Victor Roelens
Encyclopedia
Victor Roelens was a Belgian priest who became Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Baudouinville in 1895, and remained the premier bishop in the Congo Free State
, then the Belgian Congo
, until he retired in 1941.
Roelins was born on 21 July 1858.
His father was a gardener at the nearby Chateau des Comtes de Jonghe d'Ardoye.
He attended the College of Tielt
, spent a year at the seminary in Roeselare
, and in 1880 at the age of 22 moved to the Novitiate of White Fathers
in Algeria.
Cardinal Charles Lavigerie
made him a priest on 8 September 1884.
Roelens left Marseilles in July 1891 with a team of White Fathers bound for the Congo.
On 30 March 1895 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Upper Congo and Titular Bishop of Girba.
He was ordained as Titular Bishop of Girba on 10 May 1895.
On 22 September 1941 he retired as Vicar Apostolic of Baudouinville.
He died on 5 August 1947, aged 89.
|title=Bishop Victor Roelens, M. Afr.
|work=Catholic Hierarchy
|accessdate=2011-11-03}}
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...
, then the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, until he retired in 1941.
Roelins was born on 21 July 1858.
His father was a gardener at the nearby Chateau des Comtes de Jonghe d'Ardoye.
He attended the College of Tielt
Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen
The Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen or KATHO is a university college in West-Flanders. It has four campusses: Kortrijk, Roeselare, Tielt and Torhout. Since September 1st 2002 KATHO is a member of the Association K.U.Leuven....
, spent a year at the seminary in Roeselare
Roeselare
Roeselare is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Roeselare proper and the towns of Beveren, Oekene and Rumbeke....
, and in 1880 at the age of 22 moved to the Novitiate of White Fathers
White Fathers
The missionary society known as "White Fathers" , after their dress, is a Roman Catholic Society of Apostolic Life founded in 1868 by the first Archbishop of Algiers, later Cardinal Lavigerie, as the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa of Algeria, and is also now known as the Society of the...
in Algeria.
Cardinal Charles Lavigerie
Charles Lavigerie
Charles Martial Allemand Lavigerie was a French cardinal, archbishop of Carthage and Algiers and primate of Africa.Born at Bayonne, he was educated at St Sulpice, Paris...
made him a priest on 8 September 1884.
Roelens left Marseilles in July 1891 with a team of White Fathers bound for the Congo.
On 30 March 1895 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Upper Congo and Titular Bishop of Girba.
He was ordained as Titular Bishop of Girba on 10 May 1895.
On 22 September 1941 he retired as Vicar Apostolic of Baudouinville.
He died on 5 August 1947, aged 89.
Sources
|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/broelens.html|title=Bishop Victor Roelens, M. Afr.
|work=Catholic Hierarchy
|accessdate=2011-11-03}}