The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-14

cennes well equipped for the needs
of his diocese. AS soon as priests
were ready, the bishop would send
them to their new missions fully
equipped with horse and saddle,
vestments and sacred vessels, and
enough money to start them on
their new labors. He built a SEM
mary in Vincennes with Father
Corbe at the head of it.
His fast crystallizing diocese de-
manded disciplinary measures. He
called clergy retreat and convened
the first synod of the diocese May
s, 1874. At this first convocation
of diocesan priests, wise regulations
and rules of conduct were approved
and put into effect.
twenty-five priests attended the
synod, according to Alerding's His
tory of the Diocese. Eleven were
absent.
Knowing the Importance of his
torical records, Bishop Hailandiere
gave careful attention to the col
lection and preservation of all
documents Of his predecessors and
of his own time and thus began
the origin of that wonderful collec-
ton of historical material, a part
of which still is preserved intact
to this day in the library of St.
Francis Xavier church at Vincennes.
Under his hands the affairs of
~ the diocese grew in order The
town of Vincennes was transformed
from a rude village to place of
beauty and order. Strangers were
astonished at the elegance of the
place. He had cleared 400 acres of
land near VincenneS which be-
longed to the church, had it placed
under cultivation and built houses
for his farmers.
Notwithstanding all this, Vim
cenneS, far from the main roads of
travel, did not grow. immigration
passed north and south of Indiana
to other more promising centers.
Chicago was growing rapidly and in
1874 was separated from the Diocese
Of Vincennes and erected into a
new diocese by Rome on petition of
the bishops assembled in council at
Baltimore. With the severance of
Chicago from the Diocese of Vim
cennes, Bishop Hailandiere began to
cast about for a more central point
where his See might be moved.
The bishop had in mind Indian
foI nf tot -
indianapolis at that time was hardly
as large as Vincennes and did not
have regular priest. The spiritual
needs of its few families were
supplied by the priest from st. Vim
cents near Shelbyville, the Rev.
Vincent Bacquelin. The wish of the
bishop did not materialize until
f1fty-four years later when the See
city was transferred to Indianapolis
under Bishop Chatard Meanwhile,
Bishop Hailandiere determined to
keep his See at Vincennes.
In 1845 he visited Rome. He told
Pope Gregory XVI of the Difficult
ties in his diocese. He told of widely
scattered families arriving con-
stantly. He said he could speak
their language only imperfectly and
offered his resignation. The Pope
did not grant it but, on the con-
trary, loaded him with costly gifts
and books and something more
rare, the bodies Of several saints
for enShrinement and veneration in
his diocese.
He returned to VincenneS with
more priests and students. On his
return, he found that diSsatiSfac-
ton had increased. Being a man
who performed most of his tasks
himself, he would not delegate his
laborS to others, although he had
a vicar-general. He determined 20
press his resignation again to Rome
and this time it was accepted. This
was on July Is, 1847. He assisted
at the conservation of his sue
ceSSor, the Ri. Rev. John Stephen
Balm, then after taking leave of
his confrere bishops in this country
he left for France to reside on his
family estate. He died in his native
town of Combourg May /, 1882. His
remains were brought from France
and laid at rest in the old Ca
thedral at Vincennes,
60 important was the develop
~ ment of education during the ad-
ministration of Bishop Hailandiere
that it is proper here to briefly re-
view the educational progress of the
diocese from the earliest time up
to the date of his resignation as
bishop.
Bishop Brute, whom John Quincy
Adams characterized as the most
learned man of his day in America,
was the founder of the free school