Benjamin Petit facts for kids

Benjamin Marie Petit (born April 8, 1811 – died February 10, 1839) was a Catholic priest and missionary. He worked with the Potawatomi people at Twin Lakes, Indiana, from November 1837 to September 1838.

Father Petit was born in Rennes, France. He first studied to become a lawyer at the University of Rennes. After working as a lawyer for three years, he decided to become a priest instead. He went to the Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris to study. In 1836, he chose to move to the United States. He wanted to become a missionary and help Native American communities.

He traveled to New York with Bishop Simon Bruté. Bishop Bruté was the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Vincennes. Father Petit was sent to Vincennes, Indiana. Bishop Bruté made him a priest on October 14, 1837. Just a month later, the bishop sent him to work with the Potawatomi people in northern Indiana.

Father Petit was known for being very kind and caring towards the Potawatomi. He even joined them on their difficult journey in 1838. They were forced to move to new lands along the Osage River in what is now Osawatomie, Kansas. This journey was about 660 miles (1,062 km) long and took 61 days. It is now known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death.

On his way back to Indiana in 1839, Father Petit became very sick. He died at a Jesuit seminary in St. Louis (now Saint Louis University) when he was only 27 years old. His body is buried under the Log Chapel at the University of Notre Dame. A special marker honoring Father Petit was placed in Linn County, Kansas, in 2003. We know a lot about his work and experiences from the many letters he wrote to his family and friends.

Early Life and Becoming a Priest

Benjamin Marie Petit was born on April 8, 1811, in Rennes, France. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Chauvin Petit. He finished his studies at the University of Rennes in 1829. He then graduated from its law school in 1832.

After working as a lawyer for three years, he decided to change his path. He entered the Seminary of Saint Sulpice in Paris. There, he began studying to become a priest. By April 1836, Father Petit decided he wanted to be a missionary in the United States.

Around the same time, Bishop Simon Bruté was visiting France. Bishop Bruté was the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Vincennes in Indiana. He might have encouraged Father Petit to become a missionary among the Native Americans in Indiana.

Father Petit sailed to New York City in June 1836 with Bishop Bruté's group. They arrived on July 21, 1836. Father Petit was sent to Vincennes. He took his first steps toward becoming a priest there. He became a deacon on September 23, 1837. Bishop Bruté then made him a Roman Catholic priest on October 14, 1837, in Vincennes.

His Work as a Missionary

The Twin Lakes Mission

In October 1837, Bishop Bruté sent Father Petit to the Catholic mission at Twin Lakes, Indiana. He was replacing Father Louis Deseille, who had passed away. Father Deseille had been working with the Potawatomi people in northern Indiana. Father Petit arrived at the mission on November 3, 1837.

The Potawatomi people gave him a special name: "Chichipe Outipe," which means "Little Duck." Father Petit had studied law in France. He tried to help the Potawatomi write a legal appeal. They wanted to stop being forced to move from their land. But his efforts did not work.

Within a few months, Father Petit realized the Potawatomi would have to move. They were being sent to new lands west of the Mississippi River. In July 1838, he told Bishop Bruté that the Potawatomi's fight to stay in Indiana had failed. He wrote, "the land is lost, and without recourse, I believe."

Father Petit was known for his kindness and passion for the Potawatomi. He was very sad about them having to leave Indiana. He also felt sad about the Catholic mission at Twin Lakes closing. In a letter to his family on September 14, 1838, he wrote, "It is sad, I assure you, for a missionary to see a young and vigorous work expire in his arms."

He also described his pain during the mission's last moments. He gathered all the children to speak to them one last time. He wrote, "I wept and my auditors sobbed aloud; it was indeed a heartrending sight." He prayed for their new missions in their new homes.

The Potawatomi Trail of Death

On August 29, 1838, General John Tipton and a local militia visited the Potawatomi village at Twin Lakes. This was near Plymouth, Indiana. In the days that followed, they prepared for the Potawatomi's forced removal. They were to move to new lands along the Osage River in what is now Osawatomie, Kansas.

On September 4, General Tipton ordered the march to begin. This two-month journey later became known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death. Father Petit wanted to go with his Potawatomi friends. He wanted to stay with them "at least until I can place them in the hands of another pastor." But Bishop Bruté first said no.

The Potawatomi began their march to Kansas without Father Petit. However, the bishop soon changed his mind. On September 7, three days after the Potawatomi left Twin Lakes, Father Petit agreed to General Tipton's invitation to join them.

Father Petit caught up with the group at Danville, Illinois, on September 16, 1838. He then stayed with the Potawatomi for the rest of their journey. He described his arrival on that Sunday: "I came in sight of my Christians, under a burning noonday sun, amidst clouds of dust, marching in a line, surrounded by soldiers who were hurrying their steps." He noted that many children were weak from the heat. He baptized several newborns, calling them "happy Christians."

General Tipton wrote on September 18, 1838, that Father Petit "has, both by example and precept, produced a very favorable change in the morals and industry of the Indians." He believed Father Petit's dedication would help the Potawatomi when they reached their new home.

Out of 859 Potawatomi who started the journey, 756 survived. 42 people died, and others managed to escape. The group included 286 horses, 26 wagons, and 100 soldiers. The journey covered about 660 miles (1,062 km) over 61 days. Conditions were often hot, dry, and dusty.

During the journey, Father Petit held mass and blessed the graves of those who died. He also baptized dying children, including newborns. He cared for the sick and helped the doctors by translating. Father Petit himself became very ill with a high fever. He suffered from exhaustion and weakness, just like many of the Potawatomi. They also had eye problems from the sun, dust, and wind. He later said that conditions improved when they reached Missouri. This was especially true after the Potawatomi were allowed to hunt for food.

When they arrived at their new lands along the Osage River on November 4, 1838, the Potawatomi were placed under a local Indian agent. Father Petit arranged for Christian Hoecken, another missionary, to take over his work. Father Petit was very weak from the journey and still sick. He stayed in the area for six weeks to get better. On December 23, 1838, he received a letter from Bishop Bruté asking him to return to Vincennes.

His Death

Father Petit and his Potawatomi friend, Abraham Burnett, started their trip back to Indiana on January 2, 1839. After riding horses for 150 miles (241 km), Father Petit became too sick to continue. He took a stagecoach to Jefferson City, Missouri. Still too weak to ride a horse, Father Petit traveled east in an open wagon. It was raining, and the roads were bad. He reached the Jesuit seminary in St. Louis, Missouri (which later became Saint Louis University) on January 15, 1839. He arrived exhausted and weak from repeated fevers, with many sores on his body.

Father Petit hoped to recover in St. Louis and return to Indiana. But his condition worsened on February 6. He died at the Jesuit seminary on February 10, 1839. He was only 27 years and 10 months old. A mass was held for him in the seminary's chapel on February 12.

When Bishop Bruté heard the sad news, he held a special mass in the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Vincennes on February 18, 1839. He gave a touching speech about Father Petit, who was known as the "Seraphic Benjamin Petit."

Father Petit was first buried in an old cemetery in St. Louis. In 1857, Father Edward Sorin brought Father Petit's remains to St. Mary's Lake in Indiana. He was reburied in Father Stephen Badin's log chapel. This is now the site of the University of Notre Dame.

Legacy and Honors

Father Petit's remains are honored under the Log Chapel at the University of Notre Dame. Because of his dedicated service to the Potawatomi, the Catholic Church remembers Father Petit as a martyr of charity. This means he showed great love and sacrifice for others.

A special marker honoring Father Petit was placed at St. Philippine Duchesne Park in Linn County, Kansas. This was the former site of the Potawatomi's Sugar Creek Mission. The marker includes large rocks from Kansas and Missouri and a map of the Trail of Death route. The memorial was officially opened on Sunday, September 28, 2003.

Father Petit's chalice, a special cup used in church services, went with him on the Trail of Death. After his death, it was returned to Bishop Bruté. This chalice is now displayed at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Vincennes, Indiana.