Work Progressing On Servant Of God

Work continues on the initial phase of the Cause for Canonization of Servant of God Bishop Simon Bruté, the first bishop of Indiana. He is buried in the crypt under St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Vincennes, which was the seat of our state’s first diocese.

Archbishop-Emeritus Daniel M. Buechlein of Indianapolis formally opened the Cause for Canonization for Bishop Bruté in September 2005. Its first phase, which continues, involves tracing and obtaining copies of all Bishop Bruté’s known writings. Over the years, that work has expanded significantly as more writings were discovered along the way. The Cause’s historical commission must see that all the writings are translated and authenticated. A theological commission then will evaluate them to assure none of their content contradicts Church teachings on doctrines and morals.

“I do not have much in the way of an update to announce,” said Father Joseph Newton, adjunct vicar judicial of the archdiocese, who recently was named vice-postular of the Cause. We are still in the transcribing/translation phase,” he said,  “and I am meeting soon with our volunteer in charge of translation to assess how much is left to translate/transcribe, and to work on strategies to develop funding/donations for hiring professional translators and transcribers.”

When the initial phase is complete, these materials will be submitted to the Vatican as evidence that Bishop Bruté lived a life of heroic virtue. If approved by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Bishop Bruté then would be declared Venerable. At that point, research will shift to gathering details and evidence of miracles attributable to Bishop Bruté.

Bishop Bruté was the founding bishop of the Diocese of Vincennes, which Pope Gregory XVI erected in May 1834. At that time, it included all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois – including Chicago. He served as bishop until his death in June 1839.

Other notes

• All of Indiana remained in the Diocese of Vincennes until 1859, when Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Fort Wayne as a suffragan (subordinate) of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio. It remained such until 1944, when Pope Pius XII made it a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

• The episcopal see formally moved from Vincennes to Indianapolis in 1898, although the fifth bishop of Vincennes, Bishop Francis Chatard, was directed to fix his residence in Indianapolis at his appointment in 1878.

• The 12 counties in the Diocese of Evansville remained in the Diocese of Indianapolis until 1944, when Pope Pius XII made Indianapolis a metropolitan archdiocese and erected the suffragan dioceses of Evansville and Lafayette.

• Pope Pius XII erected the fifth diocese in Indiana, the Diocese of Gary, in December 1956.

• St. Francis Xavier is the oldest Catholic church in Indiana, dating to 1826. It served as the cathedral for the Diocese of Vincennes. Blessed Pope Paul VI elevated St. Francis Xavier to the status of minor basilica in 1970.

• The first four bishops of Vincennes are buried in the crypt under St. Francis Xavier Basilica: Bishop Bruté, Bishop Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière, Bishop Jean Bazin and Bishop Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais.