James Oliver Van de Velde
| James Oliver Van de Velde, SJ | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Natchez | |
 |
|
| Church | Roman Catholicism |
| See | Diocese of Natchez |
| In office |
1849-1852 (Chicago) 1853–1855 (Natchez) |
| Predecessor |
William Quarter (Chicago) John J. Chanche (Natchez) |
| Successor |
Anthony O'Regan (Chicago) William Henry Elder (Natchez) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | September 25, 1827 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 3, 1795 Belgium |
| Died | November 13, 1855 Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| Previous post |
Diocese of Chicago Bishop of Chicago Bishop |
1849-1852 (Chicago)
William Quarter (Chicago)
Anthony O'Regan (Chicago)
James Oliver Van de Velde (April 3, 1795 – November 13, 1855) was a U.S. Catholic bishop born in Belgium. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health. In 1853, the transfer was granted; Van de Velde became bishop of the Diocese of Natchez, in Mississippi, where he served until his death two years later.
His full name, almost never referenced in any materials about his life or religious career, was John Andrew James Oliver Benedict Rottheir Van de Velde.
Van de Velde was born April 3, 1795, near Dendermonde, Belgium, known more commonly in French as Termonde. He was soon given to a "pious aunty" to raise in St. Amand, in Flanders. A priest, fleeing the French Revolution, was staying with the same family and encouraged the boy to be devout. At the age of ten, Van de Velde was sent to a boarding school in Ghent. He did so well that by the age of eighteen he was teaching French and Flemish.
He had been teaching for only a short time when the Battle of Waterloo changed the political situation of the Low Countries. Belgium was reunited with the Netherlands under William of Orange who was known for his vicious persecutions of Catholics. Planning to emigrate to England or Italy, Van de Velde began studying English and Italian. However, a seminary director persuaded him to stay in Belgium and teach Latin, French, and Flemish, while studying religion with the possibility of joining the priesthood.
...
Wikipedia