The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-14
FATHER PIERRE.
"REMINISCENCES OF A BELOVED
PRIEST AND USEFUL MAN.
Calm, Serene and Sublime in the Dis
charge of Duty-An Article by
One Who Knew Him.

The article following was publishe,
lin the Southwestern Telegram of thi
city, February 2I, 1874. 1t was contribut
ed by Mrs. Julia P. Creswell. mother O
OH resteemed citizen, J. P. Creswell. 1
is republished by request and will ne
doubt be perused with interest:
Father Pierre was born in the NORTH
of France about the year 1928 His par.
ents were in comfortable circumstances
Having but two sons, the eldest became
of course, sole heir prospective to the
estate, while from his earliest childhood
Father Pierre was destined to the ser
vice of Rome, proud mistress of the
world
Far away in the classic shades of ia
belle France" thirty years ago. a dream
eyed boy knelt on the time-honored soil
of the Old World, to wing his earnest
orisons to heaven, for the welfare of the
New Early the youthful acolyte COM
pretended that his mission was the cur
acy OF lonely Bayou Pierre, slushing un-
der the perfuined yet melancholy gloom
OF magnolias, under pa1my cypress and
fantastic moss To the New World he
was Father Pierre, donation from the
balmy skies of opulent France to the
priestless Creole populs ton lining the
banks of that duplicate stream, in the
far uncultivated wilds of northwestern
Louisiana.
Through all the vicissitudes of France
the same prayers, the same chants as
cended for the priestless people at
Bonne Chase, his future location. From
the glorious Three Days of July, and the
reign of the citizen king; through the
brief republic of Lamartine through the
brilliant sway of Napoleon III, ever the
same horizon bounded the views and as
pirations of Father Pierre; the same
Ave Marias, the same Masses sung for
the souls of his everything parishioners.
Trained, before he had seen them, to
bear his charge to heaven in his peti-
tons, the whole labor of his life was but
devotion to this people.
Nearly twenty years ago fair
haired slender youth, with that inde-
scribable glow of Transatlantic health
blooming upon his cheek, entered our
threshold: delicate and slightly stopped
in figure, but with eyes blue as his native
sky. and beaming with the sanguine
fresh enthusiasm OF youth. My husband
had found him, unable to speak our Ian
guage, struggling among his primitive
and unworthy parishioners whose patios
was urintel1igible jargon to his native
ear, to establish in their midst Catho-
lie church.
From that time, as our house was but
a few miles from his church, he became
one of its inmates. Variedly beautiful,
yet now, how sad seem in the retrospect,
those lovely days, to me the golden
round Of early wifehocd-
when the summers were green,
And the winter looked fair as a mar
ble-browed maid;
When the spring on the hill was eter-
nally seen,
And. tn autumn her farewell forever
delayed.
Clenatis and rose vines beWered our
rural home, and yet at vesper hour the
conteInplative priest sauntered, spirit
wrapt, slowly under winding avenues of
elns and nagnolias, his breviary clasped
upon his breast. and low solemn chants
thrilling the summer air till evening lit
her golden lamp, and armed the dew
bathed shrubbery with a myriad flashing
silver lances.
But Father Pierre burned with zeal
for a wider area of usefulness than
country tutorship, or rural pastorate,
circumseribed in sphere and unpron1is-
ing in results. Shreveport lay before
him with her splendid future; and there
no Catholic spire lowered to heaven to-
preach to the New World of the gloriesI
Of Rome.
When he left our house, it was to-
take charge of class in the house Of
that model old Judge, cast in the Roman
mould whom 50 many Of us yet vividly
remember with mingled emotions of sad
dened pride and pleasure. This was the
fulcrun to his lever, and those who re-
call the low and PROSTATE condition Of
the Catholic community then, and con-
trast its present prosperity, may form
some idea of the vast herculean task
which met the aspiring young priest and
the extraordinary zeal and fidelity with
which he executed il. Without means,
save his strong and tnWavering faith. he
perscvered until finally success crowned
his efforts. The hearts Of all, Of every