Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 407

FATHER LAURENT, rector of St. Mathias' Church, was born on the 22d of February, 1828, near Dijon, France. After attending the schools of his native place, he was sent when ten years of age away from home to begin his classical course. In those days it took nine years to complete the studies, four of which he spent in the old city of Autun. the Bibracte of Caesar's Commentaries, and five years at Plombieres. It is customary in French colleges and seminaries for students to make collections of insects and plants, and study as a pastime entomology and botany. Strange to say, it was that feature which in a great measure caused our subject to leave his country for America. After studying philosophy in Troyes and passing his examination and taking degrees at the old Paris Torbonne, the great question arose, what is to be done now? In that year of Revolution, 1848, it was hard to decide; positions under the Government were unreliable, and no one could tell what or where the end would be. There was then in the city of Troyes a good, holy man from Lyons, who was at the head of a religious publication printed at the capital of Champlain. P. Laurent used to meet him often, and after his successful examination in Paris, Mr. Bernard, a friend and old schoolmate of Bishop Loras, of Dubuque, Iowa, spoke to him about going to America and devoting his life to the service of God, since it could not be done for his own country in the present state of affairs. He depicted to him in glowing terms the greatness of the work done by Bishop Loras among the Indian tribes and in the settlements of the new Territory of Iowa, and the wily abbe added, too, what a glorious field that would be to study the Flora and Fauna of the New World. His words fell on responding soil--the young man begged him to write to Bishop Loras and have him incorporated in his clergy. This was done, and the Bishop admitted the young man and directed him to study German, as that language was very useful among the Teutonic Emigrants.

The Theological Seminary of Strasburg was then celebrated for thoroughness of studies. Thither P. Laurent went, and spent one year in the study of theology and the German language. Next year found him in Einsiedeln, pursuing the same studies. Peaceful Einsiedeln retreat, on top of the Swiss Alps, amid pine tree forests and eternal snows, abode of holy and learned Benedictines, after Monte Casino, the oldest sanctuary of Europe, what a grand place for study and mental improvement ! Painting and music there had their classic home, and what finer vocation could a young man wish for than to spend his days in those learned halls, under the shadow of the grand old abbe church ? But Providence decided otherwise. In 1849 Bishop Loras revisited his old home in Lyons, France. One of his first duties was to write to Dijon to enquire about P. Laurent. Learning he was in Einsiedeln, he at once wrote to him to join him in Lyons, to prepare for going to America. So in the beginning of 1850, reluctantly and sadly, P. Laurent bade farewell to his friends in the land of beautiful lakes, to the snow-covered peaks and pine forests, the European land of the free and home of the brave, and in the cold January crossed the whole Helvetic Confederation, and went to Lyons to spend the remainder of the winter. Thither he was joined by other recruits--young French abbes induced by Bishop Loras to follow him to the wilds of Iowa. In the month of April they left Havre on the sailing-ship "Zurich," and in thirty-five days landed in New York, on the 12th of May. From New York to Albany by steamer, thence to Buffalo by rail, brought the travelers to the terminus of the railroad, and to avoid the stage coach they went by way of the lakes to Milwaukee, and thence to Dubuque, partly by mud wagons and partly by foot. On the following Sunday Bishop Lomas announced from the pulpit to his people that he had brought from across the ocean six young men, two Irishmen, two Frenchmen and two Germans.

P. Laurent was away in a French settlement fifteen miles from Dubuque, when the announcement was made, and on his return was hailed by his comrades as one of the two Germans. That was the greatest cross he had met with so far in America, and not wishing to stay where they took hin for what he was not, he begged to be sent to some college to finish his studies and prepare for ordination. So early in 1851 he went to St. Mary's Seminary, in Perryville, Mo., twelve miles from St. Mary's Landing. There were boys from all parts of the country in that seminary; the late Arch Bishop of Toronto, Ontario, was Superior, and Father Stephen Ryan, now Bishop of Buffalo, Master of Studies, with a corps of worthy good priests, all of the order of Lazarists, for professors. At the end of the classical year P. Laurent came back to Dubuque, was ordained on the 8th of November, 1851, and sent to Muscatine, having learned a great deal in school, and yet ignorant of the world and its ways. Muscatine was a good place to learn, the congregation was small and the duties limited. In silence and meditation, hearing much and saying little, one is likely to acquire experience. In 1853, the old church on Second street being too small had to be enlarged. This was done in the shape of an L. Next year, priests being scarce, the Bishop directed Father Laurent to accompany him to Council Bluffs, and see what could be done on the Missouri River. It was too soon for serious improvements, but lots were purchased, which in 1888 sold for $25,000. At the end of this year we see the young Father a professor at the Mt. St. Bernard Seminary, four miles from Dubuque. That was another comfortable winter quarter, but early in the spring he was sent to Winneshiek County, and the northeastern part of Iowa, to look after the new settlements. In the meantime his place in Muscatine had been successfully filled by German and Irish priests, but the congregation being a mixture of all nations, among which the Irish and German nations predominated in equal proportions, it seems that none would answer the place except one who was neither Irish or German, so they petitioned the Bishop to again send them Father Laurent. The request was granted, and the Father's first duty was to sell the old church house on Second and Cedar streets and buy a block on Eighth, where the present church was built in 1856. It was then a grand building, 40x80 feet, and twenty-seven feet high. This church was enlarged in 1868, and finally the steeple, chimes and clock added in 1880.

In 1876 Father Laurent built St. Mary's German Church of Muscatine, the Germans contributing about one-fourth of the cost, and the Irish-Americans and all others supplying the balance. In 1879 the German portion of the congregation, after twenty-seven years of associated and united life with the Irish, were organized into a congregation of their own. The same year the Catholic cemetery was commenced, roads, bridges and culverts made. The Father seemd to have had a special predilection then for the blessed Virgin, for he called the building intended for the German Church, St. Mary's Church, and the graveyard destined for all the Catholics of Muscatine, the St. Mary's Cemetery.

Father Laurent, although a Frenchman by birth, education and manners, is essentially American, and opposed to anything tending to retard or impede the Americanizing of all races which take refuge on this continent. In 1862, having returned to his old home to visit his parents in the ole Dijon home, they tried to persuade him to remain in France, and by their influence obtained for him a situation as assistant at the Madeleine Church in Paris, to have charge of the floating English population. It was a tempting offer, for the house of worship is one of the finest edifices in the world, in the richest and best quarter of Paris. It took him one day to find out that he could never become accustomed to the bowing, scraping, complimenting of the Old World, which he had forgotten in America, so he tendered his resignation to Cardinal Marlot, and telegraphed home that he was coming back to America. Father Laurent has never had occasion to be sorry for giving up what all his friends then called a splendid oportunity. Had he accepted, the Commune of 1871 would probably have shot him with all the other priests, Deguerry and others. He thinks that perfection is hard to find in this world, but America is nearer perfection than any other country, and his friends here are as dear as those abroad, and in fact it is a question whether the Old World friends would have done for him what was done in Muscatine the past year, 1888. St. Mathias' school buildings, which he had constructed with so much pains and expense during twenty-five years of labor, were consumed by fire on the night of Jan.28, 1888. Sad was the ruin and great the loss--enough to discourage anyone. But who would be discouraged with so many friends? The Father asked for help, and had not to ask twice. Benjamin Hershey began the subscription with $500, and many gave their $100 each, while hundreds of others wanted to join in the good work. They all considered it a slight not to be called upon.

Father Laurent has a deep appreciation of the favors shown him by the citizens of Muscatine. In writing, the historian, giving an account of a portion of his work in the city, uses the following language: "God bless you all, generous souls, noble Muscatine friends. If some time the the souvenir of lovely France, of dear old relatives and companions across the briny deep, bring an instant of regret to the minds of the willing exile, your noble hearts and generosity soon dispel gloomy thoughts and proclaim that this is the land of Iowa-- it is good to be here."

The familiar face of Father Laurent is shown upon a preceding page, and its appearance in this volume will be welcomed by ever reader of the work.


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