The Washington herald., 1907-02-17

church in France, adopted his title as q
result Of an attempt on his part within
the past year 10 secure a large tract OF
land in the Lone Star state. wherein he
proposed to establish a settlement Of
Independent Catholics"
Previous TO that however. he had be-
come widely known throughout Illinois
Indiana. and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin he
established himself as ''primate Of the old
Catholic church IN America, built a
Cathedral at Green Bay and church
at Duval Wis. This property slipped
from his grasp and was sold to the Polish
Catholics
From Catholic and Episcopal sources.
notably the Catholic Citizen. Of Mnwau-
kee, and the London Times. the St Louis
lFOst-Dispatch has gathered the following
particulars:
Vilatte was born IN Paris in 1854. the
son of a butcher. He was baptized in the
Catholic Church, and, his mother having
died, was placed in a Paris orphanage OF
the Christian Brothers. He was there
during the Commune, and later crossed TO
Canada Returning to France. he enlisted
in the army, from which, according 10
Bishop Grafton. he is a deserter.
In Disguise after leaving the army. he
sought refuge with the mother house Of
the Christian Brothers at Namur. Bel
GUM, became a novice. and took the
habit. During his noyitiate he inherited
a small sum Of money. whereupon he
sailed again for Canada and entered the
/ College ST Laurants. Cote-dcs-N eiges-
Having spent his inheritance, De soon
joined the congregation of the Holy
Cross.
Nilatte Joins the MethodIstS.
/ shortly after this-within few
months-he left the Catholic Church
and Joined the Methodist Within three
weeks he left the Methodists and again
went over 10 Catholicism. returning to
/ the Christian Brothers at Montreal.
/ A week later he left his Catholic refuge
and applied to Rev. Mr. Beauay. the
/ Methodist minister to whom he had
/ previously gone, 20 be reinstated in
I that church. lie was given a place as a
/ teacher IN the Methodist Institute at
| Montreal and stayed there several
/ months finally disappearing.
! Nilatte was next heard OF as a teach
I er IN a Catholic church under the Canon
/ De Cclles al ST. Hyacinthe. From there
/ lie went 10 o small town a few miles
/ distant. and sought admission to the
monastery Of the Brothers of the Sa-
cred Heart Later he returned TO St
/ HyaCinthc and sought admission 20 the
monastery Of the Dominican Fathers.
/ but was refused.
Turned down by Rome. and having
evidently exhausted the patience Of the
Mcthodists. Viiatte now sought the
/ Presbyteriaus. was received. and as
signed 10 missionary work By the board
/ Of French evangelizatiOn of the Presby-
terrain Church in Canada While in this
field. it is related that, in addition to
/ Protestant bibles. he carried Catholic
books and rosaries for sale unknown
| 10 his Presbyterian sponsors.
Nilatte WAS later admitted to the
/ preparatory department Of a Presby-
/ ,erian theological seminary where he
remained a few months and then disap-
I peared. Re was again heard IF as a
novice i'm the monastery Of ST. Francis
I of Assist, Brooklyn, where he remained
a few months. when he again decided 20
/ leave Rome for the Congregational
Church
OF this phase Of his life Bishop Graf
ton, Episcopal Bishop OF Fond du lac.
/ Wisconsin who has had considerable ex-
perience with Viatte thaving. among other
things. communicated him from the
Episcopal Church,. wrote TO the London
Times when Nilatte was attracting at
tention in England by his connection with
| Father lgnatius in Wales.
A. Congregational Minister.
He was received and assigned 10 a
small church in Brooklyn" says Bish-
op Grafton. "and preached the doctrine
of the Congregational Church FOR about
FIVE months. Then he left the United
States. returned to Canada and reverted
20 Rome by beginning 4 n0vi,iate in the
Provincial House of the Brothers Of
Charity Of ST. Vincent de Paul
Three months laterShe left Canada for
the United States. going to Chicago and
there entering the monastery of the Alex
ian Brothers. where he began work as
nurse in their hospital After a short
time he left and went to Bourbonias, ILL.,,
and became a novice in the monastery
Of the CIerics Of St. Viator.
There, hearing that Chiniquy. Presby-
terrain. who was an ex-Roman priest. was
in the neighborhood. he left the monas-
terry secretly and applied 10 Chiniquy
for help to leave Rome. which was given
him.
ION Vilaue's again leaving Rome ne
was sent TO take charge of a small
church in Green Bay. Wis. He soon grew
tired Of this work. which was q small
and a poor one. and applied to the Right
Rev. Hobart Brown. Bishop OF Fond du
Lac, for admission TO the Episcopal
Church"
When Bishop Grafton succeeded Bish-
OF Brown at Fond du Lac he received Vi
latte as a part of the succession. In 1892
he removed Vilatte from the priesthood
and communicated him. After that
Vilatte went to Europe
Most important of the results OF his
European trip, as far as it bears on his
present situation, seems TO have been
that he claims 70 have in some manner
prevailed on a Swiss bishop of the Old
Catholic Church. who had been a bishop
in the Roman Catholic Church, to con-
seCrate him. thus making him bishop
The validity Of this act is seriously cues
toned, if not actually denied, by the
Catholic Church
While this controversy over ViIatte-s
conservation. in the eyes of the average
Protestant layman. might be looked upon
as merely a technical squabble. il is, in
fact, of vital Importance to Vil8tte in
his new pose at Paris bishop Of the
Catholic Church, once consecrated by one
having authority, is forever sanctified
He may be degraded and his diocese and
people taken away from him, and, in
fact, may be communicated, but not
the highest authority in the church-not
even the Pope himself-can divest him
Of that authority which. according TO
Catholic doctrine. was inalienably vested
in him when he was Consecrated.