Missionary Bishop: Jean-Marie Odin in Galveston and New Orleans by Patrick Foley (review)

Religious biography seeks to present to the reader the life and faith development of the subject within the historical context of the individual’s life. Patrick Foley has successfully filled a lacuna in the historical literature of nineteenth century American Catholic life through his biography of the first Bishop of Galveston, Texas, Jean-Marie Odin. Appropriately, Foley says that his monograph “serves as a testimony to the faith that numerous churchmen and women brought to the Americas as they labored to build a Catholic presence in their adopted lands” (1). Indeed, through the use of extensive primary sources, including personal letters and diaries, the author has demonstrated how Odin’s desire to promote Catholicism was the fuel that fed his efforts to rebuild the Texas church between 1842 and 1860. Foley is to be commended for his contribution to the scholarship.

Organized in sixteen relatively short chapters, Foley describes Odin’s life from his birth in the village of Hauteville, France to his death in the house of his birth 70 years later. Adeptly utilizing secondary sources, Foley demonstrates how Odin’s faith matured during the Napoleonic era. Feeling a call to be a missionary, Odin came to the United States in 1822, settling in Barrens Colony, Missouri. There he joined the Vincentian order and was ordained in 1823.

After ministering as a professor and pastor for close to 20 years, Odin began his work in Texas. In 1842, after his appointment as Vicar Apostolic in Texas and ordination in New Orleans; he returned to Texas to rebuild the church from its fractured condition after the Texas Revolution of 1835–1836. He was able to secure for the church the previously secularized Franciscan missions. He built new churches, enforced clerical discipline, and most importantly, through two trips to Europe, recruited priests and religious to serve in Texas, which became a diocese in May 1847. For the next twelve years, Odin labored diligently and successfully to build a viable church that served the people of God.

Between May 1861 and his death in May 1870, Odin served as the second archbishop of New Orleans. He rectified the financial problems of the archdiocese and led the church through the horrors of the Civil War and the first years of Reconstruction. While in Europe to attend Vatican I, he died in his hometown.

Missionary Bishop tells an interesting story in a most readable and scholarly way. Foley has aptly achieved his goal to tell not only the story of Odin’s life, but its significance in the building of the church in Texas. Richly contextualized and utilizing many archival sources, this monograph is useful for the scholar and those interested in American Catholic and even more specifically Texas Catholic history. Stylistically, the author does at times present the end of the story and then “retreats” to tell the preceding events, leading to some redundancy. This is, however, a minor drawback in an otherwise well written and expertly researched study. Those privileged to read the work will benefit greatly.