John Baptist Brondel
| Jean-Baptiste Brondel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
23 February 1842 Bruges, Belgium |
| Died | 3 November 1903 (aged 61) Helena, Montana |
| Occupation | Catholic bishop |
Jean-Baptiste Brondel (23 February 1842 – 3 November 1903) was a Belgian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served in Canada as Bishop of Vancouver Island (1879–83) and in the United States as Bishop of Helena (1884–1903).
Jean-Baptiste Brondel was born in Bruges to Charles Joseph and Isabella (née Becquet) Brondel. One of seven children, he was the youngest of his parents' five sons; his eldest brother and one of his sisters also pursued religious careers. He received his early education from the Xaverian Brothers in his native city. In 1852, he entered the College of St. Louis in Bruges, where he studied for ten years. Inspired by the works of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, he decided to become a missionary in North America. He then studied philosophy and theology at the American College of Louvain.
Brondel was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx on 17 December 1864. At age 24, he was below the age requirement for ordination but was granted a dispensation by Pope Pius IX. He continued his studies at the American College for two more years, and arrived at Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, in 1866. He taught at Holy Angels College in Vancouver for one year before coming to the Washington Territory, where he served as rector of the church at Steilacoom with its attendant missions for ten years. During his tenure there, he also built churches in Tacoma and Olympia. He was transferred to Walla Walla in 1877, but returned to Steilacoom the following year.
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