Victor Valentin Dreyer (15 February 1866 – 7 May 1944), known in religious life as Colomban Dreyer, was a French prelate of the Catholic Church who worked as a missionary bishop in North Africa and in the diplomatic service of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

as the Apostolic Delegate to Indochina.

Biography

Victor Valentin Dreyer was born in Rosheim, France, on 15 February 1866. He attended the seminary in

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (; , before 1999: ''Saint-Dié'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges department, Grand Est, northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Saint-Dié is locat ...

and then joined the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

, taking the name Marie Colomban. He was ordained a priest on 25 July 1889. He held several posts within his order, including assignments in Canada, Rome, and the Holy Land. On 27 June 1923,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

named him a titular bishop and the first

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

of the

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

, Morocco. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal

Louis-Ernest Dubois Louis-Ernest Dubois (1 September 1856 – 23 September 1929) was a cardinal and Archbishop of Paris. He played a leading role in the period of adjustment to the separation of Church and State in France. Early life He was born in Saint-Calai ...

, Archbishop of Paris, on 16 August 1923. On 11 March 1927, Pope Pius named him the first

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

. On 24 November 1928, Pope Pius named him Apostolic Delegate to Indochina and on 26 November a titular archbishop. He retired in 1936 upon the appointment of his successor in that position. Dreyer died on 7 May 1944 in

Vigny, Val-d'Oise Vigny () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. R&B singer Rihanna shot her music video for " Te Amo" at the château de Vigny in 2010. Season 6 Episode 7 of Highlander: The Series, "The Unusual Susp ...

References

External links

Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop Victor Colomban Dreyer, O.F.M.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dreyer, Victor Valentin 1866 births 1944 deaths Diplomats for the Holy See People from Rosheim French Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic bishops of Rabat