Pere Dagobert
Encyclopedia
Father Dagobert de Longuory (a.k.a. Père Dagobert) was a Capuchin
monk
who arrived in New Orleans from Quebec
in 1722. In 1745, he became priest of St. Louis Cathedral, and later was appointed as vicar general
of the diocese. He was active regionally for over 50 years and died in 1776.
While largely overlooked today, his contributions to New Orleans and its people are significant and enduring. One finds numerous references to him in historical accounts of 18th-century New Orleans, and despite sometimes conflicting information, it is agreed that he was a seminal figure in the spiritual and social life of the city.
Following are some themes that reoccur throughout historical documents.
He Was:
The consensus in historical texts is that his substantial political and social influence came, in large part, from his popularity.
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
who arrived in New Orleans from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in 1722. In 1745, he became priest of St. Louis Cathedral, and later was appointed 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...
of the diocese. He was active regionally for over 50 years and died in 1776.
While largely overlooked today, his contributions to New Orleans and its people are significant and enduring. One finds numerous references to him in historical accounts of 18th-century New Orleans, and despite sometimes conflicting information, it is agreed that he was a seminal figure in the spiritual and social life of the city.
Following are some themes that reoccur throughout historical documents.
He Was:
- Regarded as a great champion of the poor, and beloved by the people of New Orleans
- Praised for his kindness and love of the people of New Orleans, and their customs.
- A little "rotund" and described as "jolly."
- A great lover of food and wine, and was even described as a "gastronome."
- Criticized by the Spanish clergy for being too lax with regard to Catholic ritual.
- Non-traditional in that he wore a tricone hat and other non-sanctioned garb.
- Noted for celebrating births and marriages at homes of his parishioners, and even frequented taverns.
- In charge of Charity HospitalCharity HospitalCharity Hospital was one of two teaching hospitals which were part of the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans . Three weeks after the events of Hurricane Katrina, then Governor Kathleen Blanco said that Charity Hospital would not reopen, even though the military had scrubbed the building to...
for 8 years in the 1750s - Quite famous regionally and even somewhat nationally well into the 20th century.
The consensus in historical texts is that his substantial political and social influence came, in large part, from his popularity.