John Stephen Bazin

Who was John Stephen Bazin?

Bishop John Stephen Bazin was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Vincennes. He was born at Duerne, near Lyon, France, October 15, 1796; died at Vincennes, Indiana, U.S.A., April 23, 1848. He was educated in his native country and ordained in Lyon Cathedral, July 22, 1822.

In 1830 he emigrated to the United States and began his labours among the Catholics of Mobile, Alabama, where for seventeen years he toiled zealously for the religious instruction of the young, organizing the Sunday schools and establishing the Catholic Orphan Asylum Society. He was also the vicar-general of the diocese.

In 1846 at the request of Bishop Michael Portier, Father Bazin went to France to secure the services of the Society of Jesus for Spring Hill College of Mobile, Alabama, and of the Brothers of the Christian Schools for the Boys' Orphan Asylum. In both efforts he was successful.

When the Right Rev. Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière, Bishop of Vincennes, resigned his see in 1847, Father Bazin was consecrated his successor on the 24th of October of that year.