Pierre Yves Kéralum
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Pierre Yves Kéralum OMI (1817–1872) was a French-born Catholic
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
and member of the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...
. He served in
South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...
from 1853 to 1872, traveling long distances on horseback to minister to Catholics living on isolated ranches along the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
. He was also an architect who designed many buildings in the area, including the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
.


Early life and education

Pierre Yves Kéralum was born in the Brittany region of France on March 2, 1817, the youngest of ten children of Marc Yves Kéralum, a carpenter, and Jeanne Colcanap. As an apprentice carpenter and cabinetmaker, he was making his traditional
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
when he was called to the priesthood. He studied at the
Pont-Croix Pont-Croix (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. The town lies about from Audierne on the road to Douarnenez and is connec ...
minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and ...
, then entered the Quimper
major seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
in 1847. He was ordained a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
in 1850. After deciding to join the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...
, he began his
novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
at Notre-Dame-de-l'Osier in 1851, and spent several months at the
Marseilles Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
major seminary. He was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Marseille,
Eugène de Mazenod Eugène de Mazenod (born Charles-Joseph-Eugène de Mazenod; 1 August 1782 – 21 May 1861) was a French aristocrat and Catholic priest. When he was eight years old, Mazenod's family fled the French Revolution, leaving their considerable wea ...
, on February 15, 1852, and was sent to
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
.


Priesthood

Kéralum spent nine months in Galveston, where he helped establish the city's first Catholic college-seminary. Originally named Immaculate Conception College and Seminary, it was chartered in 1856 as St. Mary's University of Galveston. In 1853 he was transferred to
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
, where he began serving as a circuit rider for the
Lower Rio Grande Valley The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...
.


Architectural work

In addition to carpentry, Kéralum was skilled in masonry and could lay brick as well as building church pews, coffins, and whatever else was needed. In 1854 he was briefly transferred to the mission center in
Roma, Texas Roma is a city in Starr County, Texas, United States. There were 11,561 people at the 2020 census. The city is located along the Rio Grande, across from Ciudad Miguel Alemán in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The city is also popularly known as Roma-Los S ...
, where he designed and helped build the parish church. Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church is still in use and is part of the
Roma Historic District The Roma Historic District in Roma, Texas preserves an intact example of a border town in the lower Rio Grande valley. The town was an important port and transshipment point on the Rio Grande from 1829 to the 1880s. The architecture of Roma mirr ...
. In 1856, the priest originally in charge of building the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, Father Verdet, was returning from a trip to France when he was drowned in a shipwreck off the Louisiana coast. Father Kéralum was assigned to take over for him. The
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
church is still in use today and is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Kéralum designed and helped with the construction of many other buildings in the Brownsville mission district. In 1872 he helped the priests in
Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...
, finish building the Cathedral of San Agustin. He designed Our Lady of Visitation Church in Santa Maria, another Gothic Revival edifice, and St. Joseph's chapel at the Toluca Ranch in Progreso. He may also have designed
La Lomita Chapel La Lomita Chapel is a historic Catholic chapel in Mission, Texas. It was once an important site for the Cavalry of Christ, a group of priests who traveled long distances on horseback to minister to Catholics living on isolated ranches along t ...
in
Mission, Texas Mission is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 77,058 at the 2010 census and an estimated 84,331 in 2019. Mission is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas. Geography M ...
.


Cavalry of Christ

The Oblate fathers who ministered to the Rio Grande area in the 19th century were known as the Cavalry of Christ because they traveled by horseback. The priests traveled over harsh desert and through lawless territory to administer the
sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...
to Catholics living on small, far-flung ranches. Father Kéralum was one of the best known and beloved members of this group. At least three times a year he covered a large territory spanning 70-120 ranches, where he would preach,
catechize Catechesis (; from Greek language, Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of Conversion to Christian ...
young people, hear confessions, and perform wedding and funeral rites. He also crossed the Rio Grande to preach at several Mexican missions in 1865. Known for his kindness and humility, he was called "El Santo Padre Pedrito" by the locals. Stories about Kéralum illustrate his consideration for others. Once when he arrived at the Brownsville rectory late at night, he camped out in the graveyard rather than wake anyone. He preferred to wear second-hand clothes rather than spend money on new ones. A neighbor once saw him carrying lumber and tools into a shack on the outskirts of town; on investigation, it turned out that Kéralum was building a coffin for the impoverished woman who had died there. While in his fifties, Kéralum's health began to fail and he became nearly blind. Nevertheless he insisted on continuing his rounds, and on several occasions lost his way. Once he returned covered with
mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus ''Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under grou ...
scratches after having become lost in the brush and survived for three days on mesquite beans and prickly pear. On November 12, 1872, Kéralum left the Cano family ranch, northwest of
Mercedes, Texas Mercedes is a U.S. city in Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo County, Texas. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan area, McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Rey ...
, and never returned. His horse turned up a few days later without its saddle. The Oblates formed a search party and scoured the area for days, but found no trace of him. For a time it was rumored that he had been murdered. In 1882 some cowhands found his remains in the brush, identifiable by his belongings: a
rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...
fragment, a
chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. Re ...
and other ceremonial items, and an old saddle hanging from a tree limb. Apparently he had died of snakebite or become hopelessly lost in the desert and starved to death.


Memorials

Kéralum's memory is still honored by area Catholics. A life-size crucifixion scene, erected in 1920, marks the spot in Mercedes where his remains were originally interred before being transferred to
San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...
. The city of Roma has hosted an annual Kéralum festival, and in 2004 celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Oblates' arrival with a reenactment of the scene on horseback. A
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
chapter and several streets and buildings in the region have been named for him. In 1995 the cathedral square in Brownsville was named for Kéralum. In 2003, Vatican officials visited the area and were impressed with the respect for Kéralum that had been passed down from the original ranching families. Rev. Roy Snipes of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in
Mission, Texas Mission is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 77,058 at the 2010 census and an estimated 84,331 in 2019. Mission is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas. Geography M ...
, presented the visitors with a recording of a
corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...
, or Mexican folk ballad, written in Kéralum's honor. A member of the Fernandez family from Toluca Ranch wrote a history which Snipes adapted into a play about Kéralum, which is performed once a year at
La Lomita Chapel La Lomita Chapel is a historic Catholic chapel in Mission, Texas. It was once an important site for the Cavalry of Christ, a group of priests who traveled long distances on horseback to minister to Catholics living on isolated ranches along t ...
. In 2005, local Catholics were still campaigning to have him
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...
, but could not attribute any
miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
to him. Author
Paul Horgan Paul George Vincent O'Shaughnessy Horgan (August 1, 1903 – March 8, 1995) was an American writer of historical fiction and non-fiction who mainly wrote about the Southwestern United States. He was the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes for Histor ...
wrote a fictionalized account of Kéralum's last days titled ''The Devil in the Desert'' (1952).


References


Further reading

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kéralum, Pierre Yves Catholics from Texas American Roman Catholic missionaries French Roman Catholic missionaries 19th-century French Roman Catholic priests 19th-century American Roman Catholic priests Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States People from Finistère 1817 births 1872 deaths Architects from Texas 19th-century French architects 19th-century American architects French emigrants to the United States