The Castle In Indiana
On a cold, Sunday afternoon recently, my husband and I visited Bruté College Seminary near the campus of Marian University in Indianapolis. Andrew Thomas and Luke Hassler, seminarians from the Diocese of Evansville, gave us a guided tour of the building, which was once a Carmelite Monastery. Commonly called the “Castle on the Hill,” this building with a stone and rock exterior is complete with turrets, arched windows and doors.
The Carmelite Sisters built the monastery in 1932, and the Medieval and Romanesque architecture is beautiful. The design for their cloistered community is still very evident; and it captures a sense of holiness and prayer, which makes the building very unique. As their community began to dwindle, these Carmelites joined the sisters in Oldenburg, Ind. The “castle” was acquired by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2008, and now serves as a seminary, with Fr. Bob Robeson as Rector. Fr. Jeff Read, associate pastor of Precious Blood, Jasper, and St. Mary, Ireland, was the first alumnus of Bruté Seminary to be ordained to priesthood – in June 2012. The history of the Diocese of Evansville has many firsts in the records of the Catholic Church in the United States.
There are countless books studied on the topic of American History and the political figures that formed our government. The story of the United States is youthful compared to the Catholic Church, which has more than 2,000 years chronicled from the beginning of Sacred Scripture. But the accounts of the faithful men and women who braved the wilderness to bring the Church to the United States is not as publicized.
I believe we should be more deliberate in sharing information about the sacrifices of these saintly people who brought the faith to our country – particularly in our own diocese and the state of Indiana. The Catholic presence of a priest, and the strong faith of these men and women, influenced society and continue in the institutions of learning, universities, and hospitals they established.
“The Reflections on the Life and Times of Simon Guillaume Gabriel Bruté de Remur—Pioneer-Scholar-Bishop of Vincennes,” was written by the Most Rev. Daniel M. Buechlein, now Archbishop Emeritus of Indianapolis, and was published by Criterion Press, Inc., in 2005. The booklet focuses on the life and ministry of the first bishop of Indiana – and the Diocese of Vincennes, which was established in 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI. The territory covered the entire state of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois. Bishop Bruté traveled the region by foot, horseback and flatboat. Neighboring Indians called him “chief of the black robes and a man of true prayer.” Archbishop Buechlein wrote these words about Simon Bruté, “He was intellectually gifted, and one of the first significant theologians to guide the leadership of the Church in the United States.”
This important piece of history belongs to us! Bishop Bruté witnessed persecution of the faith and Catholic priests during the French Revolution as a young boy. He came to America in 1810 as a young priest, and was a Spiritual Director for Elizabeth Ann Seton, the First American to be canonized. He became an American citizen in 1835 because of requirements for land ownership; he then sought money from France to build St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, a library, parochial schools and a seminary. There is a crypt in the basement of the Cathedral where Bruté and three other bishops are buried. In 2005, Archbishop Buechlein opened a Cause for the canonization of Bishop Bruté. We are blessed to participate in this process.
Our visit and conversation with the seminarians affirmed our need, as lay people in the Catholic Church, to promote the faith by supporting the formation of our priests. The beautiful “castle” in Indiana is a reminder of the history we share universally, and the responsibility we have to protect our faith. There is no better way than to support the formation of those who lead us. Pray for vocations to priesthood and religious life, so that there will be no dwindling of faithful Catholics. Amen!
