The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-11-07
DEATH OF M0NTANKS BISHOP.

preached a sermon at the religious festival at
7 Victoria, B. c. An account of that event. III honor
of Archbishop Ortiz, was printed III this paper at
the time. The next we heard of Bishop Brondel. he
appeared at the funeral of his old friend John Ca
plice, at Butte. He was seen no more in public
There is something pathetic surrounding this
last incident in the life of the Montana
bishop. John Caplice and Bishop Brondel
had much in common. Both aided materi-
/ ally in the making of the commonwealth;
both powers for good in the state; both were
! pioneers of Montana; both led lives that were ex-
ampes and models for the younger generation It
was fitting that two such souls should be united
in eternity. John Caplice died Oct Il. Bishop
! Brondel died Tuesday morning, Nov. 3.
1t is in trifes that we ofttimes receive the true
reflection of character. The Butte priest who re-
calls the incident of the bishop backing his shoes
is simple in ITSELF yet all availing to stamp that
person who is humble in his greatness, one
to whom religion was not sentiment but
atty. Anything that was for good for Christianity
and for charity. had Bishop Brondels hearty sup
port and commendation He appreciated the Chris
tian spirit in the religion of everybody. He had no
room for bigotry. To his countless non Catholic
friends he often expressed the sentiment that,
whilst desiring Catholicity to embrace all man
kind, he had no quarrel with believer in Christ
who did good to his fellow men; it was the devil
and his followers the bishop was after.
Bishop Brondel, christened John Baptist Bron-
del, was the son of Charles Joseph Brondel chair
manufactures in Bruges, Belgium, and was born in
that city, Feb. % 1912. There were five sons and
two daughters in the family and with the exception
of the future Bishop of Helena all of the sons en-
tered mercantile pursuits. Bishop Brondel received
his first instructions from the Axver Brothers, a
community that had been established in his native
city, and later took extensive course at the Col
lege of Saint Louis, in Bruges. On having deter
mined to devote himself to the North American
missions, he entered the American college at Lou
vain, Belgium and devoted himself to philosophy
and divinity.
On Dec. It. 1864 he was raised to the priest
hood at Mechlin by Cardinal Sterch, and, having
been received by the Ri Rev. A. NJ A. Blanchet. of
the diocese of Nesqually, WASH he set out for his
destination by way of Vancouver arriving at Van
couver Oct. 81, 1866
For number of years he united the duties of
professor with those of missionary and for about
ten years he was stationed at Steilacoom, in the
Puget sound, whittier he returned subsequently, aft
a years residence at Walla Walla. During his
pastorate the Puget sound he erected churches
at Olympia and Tacoma
As a missionary, great deal of Father Bron-
dels time was spent among the Chinook Indians
in Alaska and he became proficient in the Chinook
language. His work among the Indians was par
ticularly faithful. There were no hardships which
he would not undergo for his flock and the mem
bers who were brought out of the realms of worse
than barbarism by his kind Christian teachings
looked upon him truly messenger from the
Christ. 1t this work, to which the then
Father Brondel devoted the best years of his life,
that won for him the honors which came with his
election the bshopric He was first elected Bishop
of Vancouver Island and received his consecra-
ton at the hands of Archbishop Seghera Dec IA. |
1879
1t was four years latefyor ON April {, 1885, that |
he first commissioned to come into the then ter
ritory of Montana, he going there under the title
of Administrator of Montana, which was then |
part of the Nesqually diocese The duties of his |
new Office made it necessary that he should reside
in Montana, and in August of that year, after hav-
ing visited the principal cities of the vicarate he
decided upon Helena as his permanent residence.
Immediately thereafter the Jesuit fathers who
had maintained mission here for many wears pre-
and premises and whatever property was in their
name on Catholic hill. While by this timely and
most commendable arrangement on their part the
fathers facilitated and fastened the erection of the
new bishopric, they were thus also instrumental in
Helena becoming the episcopal see and giving the
name well to the new diocese.
This honor conferred on Helena by Pope
Leo XIII on March Z, 1884, the date of the cree
ion of the see and the appointment of John B.
Brondel rs It's first bishop.
From that time on, the biography of Bishop
Brondel is the history of Catholicism in Montana.
During the time that Bishop Brondel has been at
he head of the Catholic church in Montana he
has been active, visiting each parish at least
nee year and ofttimes twice.
He has participated in the dedication of each
# the Catholic churches and buildings erected by
he state since his arrival here and it is estimated
hat he had administered confirmation to not less
han 10000 people.
Twice since his election to the bishopric has
Bishop Brondel visited the Vatican, going in 1890
nd again in 1899. On both occasions he had
engthy audiences with Pope Leo who was greatly
in the message the bishop brought from
he great west.
Pope Leo told Bishop Brondel that nothing was