Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus
Encyclopedia
Jean-Louis Anne Madelain Lefebvre de Cheverus (also known as John Cheverus) (January 28, 1768–July 19, 1836), French ecclesiastic, was the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston
, Massachusetts.
, France where his father was the general civil judge and lieutenant of police. He studied at the college of Mayenne, received the tonsure
aged twelve, became prior of Torbechet while still little more than a child, then derived sufficient income for his education, entered the College of Louis le Grand in 1781, and after completing his theological studies at the Seminary of St. Magloire, was ordained deacon
in October 1790. At the age of 22, he was ordained a priest of Montauban
, France by special dispensation on December 18. He was immediately made canon
of the cathedral of Le Mans
and began to act as vicar
to his uncle in Mayenne, who died in 1792.
Cheverus refused to take the oath imposed by the Revolution
and this cost him his parish
, and very nearly his life. He escaped from Paris to London, in disguise. Offered aid on his arrival, he replied: "The little I have will suffice until I learn something of the language. Once acquainted with that, I can earn my living by manual labor, if necessary". In three months he knew English enough to teach, and within a year gathered a congregation. A letter from a former professor at Orléans
, the Reverend François Antoine Matignon, now in charge under Bishop John Carroll of all the Catholic church and missions in New England
, urged Cheverus to come there to help in the work of the church. Cheverus first emigrated to England in 1792, then to America, settling in Boston on October 3, 1796.
mission in Maine
, remained in Boston for nearly a year, and returned there after several months in the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy
missions and visits to scattered Catholic families along the way. During the epidemic of yellow fever
in 1798 he won great praise and respect for his courage and charity; and his preaching was listened to by many Protestants; indeed, the subscriptions for the Church of the Holy Cross
which he founded in 1803 were largely from non-Catholics.
In 1808 the papal brief was issued making Boston a bishopric
, suffragan to Baltimore
, and Cheverus its bishop. He was ecclesiastically ordained bishop of Boston on November 1, 1810 and was consecrated on All Saints Day in 1810, at St. Peters, Baltimore, by Archbishop Carroll. On the death of the latter his assistant bishop, Neale, urged the appointment of Cheverus as assistant to himself; Cheverus refused and warmly asserted his desire to remain in Boston; but, much broken by the death of Matignon in 1818 and with impaired health, he soon found it necessary to leave the seat of his bishopric.
Cheverus supported the establishment in 1816 of the Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston
, the first chartered savings bank in the U.S. He believed the bank would inspire virtuous thrifty behavior amongst his parishioners.
Some of the books in Cheverus' personal library now reside in the collection of the Boston Athenaeum.
insisted Cheverus return to France. Returning to France, Cheverus became bishop of Montauban, on January 13, 1823 where his policy of tolerance won respect from Protestant clergy
and laymen of the city. He was made archbishop of Bordeaux on July 30, 1826; and was elevated to cardinal on February 1, 1836, in accordance with the wish of Louis Philippe. He died in Bordeaux
on July 19, 1836 at the age of sixty-eight.
His work in New England, covering twenty-seven years, included every form of missionary activity. He lived among the Indians, mastering their dialect; traveled long distances on foot, attending scattered Catholics; nursed the sick and buried the dead during two yellow fever epidemics; collected funds and built a church in Boston; and served as businessman, adviser, peacemaker, servant, and pastor for his flock. His devotion to duty and extraordinary tact gradually won the respect of many Puritan
s. Ministers invited him to their pulpits. The legislature sought and acted on his counsel. At a state banquet to President John Adams
(whose name had headed a list of Protestant contributors to the Catholic Church building fund), he was placed next the guest of honour.
The Roman Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913 credited Cheverus, more than any other, for the position that Boston then held in the Roman Catholic Church of America, as well as the general growth of that church in New England.
In 1950, an engraved tablet was placed adjacent to the St. Thomas More Oratory entrance at 49 Franklin Street. It reads: “Near this site stood THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS, established 1803 by Jean Lefebvre de Cheverus, First Catholic Bishop of Boston; Missionary to the Penobscot Indians; Friend of President John Adams; Advisor to our State Legislature; One of America’s noblest priests. He stood by the bedside of Catholic and Protestant alike. This tablet placed by a group of Protestant Businessmen, 1950.”
. The conviction was doubtfull because of the bigotry of the period toward Catholics, and Irish Catholics in particular. Cheverus came to assist Dominic Daley
, one of his parishioners in Boston, at great personal risk, in his last days and he was present at the execution in 1806.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
, Massachusetts.
Early life
He was born on January 28, 1768 in MayenneMayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
, France where his father was the general civil judge and lieutenant of police. He studied at the college of Mayenne, received the tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
aged twelve, became prior of Torbechet while still little more than a child, then derived sufficient income for his education, entered the College of Louis le Grand in 1781, and after completing his theological studies at the Seminary of St. Magloire, was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in October 1790. At the age of 22, he was ordained a priest of Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
, France by special dispensation on December 18. He was immediately made canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the cathedral of Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
and began to act as vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
to his uncle in Mayenne, who died in 1792.
Cheverus refused to take the oath imposed by the Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and this cost him his parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, and very nearly his life. He escaped from Paris to London, in disguise. Offered aid on his arrival, he replied: "The little I have will suffice until I learn something of the language. Once acquainted with that, I can earn my living by manual labor, if necessary". In three months he knew English enough to teach, and within a year gathered a congregation. A letter from a former professor at Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, the Reverend François Antoine Matignon, now in charge under Bishop John Carroll of all the Catholic church and missions in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, urged Cheverus to come there to help in the work of the church. Cheverus first emigrated to England in 1792, then to America, settling in Boston on October 3, 1796.
American career
Cheverus, although at first appointed to an IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
mission in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, remained in Boston for nearly a year, and returned there after several months in the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
missions and visits to scattered Catholic families along the way. During the epidemic of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
in 1798 he won great praise and respect for his courage and charity; and his preaching was listened to by many Protestants; indeed, the subscriptions for the Church of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross Church, Boston
The Church of the Holy Cross , located on Franklin Street in Boston, Massachusetts and designed by Charles Bulfinch, was the first church built for the city's Roman Catholics....
which he founded in 1803 were largely from non-Catholics.
In 1808 the papal brief was issued making Boston a bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, suffragan to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, and Cheverus its bishop. He was ecclesiastically ordained bishop of Boston on November 1, 1810 and was consecrated on All Saints Day in 1810, at St. Peters, Baltimore, by Archbishop Carroll. On the death of the latter his assistant bishop, Neale, urged the appointment of Cheverus as assistant to himself; Cheverus refused and warmly asserted his desire to remain in Boston; but, much broken by the death of Matignon in 1818 and with impaired health, he soon found it necessary to leave the seat of his bishopric.
Cheverus supported the establishment in 1816 of the Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston
Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston
The Provident Institution for Savings in Boston, Massachusetts, was the first chartered savings bank in the United States. James Savage and others founded the bank on the belief that "savings banks would enable the less fortunate classes of society to better themselves in a manner which would...
, the first chartered savings bank in the U.S. He believed the bank would inspire virtuous thrifty behavior amongst his parishioners.
Some of the books in Cheverus' personal library now reside in the collection of the Boston Athenaeum.
Return to France
In 1823, Louis XVIIILouis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
insisted Cheverus return to France. Returning to France, Cheverus became bishop of Montauban, on January 13, 1823 where his policy of tolerance won respect from Protestant clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and laymen of the city. He was made archbishop of Bordeaux on July 30, 1826; and was elevated to cardinal on February 1, 1836, in accordance with the wish of Louis Philippe. He died in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
on July 19, 1836 at the age of sixty-eight.
His work in New England, covering twenty-seven years, included every form of missionary activity. He lived among the Indians, mastering their dialect; traveled long distances on foot, attending scattered Catholics; nursed the sick and buried the dead during two yellow fever epidemics; collected funds and built a church in Boston; and served as businessman, adviser, peacemaker, servant, and pastor for his flock. His devotion to duty and extraordinary tact gradually won the respect of many Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s. Ministers invited him to their pulpits. The legislature sought and acted on his counsel. At a state banquet to President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
(whose name had headed a list of Protestant contributors to the Catholic Church building fund), he was placed next the guest of honour.
The Roman Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913 credited Cheverus, more than any other, for the position that Boston then held in the Roman Catholic Church of America, as well as the general growth of that church in New England.
In 1950, an engraved tablet was placed adjacent to the St. Thomas More Oratory entrance at 49 Franklin Street. It reads: “Near this site stood THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS, established 1803 by Jean Lefebvre de Cheverus, First Catholic Bishop of Boston; Missionary to the Penobscot Indians; Friend of President John Adams; Advisor to our State Legislature; One of America’s noblest priests. He stood by the bedside of Catholic and Protestant alike. This tablet placed by a group of Protestant Businessmen, 1950.”
Cheverus in literature
Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, is one of the principal characters in the novel "The Garden of Martyrs" by Michael C. White. The fictional account of the historic murder in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1805 and the conviction of James Halligan and Dominic DaleyDominic Daley
Dominic Daley was an Irishman who emigrated to America and lived and worked in Boston. He and James Halligan were arrested on November 12, 1805 and convicted for the murder of Marcus Lyon. They protested their innocence, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, a priest from Boston came, with great...
. The conviction was doubtfull because of the bigotry of the period toward Catholics, and Irish Catholics in particular. Cheverus came to assist Dominic Daley
Dominic Daley
Dominic Daley was an Irishman who emigrated to America and lived and worked in Boston. He and James Halligan were arrested on November 12, 1805 and convicted for the murder of Marcus Lyon. They protested their innocence, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, a priest from Boston came, with great...
, one of his parishioners in Boston, at great personal risk, in his last days and he was present at the execution in 1806.
Places named for Cheverus
- Cheverus High SchoolCheverus High SchoolCheverus High School is a private, Jesuit, college-preparatory school in Portland, Maine. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. Cheverus High School was founded in 1917 as a Diocesan school and was named after French Roman Catholic Cardinal Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus...
, a Jesuit College Preparatory school in Portland, MainePortland, MainePortland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. - Cheverus Hall, a dorm at Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. - Collège Cheverus, a French secondary international school.
- Cheverus Centennial School, a Catholic Elementary school in Malden, MassachusettsMalden, MassachusettsMalden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
. - College Cheverus, Public Middle school, Bordeaux, France.