The Irish standard., 1894-09-22
A BOGUS PRELATE.
The Checkered Career of Chtni-
guys Friend. the Notorious
Rene Vilatte.
ONCE A KITCHEN BROTHER.
His Only Religion Seems to Be an
Unsuitable Lust for Money
and Power.

and Power.
A correspondent Of the Cleveland
Catholic Universe, writing from Fon du
Lac, Wis, gives the following compre.
hensive and interesting sketch Of the
checkered career of the notorious Rene
Vilatte:
Rene Vilatte is Frenchman. He is
about 40 years Of age, and very little ie
known OF his anticedents. This is one
subject upon which he has ever shown q
disposition to be uncommunicative.
From the provincial of the Fathers OF
st. Viateur, who knew the young man in
France, I learn that Vilatte was unsuc-
oessful in the study of the classics. He
came to Canada, where, during short
period, he underwent several religious
transformations, but as his chances for
ecclesiastical advancement among the
French Canadians were not hatterlng, he
continued his journey to the United
States. He became attached successive
ly to several religious communities as
"'brother;" the last place in which he act
ed in that capacity was st. Viateur's
College, Bourbonnals Grove, in the arch
diocese of Chicago. In this institution
be did service in the kitchen and dormi
tory.
While at Bourbonnais Grove Vilatte
fell in with the notorious and malador-
ous "ex priest" Chiniquy, whose head
quarters are in the locality. Chiniquy,
who masqueredes as Presbyterian min.
lister, naturally warmed to the Catholic
kitchen brother and aided him in secur.
ing "call' from congregation OF that
denomination. Early i'll 1884 Vilatte
went to Green Bay, Wis.,, and began to
preach in q French Presbyterian church
at that place. In August Of the same
year he was ordained a Presbyterian
minister. The limitations Of Calvanism,
however, did not afford scope for his
aspirations for ecclesiastical dignity, and
few weeks after his ordination he alb
.jured Prssbyterianism and joined the
Protestant Episcopal church. The L. cal
papers announced about this time that
the "convert" had received from" Bishop"
Brown, the predecessor of the Protestant
Episcopal Bishop Grafton of Fon du Lac,
the order OF deconship in the Anglican
church. This was afterward denied, but
it is certain that Bishop Brown wanted
to ordain HIM priest and that Vilatte re-
fused to receive the order at the formers
hands, insisting on being sent for that
purpose to the Old Catholic Bishop Her
zog, in Switzerland. Brown finally ac'
ceded to this demand and sent Vilatte to
Switzerland, where he was ordained by
Herzog. He returned and succeeded in
persuading number of French Belgians
to acknowledge the authority OF the
Protestant Episcopal Bishop Brown.
About this time Vilatte went East and
travelled through Massachusetts, solicit
ing funds for the support of the "Old
Catholic missions" In the mineral ranges
OF Wisconsin. Many c]ergymen and lay
men of the Protestant Episcopal church
contributed literally, but as Wilfred
Pea1ce says, the Old Catholic church was
.'totty on it's pins," afflicted with ricketts,
and died in the third year of it's age.
In 1883 Bishop Brown died and was
succeeded by Bishop Grafton, very
"high church" man. In short time
Grafton and Vilatte disagreed. The
former, perhaps discovered that Vilatte
was aspiring for the mitre himself, seek
ing it wherever there was possibility
Of receiving it. from the Jansenists, the
Old Catholics or the schlsmatics of the
Orient.
In 1890 Vilatte sent word to Bishop
Katzer of the diocese of Green Bay that
he would return to the Catholic church,
and also bring back his people, provided
the conditions would not be too severe.
Bishop Katzer received his overtures
very kindly and named the conditions,
winch, everything considered, were as
lenient as justice would permit. The
terms offered were these: that Vilatte
would make retreat in some monastery
and make, public reoantation before
being res ,lyed from censure. The ques-
tion of the validity Of his orders was to
be left to the decision Of Rome. On the
determination OF the point Vilatte would
be obliged TO retire to some seminary
or convent to study theology. The ques-
ton of remaining with his people as their
pastor g be matter of future considera-
tion. on receiving the notification OF