The Irish standard., 1891-05-30
MANY YEARS AGO IN MAY.
It Was Then That the First
Priest Was Ordained In
This Country.
IT WAS REV. STEPHEN I BADlN.
Americas FIRST Priest Was a Refugee
Of the French
Revolution.

AMoIAOa llbb Ilo6k ~ ~ As0AuSSs
of the french
Revolution.
The Catholic Church in this country
has already celebrated the first centen.
arY Of the estab ablishment Of its hierarchy,
and the time is fast approaching when
due observance will need to be taken OF
the ordination of the first priest in the
United States For it was ninety eight
years ago the present month, at the
Trinity season of 1898. that Archbishop
Carroll advanced to the priesthood
Stephen Theodore Badin, who was the
first ecclesiastic to receive sacerdotal
ordination in this country. The orfli-
nation took place in old st. Peters
Church, Baltimore, which then served
DIR. Carroll as cathedral, and it was
there that the newly-ordained clergy
man oficiated for the short time he re
NAMED In Baltimore afterwards. -s
y This pioneer priest OF the American
Catholic Church was in his oath year
when DR.. Carroll imposed hands on
him. He was Frenchman by birth,
Orleans having given him to the world
July II, 1868; and having shown dis
position to enter the priestly profession,
he was sent. after his classical course
had been completed, to the Sulpician
seminary in his native town for his the
illogical studies. Young Badin had
taken the irrevocable step of subdeacon
ship when the revolution broke out in
France. The Orleans seminary was
broken up in the troubl0us times that
followed, and it's buildings we're taken
for military purposes. In the fall Of
l7Ol the Young sub-deacon, in company
with Rev. B. j. Flaget, who subse-
quently became the first bishop of
Bardstown now Louisville, and Rev
J.B. David, who afterwards was conse
Grated coadjutOr to DR.. Flaget, came to
this country and offered his services to
the Baltimore administrator. DR.. Car
uil gladly welcomed the French fugi
tives, who arrived in March, 1892. and.
assigning places to the two priests, he
kept the sub-deacon in his episcopal
city until the following spring. when he
advarced him to the priesthood at
Trinity, as already stated.
Having the care of the whole country
on his episcopal shoulders, DIR. Casroll
did not feel justified in retaining the
newly ordained priest long in Baltimore
though there was plenty Of work for
him to do there so many other settle
ments were unprovided with clergy
men. Consequently, few months
after his ordination be sent Father Ba
din, together with Rev. M. Barrieres,
another French refugee. to the Ken
tucky missions. which were then some
of the most important ones in the
States. AS railroads were unknown
things in those days, these two mission
:ries. who left Baltimore in September.
1773, proceeded afoot to Pittsburg,
stopping wherever they found need Of
their services; and from Pittsburg they
continued their journey by means Of a
fiatboat down the Ohio river. 1t took
them seven DAYS to reach GallipOlis. a
place In Ohio where French colony
had been started some few years Drevi-
ously, and there they remained three
days, in order to minister to the spirit 4
ual wants of the few remaining settlers
-for the colony had proved a failure.
They baptized number Of children and
then went on foot from Maysvllle to
Lexington, reaching the latter place at
the. beginning Of the Advent season.
After tarrying few months with his
companion in the Kentucky missions,
Father Barrieres proceeded to New Or 1
leans, whittier DR., Carroll had instruct
ed him to go. and thus Father Badln
was LEI alone TO attend to the Catholic
residents ia the Blue Grass state.
Father Badln was not the first Catho
lie missionary, though. to serve the
Kentucky Catholics. Fra Whelan, All
Irish Capnchin. who had been 9 chap
lain IN the french navy, had attended
I'd their wants four or Eve wears previ-
ously. remaining in the settlements up
to the time thatED Dr. !. Carroll went to
London !, ID order to be consecrated,
when. for some reason or another. he
left. Writing Of his departure, bishop
Carroll sald that he Was anxious to oh
tain 8 good priest to send the Kentucky
!SathoI Iics. Tho ara ii general lyirtnous.
and some of them lninently "a. 81 He
found such q clerg yn1an 81 Father Bas
4, On slhiis a1ri iin entncky.
~ 81 ~ sthe numlt,s of atholics tn|
slnellt There atI shout
4 Hull ,outs . 81
,f 4 q slntfesa