Tlte Vicariate, 1841-1847
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the Vicar ·definitely decide to go to Europe to secure the needed mis- sionaries and resources for furthering the Faith in Texas. Odin wrote Blanc assuring him that within the next month he hoped to see him. The Vicar had to wind up many pending matters and stay long enough to train Brands in the duties of a vicar-general. Like Timon, Odin felt that before long Texas would be raised to the dignity of a diocese with its own Ordinary, and whether he or someone else was appointed Ordinary of the diocese, there should be a spacious church worthy of episcopal dignity. He had, accordingly, purchased a lot for the purpose, and six months later, on February 15, 1845, obtained a donation of seven adjacent lots from the Galveston City Company. While in Europe he obtained for his projected church a gift of bricks which a friendly sea captain transported to Galveston free of charge. Before taking ship for New Orleans on February 26, the cautious and methodical Odin made a will in favor of Timon and Brands, by which he assigned to both in toto the Vicariate property. In New Orleans he had a conference with Timon before leaving for Boston, where he embarked for Europe on April I, 1845. By April 24 he was in Dublin, where he spent a few days with the young Vincentian group. Six days later he departed from London for Paris. Here he spent more than a month, making contacts and securing aid for the Vicariate. He was presented to Queen Marie Amelie, who received him kindly and promised him "something--0rnaments, I ex- pect." To the Council of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith he presented a memorial on the needs of his mission, a duplicate of which he sent to Lyons. He found the members of the Council well disposed, but they told him that the decisions for new grants were made by the officers of Lyons. 13 One Sunday the good Vicar preached in the great Cathedral of Notre Dame. He was deeply impressed by the large crowd of attendants, young and old. Particularly was he edified by the deep devotion of the people of France to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During a visit to the Sisters of Charity the humble missionary from Texas was almost overcome when they presented him with a complete wardrobe to replace his badly worn clothes. While in Paris he learned that 17,000 Swiss Catholics had approached Castro with a request to settle in the lands given to him by Texas.
73 0din to Blanc, Paris, May 30 1
1845; Odin, Diary, cntriec: for Fcbruary-
June, 1845.
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