Jules Jeanmard
Encyclopedia
Jules Benjamin Jeanmard was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana
from 1918 to 1956.
, Louisiana
, to Jules and Frances Maria (née Brown) Jeanmard. He received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Bernard Church in his native city. He then attended St. Joseph Seminary
in Gessen and Holy Cross College
in New Orleans. He studied for the priesthood
at St. Louis Diocesan Seminary in New Orleans and at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis
, Missouri
.
Jeanmard was ordained
a priest in New Orleans on June 10, 1903. His first assignment was as a curate
at St. Louis Cathedral
, where he served through the yellow fever
epidemic of 1905. He served as secretary to Archbishop James Blenk
from 1906 to 1914, and chancellor
of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
from 1914 to 1917. He also served as vicar general
for spiritual affairs of the archdiocese. Following the death of Archbishop Blenk, he served as apostolic administrator
of New Orleans from 1917 to 1918. He then served as apostolic administrator of the newly-erected Diocese of Lafayette
.
On July 18, 1918, Jeanmard was appointed the first Bishop of Lafayette
by Pope Benedict XV
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 8 from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano
, with Bishops Theophile Meerschaert
and John Marie Laval serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first native Louisianan to become a Catholic bishop.
During his 38-year tenure, Jeanmard established Immaculata Seminary, St. Mary's Orphan Home, Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House, the Catholic Student Center at the University of Southwestern Louisiana
, a retreat wing of the Most Holy Sacrament Convent, a Carmelite monastery, and numerous schools and churches. He encouraged diocesan-sponsored television
programs, religious radio programs in both English
and French
, and a diocesan newspaper
The Southwest Louisiana Register. He also issued pastoral letter
s in support of the rights of labor to organize. In 1943, he was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
by Pope Pius XII
in 1943.
In March 1923, when the citizens of Lafayette
were on the verge of rioting following a public reading of the Ku Klux Klan
, Jeanmard encouraged the people to return to their homes. In 1934, he welcomed the first African American
priests into the diocese. He also established a number of separate parishes
for African Americans, whom he did not want intimidated or infringed upon by whites. With financial assistance from Mother Katharine Drexel
, he helped establish a number of rural parochial schools for African Americans. In November 1955, he excommunicated
two women in Erath
after they beat another woman who taught an integrated
catechism class.
On March 13, 1956, Jeanmard retired as Bishop of Lafayette; he was appointed titular bishop
of Bareta by Pius XII on the same date. He later died at a hospital in Lake Charles
, at age 77. He is interred at St. John Cathedral
in Lafayette.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...
from 1918 to 1956.
Biography
Jules Jeanmard was born in Breaux BridgeBreaux Bridge, Louisiana
Breaux Bridge is a city in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population is 8,139 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, to Jules and Frances Maria (née Brown) Jeanmard. He received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Bernard Church in his native city. He then attended St. Joseph Seminary
Saint Joseph Seminary College
Saint Joseph Seminary College, also known as St. Ben or St. Ben's, is a private four-year seminary college founded in 1891. It is operated by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Joseph Abbey and the dioceses of the ecclesiastical provinces of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The piney woods campus is...
in Gessen and Holy Cross College
Our Lady of Holy Cross College
Our Lady of Holy Cross College is a liberal arts college in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:OLHCC was founded in 1916 as a two year normal school by the Marianites of Holy Cross. Its original location was in the Bywater area of New Orleans. It became a 4 year institution in 1938. In 1947, a ...
in New Orleans. He studied for the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
at St. Louis Diocesan Seminary in New Orleans and at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Jeanmard was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest in New Orleans on June 10, 1903. His first assignment was as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
Saint Louis Cathedral , also known as the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans; it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States...
, where he served through the yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic of 1905. He served as secretary to Archbishop James Blenk
James Blenk
James Hubert Herbert Blenk, S.M. was a German American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Puerto Rico and Archbishop of New Orleans .-Biography:...
from 1906 to 1914, and chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
from 1914 to 1917. He also served as vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
for spiritual affairs of the archdiocese. Following the death of Archbishop Blenk, he served as apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of New Orleans from 1917 to 1918. He then served as apostolic administrator of the newly-erected Diocese of Lafayette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...
.
On July 18, 1918, Jeanmard was appointed the first Bishop of Lafayette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...
by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following December 8 from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano
Giovanni Bonzano
Giovanni Vincenzo Cardinal Bonzano PIME was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Delegate to United States from 1912 to 1922, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1922.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Theophile Meerschaert
Theophile Meerschaert
Theophile Meerschaert was a Belgian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oklahoma in the United States from 1891 until his death in 1924.-Biography:...
and John Marie Laval serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He was the first native Louisianan to become a Catholic bishop.
During his 38-year tenure, Jeanmard established Immaculata Seminary, St. Mary's Orphan Home, Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House, the Catholic Student Center at the University of Southwestern Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, a retreat wing of the Most Holy Sacrament Convent, a Carmelite monastery, and numerous schools and churches. He encouraged diocesan-sponsored television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs, religious radio programs in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and a diocesan newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
The Southwest Louisiana Register. He also issued pastoral letter
Pastoral letter
A Pastoral letter, often called simply a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances...
s in support of the rights of labor to organize. In 1943, he was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1943.
In March 1923, when the citizens of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
were on the verge of rioting following a public reading of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, Jeanmard encouraged the people to return to their homes. In 1934, he welcomed the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
priests into the diocese. He also established a number of separate parishes
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
for African Americans, whom he did not want intimidated or infringed upon by whites. With financial assistance from Mother Katharine Drexel
Katharine Drexel
Saint Katharine Drexel, S.B.S., was an American Religious Sister, heiress, philanthropist and educator, later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.-Life and religious work:...
, he helped establish a number of rural parochial schools for African Americans. In November 1955, he excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
two women in Erath
Erath, Louisiana
Erath is a town in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,187 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abbeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.Erath is home of the Acadian Museum....
after they beat another woman who taught an integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
catechism class.
On March 13, 1956, Jeanmard retired as Bishop of Lafayette; he was appointed titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Bareta by Pius XII on the same date. He later died at a hospital in Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, at age 77. He is interred at St. John Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana)
The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, originally called l'Église St-Jean du Vermilion, is a historic Roman Catholic cathedral. It was the first church in the Lafayette Parish, founded in 1821 on property donated by Jean Mouton...
in Lafayette.