Creation of a Secular ·clergy
r
to Galveston as director of St. Mary's College. He was accompanied by Brothers John Chrysostom, Charles, Maurice, and Joseph. It seems that Father Spillard could not be spared at this time. The school opened in the fall of 1870 as planned, and Brother Boniface was more than pleased with the outlook. "Thank God with me," he wrote Father Sorin enthusiastically, "for having called us to this field of use- fulness. This seems really our country, where we can do much good. We have now in our college 84 boys including ten boarders." The director expected the enrollment would increase to one hundred before the end of the year. Even the New Orleans papers commented on the large attend- ance, which, under the new management of Holy Cross, St. Mary's College had attracted. 32 St. Iosep/ls College in, Brownsville. The Bishop, too, was well pleased and wanted the Congregation to take over other colleges. In November, 1870, Brother Boniface inquired, at the request of the Bishop, if the Con- gregation would be willing to accept St. Mary's College in Brownsville (St. Joseph's). He pointed out that it was located fifty miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande and consisted of "a very substantial building, built formerly at a cost of upwards of $20,000, located in the heart of that flourishing city [Brownsville], opposite Matamoros." Brother Boniface ex- plained to Father Sorin that the Bishop wished the Brothers to take full possession of the College without delay. 33 The proposal made through Brother Boniface in November, 1870, for the Congregation to take over the college originally founded by the Oblates in Brownsville was approved by the Provincial Chapter. Under a new contract signed on March 25, 1871, Bishop Dubuis and Vicar General C. M. Chambodut for the diocese and Superior General Sorin for the Congregation, all the college property in Brownsville was transferred to the Holy Cross community on condition that they reopen the school in the fall of 1872. Accordingly, Brothers were sent and the college was reopened as agreed, but the new venture in the Lower Rio Grande Valley proved discouraging from the start. The response was half-hearted. Indif- ference continued, but the Brothers prospered until 1874, when, upon the "Brother Boniface to Sorin, Galveston. November 27, 1870; Scltolastic, November 5, 1870, reprinted in New Orleans papers, comments concerning St. Mary's College; excerpts from Provincial Archives furnished by Brother Bonaventure Foley. 33 Brother Doniface to Father Sorin, Galveston, November 27, I 870. Pr<niincial Arcltives.
I I· I I !· !
i I I I l
-
Powered by FlippingBook