New Page 1
SEGHERS, Charles John, archbishop, born in Ghent,
Belgium, 26 December, 1839; died in Alaska, 28 November, 1886. He studied for
the priesthood in the ecclesiastical seminary of Ghent, and afterward in the
American College, Louvain, was ordained a priest at Mechlin in 1863, and went to
Vancouver's Island as a missionary, rising to be vicar-general. During these
years he also labored for the conversion of the Indians in British North
America.
In 1871 he was made administrator of the diocese, and on 29
June, 1873, he was consecrated bishop of Vancouver's Island. His accession to
the episcopate gave a great impulse to Roman Catholicism in the northwest. He
was the first missionary of his church who attempted the conversion of the
Alaskan Indians. In 1878 he visited that territory and all the adjacent islands,
traveling on snowshoes and afterward going on dog-sleds or canoes among the
tribes in the interior and along the coast.
Toward the end of the year he was appointed coadjutor
archbishop of Oregon and reached Portland on 1 July, 1879. He spent a year in
exploring Washington territory, Idaho, and Montana, and published a series of
letters in Roman Catholic periodicals in the eastern states, describing his
adventures.
In 1881 he succeeded to the archbishopric, but for several
years he had been anxious to resign his see in order to devote himself to the
conversion of the Alaska Indians, and he visited Europe in 1883 to obtain
permission from the pope. His resignation was at length accepted, and he was
reappointed bishop of Vancouver's island, retaining his title of archbishop.
On his return he stopped at Baltimore, Maryland, to take
part in the 3d Plenary Council in 1884, and he reached Victoria early in the
following year. He then set about re-establishing among the Alaska Indians the
missions that had come to a stand-still during his absence in Oregon. He left
Victoria in July, 1886, for Alaska in company with two Jesuits and a guide named
Fuller, according to some accounts an Englishman, according to others an
American.
They arrived safely at Chilcat, and then traveled northward
along the coast until they reached the station of the Alaska Trading Company at
the head of Stewart's River. Leaving the Jesuits to establish a mission among
the Stekin Indians, the archbishop, with Fuller and some Indian guides, set out
on 8 September for Muklakayet, a village near the mouth of the Tannanah River,
which he reached on 24 October. He spent a few weeks in missionary duties among
the Indians of this trading-post, by whom he was well received, and then decided
to push on to Nulata, 200 miles down the Yukon river.
Traveling on sleds, the party arrived at a deserted village
about thirty miles from their destination. They entered a hut, and, after making
a fire, lay down before it. At daylight the next morning Fuller, who had several
times exhibited anger at being drawn farther and farther into these desolate
regions, leveled his rifle at the archbishop and shot him. The murderer, while
afterward expressing great remorse, gave no sufficient reason for committing the
crime.
Archbishop Seghers, besides being one of the most
adventurous of explorers, was a divine of great erudition and an effective
pulpit orator.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, by John Looby Copyright © 2001 StanKlos.comTM
SEGHERS, Charles John, archbishop, born in Ghent, Belgium, 26 December, 1839; died in Alaska, 28 November, 1886. He studied for the priesthood in the ecclesiastical seminary of Ghent, and afterward in the American college, Louvain, was ordained a priest at Mechlin in 1863, and went to Vancouver's island as a missionary, rising to be vicar-general. During these years he also labored for the conversion of the Indians in British North America. In 1871 he was made administrator of the diocese, and on 29 June, 1873, he was consecrated bishop of Vancouver's island. His accession to the episcopate gave a great impulse to Roman Catholicism in the northwest. He was the first missionary of his church who attempted the conversion of the Alaskan Indians. In 1878 he visited that territory and all the adjacent islands, travelling on snowshoes and afterward going on dog-sleds or canoes among the tribes in the interior and along the coast. Toward the end of the year he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Oregon and reached Portland on 1 July, 1879. He spent a year in exploring Washington territory, Idaho, and Montana, and published a series of letters in Roman Catholic periodicals in the eastern states, describing his adventures. In 1881 he succeeded to the archbishopric, but for several years he had been anxious to resign his see in order to devote himself to the conversion of the Alaska Indians, and he visited Europe in 1883 to obtain permission from the pope. His resignation was at length accepted, and he was reappointed bishop of Vancouver's island, retaining his title of archbishop. On his return he stopped at Baltimore, Maryland, to take part in the 3d plenary council in 1884, and he reached Victoria early in the following year. He then set about re-establishing among the Alaska indians the missions that had come to a stand-still during his absence in Oregon. He left Victoria in July, 1886, for Alaska in company with two Jesuits and a guide named Fuller, according to some accounts an Englishman, according to others an American. They arrived safely at Chilcat, and then travelled northward along the coast until they reached the station of tile Alaska trading company at the head of Stewart's river. Leaving the Jesuits to establish a mission among the Stekin Indians, the archbishop, with Fuller and some Indian guides, set out on 8 September for Muklakayet, a village near tile mouth of the Tannanah river, which he reached on 24 October He spent a few weeks in missionary duties among the Indians of this trading-post, by whom he was well received, and then decided to push on to Nulata, 200 miles down the Yukon river. Travelling on sleds, the party arrived at a deserted village about thirty miles from their destination. They entered a hut, and, after making a fire, lay down before it. At daylight the next morning Fuller, who had several times exhibited anger at being drawn farther and farther into these desolate regions, levelled his rifle at the archbishop and shot him. The murderer, while afterward expressing great remorse, gave no sufficient reason for committing the crime. Archbishop Seghers, besides being one of the most adventurous of explorers, was a divine of great erudition and an effective pulpit orator.
