François Norbert Blanchet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids François Norbert Blanchet |
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| Archbishop of Oregon City | |
Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet
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| Archdiocese | Oregon City |
| Enthroned | July 24, 1846 |
| Reign ended | December 12, 1880 |
| Successor | Charles John Seghers |
| Other posts | Titular Archbishop of Amida |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | July 18, 1819 |
| Consecration | July 25, 1845 by Ignace Bourget |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 30, 1795 Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) |
| Died | June 18, 1883 (aged 87) Portland, Oregon |
| Buried | St. Paul Catholic Cemetery St. Paul, Oregon |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Parents | Pierre Blanchet |
| Previous post | Vicar Apostolic of the Oregon Territory, Apostolic Administrator of Walla Walla, Titular Bishop of Draso, Titular Bishop of Philadelphia in Arabia |
François Norbert Blanchet (born September 30, 1795 – died June 18, 1883) was a French Canadian priest and church leader. He played a very important role in bringing the Catholic Church to the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
He was one of the first Catholic priests to arrive in the area then known as the Oregon Country. Later, he became the first Bishop and then Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oregon City. Today, this is known as the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
Contents
Early Life and Priesthood
François Norbert Blanchet was born near Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud in what is now Quebec, Canada. He and his younger brother, Augustin-Magloire Blanchet, both studied at the Seminary of Quebec. François became a priest in 1819.
After working for a year at the main church in Quebec, he was sent to do missionary work. He worked with the Micmac and Acadian people in what is now New Brunswick. To help the local Irish people, Blanchet learned to speak English very well. In 1827, he was called back to Montreal and became a pastor, which is a leader of a church.
Missionary Work in Oregon Country
In the 1830s, John McLoughlin, a leader of the Hudson's Bay Company, sent letters. These letters were from French-Canadian Catholic workers who wanted priests to be sent to the Oregon Country. Bishop Norbert Provencher of the Red River Colony suggested sending priests to the Willamette Valley. However, the Hudson's Bay Company wanted the mission to be on the Cowlitz River, north of the Columbia River.
Blanchet was chosen as the main church leader for the Oregon Country. Another priest, Modeste Demers, joined him to help with the missionary work. Their instructions from Archbishop Joseph Signay of Quebec were clear: they needed to learn the local Native American languages. This would help them teach and connect with the people.
On May 3, 1838, the two priests, along with some nuns and other people, left Quebec. They traveled a long way along the York Factory Express route.
Arrival in the Pacific Northwest
On November 18, 1838, they arrived at Fort Nez Percés. This was a fur trade outpost in what is now Washington. Blanchet held church services there and baptized three people who became Catholic. Later that November, they reached Fort Vancouver in present-day Vancouver, Washington. French-Canadians from the Willamette Valley, including Pierre Belleque, Joseph Gervais, and Étienne Lucier, were there to welcome them.
During their winter stay at Fort Vancouver, the priests held services in Chinook Jargon, a trade language. Klickitat people also attended these services. Catholics often had to share worship spaces with Protestant groups, which was not ideal for either group.
Teaching and Community Building
Starting January 3, 1839, Blanchet visited the French Prairie farms. These farms were run by French-Canadians. The first Catholic Mass south of the Columbia River in the Oregon Country was held at the St. Paul church on January 6. Blanchet stayed there for five weeks.
In March 1839, Blanchet visited Cowlitz again. To help explain Catholic ideas, he created the "Sahale stick," or "stick from God." This was a visual teaching tool made from a stick, which later became more detailed with cloth. Other missionaries, like Methodists and Presbyterians, later used similar teaching methods.
In May 1840, Blanchet was the first non-Native American to stay overnight on Whidbey Island. He held Mass outdoors for several tribes, invited by Chief Tslalakum. The chief gave him a large wooden cross. By 1841, the people on the island were building a log church in the same area. Blanchet stayed on the island for almost a year.
Early Government Discussions
In February 1841, meetings were held to decide what to do with the property of a recently deceased settler, Ewing Young. These were the first of the Champoeg Meetings. Two years later, these meetings led to the formation of the Provisional Government of Oregon.
At the first meeting, Jason Lee suggested forming a settler government for the Willamette Valley. This government would include a governor. Blanchet suggested a system with a judge as the highest authority instead. At the next meeting, Blanchet was chosen to help write the laws for the government. However, Blanchet was still against the idea of this political structure. Six months later, he asked to be excused from his duties.
Becoming a Bishop and Archbishop
On December 1, 1843, the Vatican (the central government of the Catholic Church) created the Vicariate Apostolic of the Oregon Territory. This was a special church region. Pope Gregory XVI named Blanchet its leader, called a vicar apostolic.
Since there were no bishops in the West to make him a bishop, Blanchet had to travel all the way back to Quebec. He started his long journey in December 1844. He traveled by steamer on the Columbia River, went to Honolulu, Hawaii, sailed around Cape Horn, landed in Dover, England, took a train to Liverpool, then a ship to Boston, Massachusetts, and finally a train to Montreal. This amazing journey covered 22,000 miles!
Blanchet was made a bishop on July 25, 1845, by Archbishop Ignace Bourget at Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal.
Then, on July 24, 1846, Pope Pius IX divided the Oregon Territory church region into three smaller areas: Oregon City, Vancouver Island, and Walla Walla. Blanchet was named Bishop of Oregon City. His fellow priest, Demers, became Bishop of Vancouver Island, and Blanchet's brother, Augustin Blanchet, became Bishop of Walla Walla.
The Diocese of Oregon City was later made an archdiocese on July 29, 1850. This meant it was a more important church region. François Blanchet was then made an archbishop.
He retired in 1880 but kept the title of archbishop. He passed away in 1883 and is buried at St. Paul Cemetery in St. Paul, Oregon.
His brother, Augustin-Magloire Blanchet, was the Bishop of Walla Walla. Later, he became the Bishop of the Diocese of Nesqually, which is now the Diocese of Seattle.
Legacy
In 1995, the Archdiocese of Portland decided to build a Catholic high school in Salem, Oregon. They approved the plan on the condition that the school be named Blanchet. Blanchet Catholic School opened its doors in 1995.
