Pioneer Priests of Indiana: Joseph
Kundek and August Bessonies
Department
of History, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
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The
struggle against anti-Catholicism is usually associated with Bishop Noll and
Our Sunday Visitor in this century. However, anti-Catholicism had roots early
in the nineteenth century, and two pioneer Indiana priests attempted to deal
with its manifestations by encouraging Catholic colonization schemes. They were
Joseph Kundek and August Bessonies, both of whom arrived in Indiana in the
1830s, when all of Indiana was still part of the Vincennes diocese. Kundek was born in 1810 in Ivanich, Croatia
which was then part of the Austrian Empire; he died in Jasper, Indiana in 1857.
Bessonies was a French-born seminarian when recruited by Bishop Brute for the
Indiana missions. He was ordained in Vincennes in 1840 and had a distinguished
career in service to the Church until his death in 1901.
A common characteristic of the early careers of both these pioneer
priests was their attempts to encourage Catholic immigration to Indiana and to
establish Catholic colonies where Catholics could practice their religion
freely and be protected from the nativism which was already intense in many
parts of the country. In 1846 Kundek noted in a letter to the Leopoldine
Society in Vienna that Catholic colonies represented "the best means to
protect Catholic immigrants against the loss of their faith" and to guard against
"the inducements and seductions of our adversaries." Kundek realized
his dream in Dubois County where many of the towns--Jasper, Celestine, and
Fulda, for example--owe their establishment and German-Catholic character to
Kundek. The town of Ferdinand was probably Kundek's greatest accomplishment. He purchased the land,
arranged to have it platted, and advertised in the German-language press of
Cincinnati for immigrants to settle there.
Father
Bessonies' early career was associated with Perry County. In the early 1840s he
purchased forty acres north of what was then called "The Chapel" for
the establishment of a town. In recording the deed Bessonies noted that it was
his intention "to promote both the temporal and spiritual welfare" of
the settlers who already were beginning to arrive from Europe. The town that
Bessonies laid out was named Leopold in honor of both the King of Belgium and
the Leopoldine Society that had provided funds for the construction of a church
and the purchase of land.
Aurele
J. Violette
Cathedral Museum Reflections XV 1 (Fall 1995)
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Comments to Ralph Violette