 1829. In 1830 he offered his services to Bishop Edward Fenwick
Edward Fenwick
Bishop Edward Dominic Fenwick, O.P. was born on the Patuxent river, Maryland to Colonel Ignatius Fenwick and Sarah Taney...
of the Archdiocese 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...
, and continued missionary work with the Pottawattamie Indians at St. Joseph's River. He continued in this mission until 1836.
He returned to Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
in 1837 and resumed missionary work. In September 1846 he accepted the pastorship of the French settlement at Bourbonnais Grove
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Bourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,256 at the 2000 census, but it was estimated to have grown to 19,119 in 2009...
, Kankakee County
Kankakee County, Illinois
Kankakee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,449, which is an increase of 9.3% from 103,833 in 2000. Its county seat is Kankakee....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
for two years.
His final mission to Kentucky came in 1848 and lasted about two years.
Later years and death
About 1850 he accepted residence at the cathedral while Bishop John Baptist PurcellJohn 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:...
was Archbishop of Cincinnati. There he spent his final years until his death in 1853.
He was buried at the cathedral crypt until in 1904 the Archbishop of Cincinnati, William Henry Elder
William Henry Elder
William Henry Elder was a U.S. archbishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Natchez from 1857 to 1880 and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cincinnati between 1883 and 1904.-Early life and education:...
, permitted the removal of his body and re-interment at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, 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...
.
Legacy
A Catholic High School, Father Stephen T. Badin High SchoolFather Stephen T. Badin High School
Father Stephen T. Badin High School, commonly known as Badin High School) is a Catholic high school of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati school system, serving grades nine through twelve in Hamilton, Ohio. It is a comprehensive high school which admits students of all levels of ability. Curriculum is...
, located in Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
was named in his honor. There is a Badin Hall on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.