SAINT LOUIS
360
SAINT LOUIS
The first bishop to be consecrated in the Cathedral of
St. Louis by the Rt. Rev. Bishoji Rosati was the Rt.
Rev. Michael Portier, titular Hi.sliop of Oliensis and
Vicar Apostolic of Alabama and the two Floridas,
the consecration taking place 5 Nov., 1826.
Joseph Rosati. — Born at Sora in the Kingdom of Naples on 12 Jan., 1789, he resolved even in his early days to con.secrate his life to the service of God. In his youth he entered the novitiate of the Fathers of the Congregation of the Mission at Rome, was there jirofessed, and ordained a priest. No record of his ordination is extant, due, no doubt, to the fact that Napoleon at the time held sway in the Eternal City, and he commanded the expulsion and suppression of the Lazarist Fathers. It is evident, however, that it must have been either in 1811 or 1812, as documents show that on 19 Nov., 1812, the usual sacerdotal faculties were given him by the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. His first charge was as assistant to the Rev. Felix de Andreis, CM. This we find him occupying when in the year 181.5 Bishop Du Bourg was con- secrated in Rome. A few days after his consecration Bishop Du Bourg arranged with the cardinal prefect to have a colony of Lazarist Fathers go to America to found a seminar\' and take up missionary work in his new diocese. Rev. Felix de Andreis was ap- pointed superior of this band, and he selected as his associate the Rev. Joseph Rosati and the Rev. John B. Aquaroni. They, together with four lay brothers and two secular priests, the Revs. Joseph Carreti and Andrew Ferrari, and also four ecclesiastical students, on 18 Oct., 1815, departed from Rome for their future field of labour. Bishop Du Bourg, detained at Rome on important and serious business, could not accom- pany them. He, therefore, before their departure, appointed Father de Andreis his vicar-general and Father Rosati director of the seminarians, noting in the appointment of the latter that, should Rev. de .\ndreis die, Father Rosati was to succeed him as vicar-gensral.
On 7 Jan., 1816, the colonists arrived at Bordeaux, took up their residence in the archiepiscopal palace and remained there several months, applying them- selves to the study of the French and Enghsh lan- guages. Finally, 12 June, 1816, they embarked at Bordeaux for Baltimore and landed there 27 July, 1816; thence they proceeded by stage to Pittsburg, and here were delayed several weeks because of low water in the Ohio River, finally arriving at Bards- town during October of 1817. Bishop Flaget received them most cordially and with every mark of affection, and fjlaced at their disposal part of his seminary. Here thf-y remained studying Engli.sh under the tutor- ship of Bishop David, then coadjutor to Bishop Flaget. Father Rosati in a very short time had advanced sufficifnily to be able to preach and hear confessions in the English language, and aside from his occupation as profi's.sfjr of philosophy and theology in the sem- inary, devote himself to parochial work. Wlien in June, 1817, word was received that Bishop Du Bourg had sailed from Bordeaux and would arrive at Annap^jlis about 14 September on his way to St. IjOu'ih, Bishop Haget and Fathers de Andreis and R^wati, with one lay brother, set out on horseback from Bardstown, Ky., to St. Louis, a distance of over thrw- hundred miles, there to arrange a reception for the bishop. After the installation of Bishop Du Bourg at St. I^Miis, Bishfip Flaget and T-'ather Rosati re- turned to Bardstown, leaving Father de Andreis and Brother Blanca at Ste Genevieve, Mo. Father Rfwati remained at Bardstown as rector of the 8f!minar\' until October, 1818, when by order of Bishop Dii Bourg the seminary was transferred to the Barrens, Perr>' Cc;unty, Mo. Father Rosati was its first pn-sident and alw< pastor of the villag«- church. On 1.5 Oct., lS2f), the venerated de Andreis died and was succeeded by leather Rosati as superior of the
Lazarist Fathers and as vicar-general of Bishop
Du Bourg. Admirably did he accomplish the work
devolving on him by virtue of his new appointnient.
Soon, without any conscious effort, he found him.self
surrounded by a body of enthusi;\stic and willing co-
labourers, and his ability and scholarship were soon
manifest throughout the land.
In 1S21 Bishop Du Bourg intended separating Missi.ssippi and other territory from his diocese and pleaded for the appointment of Father Rosati as vicar Apostolic. This dignity the latter's humility prompted him to decline, but later on Rome nominated him titular Bishop of Tenagre, and coadjutor to Bishop Du Bourg. He was enjoined under obedience to accept the nomination, and he remained in this office until the establishment of the Diocese of St. Louis, when he was placed in charge of its destinies and entrusted with the administration of the See of New Orleans. His worth as bishop can be gleaned from the results of his administration. Numerous religious orders were introduced, and during his time and partly by his efforts, the Jesuit Fathers estab- li.shed their novitiate at Florissant, Mo., and founded the western province of the order. In 1827 Bishop Rosati transferred to them the College at St. Louis which has since grown into the present University of St. Louis. The Religious of the Sacred Heart, the Visitation Nuns, and the Sisters of St. Joseph grew and developed by his advice and under his guidance. A home for the orphans, an institute for deaf- mutes and the St. Louis Mullanphy Hospital were made possible by his zeal and untiring efforts. In the year 1831 he began the building of the cathedral church, a beautiful, stately, and at the same time costly, structure, the cornerstone of which was solemnly blessed and laid by him on 1 Aug., 1831.
The solemn consecration of the cathedral took place on 26 Oct., 1834, Bishop Rosati himself lieing the consecrator, assisted by Bishops Flaget of Bards- town, Purcell of Cincinnati, and Brutd of Vincennes in presence of many priests and a great concourse of people. Here too, only two days later, he conse- crated the venerated Bishop Brut6. Even to-day the cathedral stands, a monument of the faith and devo- tion of the Catholics of old St. Louis, the wonder and the admiration of all because of its purity of archi- tecture and solidity of construction. In the midst of his distracting and arduous duties Bishop Rosati yet found time for study and literary work. As a writer he was clear and convincing and many of the ablest and most learned documents of the Four Provincial Councils of Baltimore are the results of his pen. He was a prudent, efficient administrator and an elo- quent speaker, speaking equally well in Italian, French, and English. Mis audiences included men of every rank and station and so convincing were his words and so impressive his personality, that his (!on- verts during the year 1839 luunbered 299. His con- fessional was always surrounded by penitents and in and out of the confessional he was accessible to all who sought his friendship or advice. He permitted himself to call no time his own, but at all hours was reaxly to bestow his best attention upon any person who might ch'sire to .speak with him; thus he came to wield a might v influence for good.
On 2.5 April, 1840, he attended the Fourth Provin- cial Cxiuncil of BaltiriK)re and after its close departed for Rome, where h<> was most graciously received by Pope Gregory XVI. App.)inted by tlx' pope Apos- tolic Delegate to Hayti, he was coiiimi.ssioned to afljust the relationship betwe<'n the Holy See and the Republic of Hayti; he aceei)ted the api)ointment In floing HO, how<'ver, he did not fail to note the danger of leaving his farn-xtending and yet undeveloped dio- ces*' during so U)ng a time without a leader; conse- quently he advised the appointment of a coadjutor.
