Theodore J. Van den Broek
Encyclopedia
Theodore J. van den Broek (5 November 1783 – 5 November 1851) was a Dutch Dominican
missionary to the United States.
, Netherlands
in June 1784. His paternal grandparents were Abraham van den Broek and Alida Verhaar from Uden
, Noord Brabant, Netherlands
. He apparently spent time there as a youth. His parents were known to be wealthy, he was highly educated and he was fluent in six languages. He made his studies in Holland, was ordained in Germany in 1809, and was received into the Dominican Order in 1817. In 1819 he as appointed to Alkmaar
, where he published "Sermons for all Sundays and Holidays".
On 15 August 1832, with seven other missionaries, he arrived in Baltimore
, and thence went to Cincinnati. He was 49 years old. The missionaries were sent to different places, and Father Van den Broek eventually went to the convent of St. Rose in Kentucky
. After a short stay at St. Rose he was removed to Somerset, Ohio
.
While at Somerset, he met a member of the Grignon family, who were establlished near Green Bay
. Hearing of the condition of the Native Americans
in Michigan
(now Wisconsin
), he obtained permission from Archbishop
John Baptist Purcell
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
to go to them, and arrived at Green Bay, Wisconsin
, 4 July 1834. He found there only ten Catholic families. He completed the church and priest's house begun by Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
, and devoted himself to the Indians during an epidemic of cholera
, aided by two Sisters Clara and Theresa Bourdalou.
In Green Bay he again met with the Grignons, and probably through this contact he went to La Petite Chute in 1836. There he built the first church for the Menominee Indians, St. John Nepomucene, one of several he would establish in the area. In 1836, at the request of the Native Americans of Little Chute
, he took up his residence with them. He taught them the alphabet and to read Bishop
Frederic Baraga
's prayer-books and catechisms. The following year he built a log church thirty by twenty-two feet and in 1839 he built an addition thereto of twenty feet.
He had no income outside of his own resources; he built his first church himself, with the aid of Native Americans. He was both priest and physician at Butte des Morts
, Fort Winnebago
, Fond du Lac
, Prairie du Chien
, Lake Poygan
, Calumet
, and the Native American village on the Milwaukee River
. He taught the use of tools and agriculture, and with Native American help he built a church seventy feet long, which he dedicated to St. John Nepomucene.
As the mission at Green Bay was for some time without a resident priest, Father Van den Broek frequently said Mass on Sundays at each place, walking the intervening distance of twenty-two miles. He made journeys of two hundred miles, to minister to Menominee
and Ho-Chunk
tribes. In Green Bay Father Van den Broek also met Morgan Lewis Martin
, who was in charge of the local canal project. Father Van den Broek purchased land in the area which he later hoped to sell. In that same year, 1836, the Menominees signed the “Treaty of the Cedars
” which required them to give up title to the local land and move beyond the Wolf River
to the west. This deprived him of most of his constituents at Little Chute.
Between 1836 and 1844 he converted and baptized over eight hundred Native Americans. He also began to write letters about the area to groups in the Netherlands. The letters appeared in the Roman Catholic paper, De Tijd (The Times) beginning in 1843.
In 1847 his parents died. Father Van den Broek went back to the Netherlands to settle his parents’ estate. After having obtained a priest to temporarily replace him, he sailed for Europe, arriving at Amsterdam on 13 August 1847. The estate settlement was not very beneficial and he found himself nearly destitute. As St. John Nepomucene parishioners were significantly reduced after the Treaty of the Cedars, he used the trip as an opportunity to again write in De Tijd, advertising the mission, the land at La Petite Chute and employment opportunities associated with the Fox River Canal, which included free passage to America for workers. The results were immediate and, by 1848, three wooden sailing vessels left for America carrying Father Van den Broek and about 900 Dutch settlers.
On November 5, 1851 Father Van den Broek died at age 68, leaving behind a propering Dutch community at Little Chute
. He is buried under the present St. John Nepomucene Church.
Attribution
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
missionary to the United States.
Life
The second child of Abraham van den Broek and Elisabeth de Meijne, he was born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in June 1784. His paternal grandparents were Abraham van den Broek and Alida Verhaar from Uden
Uden
Uden is a municipality and a town in the province of Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.- History :Uden was first recorded around 1190 as “Uthen”. However, earlier settlements have been found in the areas of the modern day Moleneind, Vorstenburg and Bitswijk and evidence of ice-age settlements has been...
, Noord Brabant, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He apparently spent time there as a youth. His parents were known to be wealthy, he was highly educated and he was fluent in six languages. He made his studies in Holland, was ordained in Germany in 1809, and was received into the Dominican Order in 1817. In 1819 he as appointed to Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
, where he published "Sermons for all Sundays and Holidays".
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, and thence went to Cincinnati. He was 49 years old. The missionaries were sent to different places, and Father Van den Broek eventually went to the convent of St. Rose in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. After a short stay at St. Rose he was removed to Somerset, Ohio
Somerset, Ohio
Somerset is a village in Perry County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,549 at the 2000 census.Saint Joseph Church, the oldest Catholic church in Ohio, is located just outside of Somerset on State Route 383.-Geography:...
.
While at Somerset, he met a member of the Grignon family, who were establlished near Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. Hearing of the condition of the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(now Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
), he obtained permission from Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
to go to them, and arrived at Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, 4 July 1834. He found there only ten Catholic families. He completed the church and priest's house begun by Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, O.P. was a pioneer Italian Catholic missionary who helped bring the church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-state area. He founded a number of parishes in the area, and was the architect for a number of parish buildings.-Background:Father Mazzuchelli was born...
, and devoted himself to the Indians during an epidemic of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, aided by two Sisters Clara and Theresa Bourdalou.
In Green Bay he again met with the Grignons, and probably through this contact he went to La Petite Chute in 1836. There he built the first church for the Menominee Indians, St. John Nepomucene, one of several he would establish in the area. In 1836, at the request of the Native Americans of Little Chute
Little Chute, Wisconsin
Little Chute is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,476 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Little Chute is located at ....
, he took up his residence with them. He taught them the alphabet and to read Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga, Servant of God was a Slovene American Roman Catholic missionary, bishop, and grammarian.-Early life:Frederic Baraga was born as Friderik Irenej Baraga in the manor house at Mala Vas no...
's prayer-books and catechisms. The following year he built a log church thirty by twenty-two feet and in 1839 he built an addition thereto of twenty feet.
He had no income outside of his own resources; he built his first church himself, with the aid of Native Americans. He was both priest and physician at Butte des Morts
Butte des Morts, Wisconsin
Butte des Morts is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Winneconne, in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 962. The community is located at the north side of Lake Butte des Morts on the former route of Wisconsin Highway 110. The...
, Fort Winnebago
Fort Winnebago
This article is about the U.S. Army fort. For the civil township of the same name, see Fort Winnebago, WisconsinFort Winnebago was a 19th century fortification of the United States Army located on a hill between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers in Portage, Wisconsin...
, Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
, Lake Poygan
Lake Poygan
Lake Poygan, located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin near the village of Winneconne, is an expansive widening of the Wolf River totaling over 14,000 acres . Lake Poygan is part of the Winnebago Pool, a series of interconnected lakes fed by both the Fox and Wolf Rivers...
, Calumet
Calumet, Wisconsin
Calumet is a town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,514 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Calumetville, Garnet, Johnsburg, Marytown, and Pipe are located within the town.-History:...
, and the Native American village on the Milwaukee River
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.- Description :The river begins in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and flows south past Grafton to downtown Milwaukee, where it empties into Lake Michigan...
. He taught the use of tools and agriculture, and with Native American help he built a church seventy feet long, which he dedicated to St. John Nepomucene.
As the mission at Green Bay was for some time without a resident priest, Father Van den Broek frequently said Mass on Sundays at each place, walking the intervening distance of twenty-two miles. He made journeys of two hundred miles, to minister to Menominee
Menominee
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. The Menominee, along with the Ho-Chunk, are the only tribes that are indigenous to what is now Wisconsin...
and Ho-Chunk
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
tribes. In Green Bay Father Van den Broek also met Morgan Lewis Martin
Morgan Lewis Martin
Morgan Lewis Martin was a delegate to the United States Congress from Wisconsin Territory from 1845 to 1847.-Career:...
, who was in charge of the local canal project. Father Van den Broek purchased land in the area which he later hoped to sell. In that same year, 1836, the Menominees signed the “Treaty of the Cedars
Treaty of the Cedars
The Treaty of the Cedars was concluded on the Fox River, west of what is today the village of Little Chute, Wisconsin, on September 3, 1836. Under the treaty, the Menominee Indian nation ceded to the United States about of land for $700,000...
” which required them to give up title to the local land and move beyond the Wolf River
Wolf River (Fox River)
The Wolf River, long, is one of the two National Scenic Rivers in Wisconsin, along with the St. Croix River. The scenic portion is long. It rises in the north woods of the state, with the northernmost fork stemming from Pine Lake in Forest County. The river then flows south through Langlade and...
to the west. This deprived him of most of his constituents at Little Chute.
Between 1836 and 1844 he converted and baptized over eight hundred Native Americans. He also began to write letters about the area to groups in the Netherlands. The letters appeared in the Roman Catholic paper, De Tijd (The Times) beginning in 1843.
On November 5, 1851 Father Van den Broek died at age 68, leaving behind a propering Dutch community at Little Chute
Little Chute, Wisconsin
Little Chute is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,476 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Little Chute is located at ....
. He is buried under the present St. John Nepomucene Church.
External links
Little Chute Historical Society, Little Chute, WisconsinAttribution