New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-06
A Priest Renoupces His FAITH.

| The announcement that Rev. Father
| Francis Jacquemet. q we'll known and pop
ular Roman Catholic priest, had attended
| on Wednesday night meeting Of the
| Young Mems Christian Association, and had
| publicly announced his Onversien to Pro
testantism, caused good deal OF sensation
| in the city yesterday.
Father Jacquemet was born at Geneva,
Switzerland, in 1884, of Huguenot parents,
and is consequently now forty years of age.
| He is q very pleasant, intelligent gentle
man, and cOnverses freely of his changed
| opinions. but does not express the least bit
| terness toward the church he has left or its
| priesthood. On the contrary, he expresses
himself as very grateful to Archbishop
Bayley for many kindnesses, and considers
him a sincere and kind-hearted man.
Father Jaquemet says that his changed
opinions are the result of convictions after
long deliberation, and that as a freeman he
claims his right to change, but he is careful
not to speak harshly Of the Church from
which he has just emerged, though attribut-
ing his conclusions in a very considerable
degree 70 his dislike Of the confessional.
Father Jaquemet came 70 this country
when very young. and resided in Cincin.
natl, where he was led By the influence of
Roman Catholic relations 70 abandon the
religion OF his parents and become Roman
Catholic. He was sent to St. Marys Sem.
MARY, MISSOURI. 10 De euuc1leu IOf sio
priesthood, and in 1860 was ordained and
sen. 20 New Orleans. where he remained up
to 1868. He then joined mission Of the So.
ciety Nf st. Vincent de Paul, and went from
New Orleans to Cnba, where he remained
year. From Cuba he went 10 Canada.
and thence to France, where he resided.
mostly in Paris, for six months. From che
Mother House Of the Mission there he was
sent to Constantinople, where he labored
Ia how Ho Ac;o
Minor. visiting Smyrna. and afterward
Alexandria. IL Egypt. where he lived TOR
twenty months. He then returned 20 Paris,
and aitevward to this country. He has been
connected with the mission work in many
places. among others st. Louis, Peru. Char
lesion. South Carolina, and Baltimore In
this city he was, for considerable time,
enc OF the priests at tho Cathedral. and
afterward Otficiated az st. Peters Church,
on Poppleton street. He requested permits.
sion to go to the Gethsemane Monastery.
near Louisville. Kentucky. This is Trap
pist institution. having very rigid rules.
FatherJaquemet wen. there in March, 1874.
and remained six months. He then came
back here, but has not been officiating since
his return.
One year ago. while he had personal &C.
4ualntance with scarcely any persons ex-
cept Roman Catholics, he called on DIR. Ley.
burn to talk with him on religious matters.
DR.. Ley burn was careful to inquire whether
there were any imputations on his charac.
ter, and finding that there were none, was
disposed TO attribute his inquiries to consci-
entiOus convictions. subsequently he called
on Dr.. Backus, and conversed with him
also.
His relations with Archbishop Bayley
have been OF the most friendly character,
and on October - the Archbishop. at his
request. gave to him an official certificate of
good character. which states that there was
no imputation upon his character. nor any
Charge vt irresuiarity.
On November II. lSii. he sent the follow.
ing note to Archbishop Bayley:
Estee med Archbi4Lcp
As ! am on the point Of taking an import.
ant step, l thoUhgt il my duty to make
ycur grace acquainted with it. Impelled
by sincere and strong motives of conscience.
l. withou. any human influence or entice.
ment. bu: my own Tree will and sincere per-
uas!or. return into the church in which /
was born and. raised.
am. and always will be, the most sin.
cece friend OF your grace.
JA0CEMET.
Father JsGuemet speaks some What broken
English. bIt is very we'll informed. and has
been one Of the most popular priests in ,h.
city. What he Will do, now that he retires
from the priesthood, he does not know him.
.iasric."