Gulstan Ropert
Encyclopedia
Gulstan Ropert, SS.CC., (August 30, 1839 - January 4, 1903) of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
served as the third vicar apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Sandwich Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
, from 1892 to 1903. Born in France
at Kerfago, St. Gildas de Rhuys, Morbihan
, in Brittany
, he was baptized as François. François Ropert entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
at age 20 and took the name Gulstan. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1866, at the age of 26. He was sent to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i to assist the Vicariate, arriving in Honolulu
on June 9, 1868. He was in charge of the Hamakua district on the island of Hawai‘i until October 2, 1883, when he was assigned to the Wailuku mission. He left Wailuku for Honolulu in 1891 having been appointed Vice-Provincial.
After Msgr. Koeckemann's death on February 22, 1892, Father Ropert earnestly begged his superiors not to be nominated as Vicar Apostolic. Superior General Father Bosquet ignored Father Ropert's request and appointed him as Provincial on April 22, 1892, and recommended that he be a candidate for the office of Vicar Apostolic left vacant by the death of Msgr. Koeckemann. Having received the bull of his nomination to lead the Hawaiian Islands
on June 3, 1892, Father Ropert embarked for San Francisco
where he was consecrated in Saint Mary's Cathedral as a bishop of the titular see of Panopolis on September 25 at the age of 53 by Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
, assisted by Bishop Lawrence Scanlan
of Salt Lake City
and Bishop Francisco Mora y Borrell
of Monterey-Los Angeles. Msgr. Ropert adopted an episcopal coat of arms of azure, containing a Saint Anna of Auray, accompanied by the letters A.M. (standing for Ave Maria) in silver with his motto being Tuus sum ego, salvum me fac (from Psalm 118: 94, meaning, I am yours, save me). During his episcopate, Msgr. Ropert witnessed the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
in 1893 and the continuing migration of workers for the Hawaiian sugar industry. He built a new residence for the clergy in Honolulu, a wooden two-story building, flanked on all sides, except the rear, by a veranda. Subsequently. the old adobe house was torn down and on its site was placed a statue of Nôtre Dame de la Paix (Our Lady of Peace), which he blessed on December 24, 1893, the sixty-second anniversary of the first expulsion from the Hawaiian Islands of the first prefect apostolic, Msgr. Alexis Bachelot
.
, the Knights of Pythias
, and the Sons of Temperance
on June 24, 1894. The documents of the Holy See were addressed to the Catholic Bishops of the United States and his wish not to disturb the Catholics of his jurisdiction who were members of the condemned organizations inclined him to the opinion (confirmed by Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco) that the prosciption was limited to the United States. On the advice of the Superior General of the Picpus Fathers, Msgr. Ropert later published the Roman decree and extended the Holy See's condemnation of the secret societies to include the Hawaiian Islands. To better counteract membership in these societies, Msgr. Ropert supported the establishment of three councils of the Young Men's Institute.
visit to Rome in 1895, Msgr. Ropert appointed Father Cornelius Limburg as his pro-Vicar. He then left for France in the company of Father Hubert Stappers and a Portuguese youth, Peter Alencastre (later Bishop Stephen Alencastre
) who was to begin his studies for the priesthood at Louvain in Belgium. During his voyage, Msgr. Ropert showed his devotion to the priests of his jurisdiction by paying a visit to each one's family - which caused him to journey through France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. He returned to Honolulu on November 16, 1895 accompanied by Father Pamphile deVeuster, the brother of the late Father Damien
, one choir brother and four lay brother
s, all destined for the Kalaupapa Settlement
. According to arrangements made with the Board of Health, the brothers were given the care of the Bishop's Home for Boys in Kalaupapa. Father Pamphile followed in his brother's footsteps, but being an elderly, scholarly man at the time of his arrival, he could not get accustomed to the surroundings and returned to Belgium on August 25, 1897.
in 1898 effectively ended the Spanish American War, with the loss of the Philippines
, Guam
and Puerto Rico
to the United States. This seminal event would lay the groundwork for the migration of workers for the sugar industry in Hawai‘i from the vestiges of the Spanish empire in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Msgr. Ropert engaged in extensive pastoral visitation notwithstanding the pain caused by a stomach cancer he endured since September 1898. In summer of 1902, he made a trip to San Francisco and lower California partly for business and partly for the benefit of his declining health. He returned, no better, and succumbed to his illness on January 4, 1903. He was buried in the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery
at 839A South King Street, in downtown Honolulu.
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
served as the third vicar apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Sandwich Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
, from 1892 to 1903. Born in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at Kerfago, St. Gildas de Rhuys, Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
, in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, he was baptized as François. François Ropert entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
at age 20 and took the name Gulstan. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1866, at the age of 26. He was sent to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i to assist the Vicariate, arriving in Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
on June 9, 1868. He was in charge of the Hamakua district on the island of Hawai‘i until October 2, 1883, when he was assigned to the Wailuku mission. He left Wailuku for Honolulu in 1891 having been appointed Vice-Provincial.
Elevation to the Episcopate
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
on June 3, 1892, Father Ropert embarked for San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
where he was consecrated in Saint Mary's Cathedral as a bishop of the titular see of Panopolis on September 25 at the age of 53 by Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan was a Canadian-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Francisco from 1884 until his death in 1914.-Early life and education:...
, assisted by Bishop Lawrence Scanlan
Lawrence Scanlan
Lawrence Scanlan was an Irish Roman Catholic missionary and the first Bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah .-Early life:...
of Salt Lake City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, officially in Latin Dioecesis Civitatis Lacus Salsi, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the entire state of Utah. Also known as the Utah Catholic Church or the See of Salt Lake City, its mother church is the...
and Bishop Francisco Mora y Borrell
Francisco Mora y Borrell
Francisco Mora i Borrell was a Catalan American Roman Catholic priest, serving as the Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles from 1878 to 1896.Francisco Mora was born in Gurb , Spain on November 25, 1827...
of Monterey-Los Angeles. Msgr. Ropert adopted an episcopal coat of arms of azure, containing a Saint Anna of Auray, accompanied by the letters A.M. (standing for Ave Maria) in silver with his motto being Tuus sum ego, salvum me fac (from Psalm 118: 94, meaning, I am yours, save me). During his episcopate, Msgr. Ropert witnessed the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
in 1893 and the continuing migration of workers for the Hawaiian sugar industry. He built a new residence for the clergy in Honolulu, a wooden two-story building, flanked on all sides, except the rear, by a veranda. Subsequently. the old adobe house was torn down and on its site was placed a statue of Nôtre Dame de la Paix (Our Lady of Peace), which he blessed on December 24, 1893, the sixty-second anniversary of the first expulsion from the Hawaiian Islands of the first prefect apostolic, Msgr. Alexis Bachelot
Alexis Bachelot
Alexis John Augustine Bachelot was a Roman Catholic priest best known for his tenure as the first Prefect Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands. In that role, he led the first Catholic mission to the Kingdom of Hawaii....
.
Secret Societies and Establishment of Catholic Young Men's Institute
Msgr. Ropert's peace-loving nature made him hesitate in enforcing in his vicariate the condemnation by the Holy Office of the secret societies of the Odd FellowsIndependent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
, the Knights of Pythias
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
, and the Sons of Temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
on June 24, 1894. The documents of the Holy See were addressed to the Catholic Bishops of the United States and his wish not to disturb the Catholics of his jurisdiction who were members of the condemned organizations inclined him to the opinion (confirmed by Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco) that the prosciption was limited to the United States. On the advice of the Superior General of the Picpus Fathers, Msgr. Ropert later published the Roman decree and extended the Holy See's condemnation of the secret societies to include the Hawaiian Islands. To better counteract membership in these societies, Msgr. Ropert supported the establishment of three councils of the Young Men's Institute.
Brother Infirmarians at the Kalaupapa Settlement
Prior to his first ad liminaQuinquennial Visit Ad Limina
In the Roman Catholic Church, a quinquennial visit ad limina or more properly, quinquennial visit ad limina apostolorum or simply an ad limina visit means the obligation of residential diocesan bishops and certain prelates with territorial jurisdiction , of visiting the thresholds of the [tombs of...
visit to Rome in 1895, Msgr. Ropert appointed Father Cornelius Limburg as his pro-Vicar. He then left for France in the company of Father Hubert Stappers and a Portuguese youth, Peter Alencastre (later Bishop Stephen Alencastre
Stephen Alencastre
Bishop Stephen Peter Alencastre, SS.CC. was the fifth and last vicar apostolic of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Hawaiian Islands — now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu...
) who was to begin his studies for the priesthood at Louvain in Belgium. During his voyage, Msgr. Ropert showed his devotion to the priests of his jurisdiction by paying a visit to each one's family - which caused him to journey through France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. He returned to Honolulu on November 16, 1895 accompanied by Father Pamphile deVeuster, the brother of the late Father Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
, one choir brother and four lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
s, all destined for the Kalaupapa Settlement
Kalaupapa, Hawaii
Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within Kalawao County.The village is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about into the Pacific Ocean.- Volcanic origin :Kalaupapa...
. According to arrangements made with the Board of Health, the brothers were given the care of the Bishop's Home for Boys in Kalaupapa. Father Pamphile followed in his brother's footsteps, but being an elderly, scholarly man at the time of his arrival, he could not get accustomed to the surroundings and returned to Belgium on August 25, 1897.
Catholic Education in the Vicariate
Msgr. Ropert's continuing concern for Catholic education of his flock led him to erect a girl's school in Hilo entrusted to the Franciscan sisters; in Honolulu he also established a free school for boys (St. Francis School) in connection with St. Louis College (September 1893). He also provided a new concrete schoolhouse for the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts (1901). During Msgr. Ropert's episcopate, the Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
in 1898 effectively ended the Spanish American War, with the loss of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
to the United States. This seminal event would lay the groundwork for the migration of workers for the sugar industry in Hawai‘i from the vestiges of the Spanish empire in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Father Wendelin Moeller and the Board of Health
On December 4, 1901, Pilipo Mikila and Kalani, left the Kalaupapa Hansen's Disease Settlement in violation of the regulations of the Board of Health. The local police captain, believing that they had been stealing sheep, arrested them on their return to Kalaupapa and put them in jail. Kalani made a confession and was put in a light airy cell. Mikila denied guilt and as a punishment, was put in a cell with no outside window, comparatively dark and poorly ventilated. Until March 12, 1902, he was not arraigned on any charge and no written accusation was made against him. He was in an advanced state of Hansen's disease when arrested and grew even worse during his detainment. On the aforementionned date, he was taken home by the members of a society to which he belonged. He died six days later. He had no proper care before leaving the jail, and no medical attention. Complaints were made about this heartless and illegal treatment to the Attorney-General and after an investigation, C. W. Reynolds, the superintendent of the settlement, and Dr. Oliver, the local physician were discharged for official neglect. It was a surprise to the public that at the same meeting of the Board of Health where these actions were taken, it was similarly resolved that "the harmony and interests of the leper settlement would be promoted by the removal of Father Wendelin Moeller (the priest in charge of Kalaupapa since Father Damien's death) and that the Right Reverend Gulstan, Bishop of Panopolis, be requested to remove him forthwith and appoint some other priest to fill the vacancy made thereby." Msgr. Ropert subsequently informed the Board he would comply with their resolution when formal written charges against Father Wendelin had been served and proven. The Board refused to file charges, but informed the Msgr. Ropert that Father Wendelin's permit to remain at the settlement would be revoked as of June 10, 1902. It was later disclosed that Superintendent Reynolds had filed complaints with the Board accusing Father Wendelin of interfering with his management; Father Wendelin admitted having preached, not against the Board of Health, but against the shameful immorality of concubinage and adultery at the settlement, and the performance of public work to be done on Sunday without any urgent necessity. After considerable public outrage at the actions of the Board of Health by the Home Rule Party, the various Catholic societies, the Portuguese societies, the Protestant Ministerial Union, the Board of Health resolved "out of respect for the Bishop and in appreciation of the charitable objects of the Catholic mission at the settlement, this request (by Msgr. Ropert to retain Father Wendelin in view of his long and faithful services at the Kalaupapa Settlement) be granted on the distinct understanding that Father Wendelin attend strictly to his clerical duties in the future..." Father Wendelin, appreciative of Msgr. Ropert's efforts opined that he could not "strictly adhere to his clerical duties" without preaching against immorality and the breaking of the Sabbath, and requested that Msgr. Ropert relieve him of his charge. On September 23, 1902, Msgr. Ropert granted Father Wendelin's request and replaced him with Father Maximin André, head of the Hilo mission.Final years
Honolulu Catholic Cemetery
The Honolulu Catholic Cemetery is a cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii. The cemetery is for Roman Catholics and is located at 839-A South King Street, . It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and has been the final resting place for many Roman Catholics from Honolulu before 1930. The...
at 839A South King Street, in downtown Honolulu.