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March 2007 Issue
A glimpse
at our past
| Editor’s
note: The following is a recurring column on our diocesan
history, authored by Grand Rapids Diocesan Archivist Father
Dennis W. Morrow. The Diocese of
Grand Rapids is 125 years old in 2007. Our most senior
priest, Father Edward Bielskas, has been ordained for
only 65 of those years. It stands to reason that many
of the names in the diocesan necrology (see Necrology
notes) are no longer recognized by any living soul, except
perhaps as names one has run across in a parish or diocesan
history. |
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From time to time, this column will help us
to remember some of these important names in our diocesan
history.
The name of Father Peter J. DeSmedt occurs
on March 1, the date on which he died in1892 at the age of
47. Despite the similarity of names, he is not to be confused
with his Belgian countryman, Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet, S.J.
(1801- 1873), the famous Indian missionary of the western
United States who hailed from East Flanders.
Our Father DeSmedt was born in West Flanders
and completed his seminary education at the American College
at Leuven in 1869-70. Having been accepted by the Diocese
(now Archdiocese) of Detroit, he came to work in Michigan
at Lexington, at St. Anne Parish in Detroit, and at Newport.
In 1875, he was named pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish,
Hubbardston, where he served seven years. He spent the last
10 years of his life as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Cheboygan,
which became part of the newly established Diocese of Grand
Rapids in May 1882. Father DeSmedt was fluent in English,
Flemish, French and German, and he enjoyed mathematics. He
died of influenza and pneumonia and is buried in Calvary Cemetery
in Cheboygan.
Necrology notes
A necrology is a list of deceased persons,
organized alphabetically, chronologically or in some other
way. The necrology of diocesan priests is printed on the Ordo,
a small book found in most sacristies, which is intended as
a guide for the priest as he prepares for Mass each day. The
names of his brother priests who have died are arranged according
to month and date so they might be conveniently noted and
remembered at Mass.
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