ODIN, John Mary, archbishop, born in Ambierle, department of the Loire, France, 25 February, 1801; died there, 25 May, 1870. He became a member of the congregation of the Lazarists, and in 1822, although he was not yet a priest, was sent to labor on a mission in Missouri. He taught, and studied in the Seminary of the Barrens near St. Louis, was raised to the priesthood in 1824, and the same year set out on a missionary tour through Texas and Arkansas.

After his return he remained at the Barrens, filling at the same time the functions of superior of the seminary and director of the Lorentine nuns, while discharging the duties of missionary in a wide area. He attended the second council of Baltimore in 1833 as theologian to Bishop Rosati, and went in the same year to Europe to solicit assistance for the Lazarist missions and to attend a general assembly of the order in Paris as deputy from the United States.

The assembly decreed the suppression of the Seminary of the Barrens, but, through the interposition of Father Odin, the institution was saved. He was stationed there after his return till 1836, when he was appointed pastor of Cape Girardeau. He returned to the Lazarist seminary in the following year and held various offices and professorships in it until 1840, when he was appointed vice-prefect of Texas.

He went to San Antonio, and afterward to Houston, obtained from the legislature the restoration of its ecclesiastical property to the Roman Catholic Church, and also extensive grants of land for educational purposes. He was also an energetic promoter of emigration. In 1841 he was summoned to the Barrens to take council with his superiors on the best mode of advancing religion in Texas.

When he reached New Orleans, on his way, he was in rags, having given nearly all his effects to poor people. He was supplied with the necessary clothing by Bishop Blanc, who also handed him the bulls that had just come from Rome appointing him bishop of Detroit. But his superiors ordered him to return to his mission, as it was more easy to find a competent person for the vacant see than for the Texan mission.

 Soon after his return Texas was created a vicariate in favor of Father Odin, who was consecrated vicar-apostolic in New Orleans on 6 March, 1842. He had only four priests to minister to a population of more than 200,000, but he repaired the old church of San Antonio and several others, built new ones at various places, and established several schools with the help of the government. But his resources became exhausted, and in 1845 he sailed for Europe, where he obtained assistance.

In 1847 he established in Galveston a community of Ursuline nuns, who opened an academy and formed the first religious community in Texas. The vicariate was erected into the bishopric of Galveston the same year. Bishop Odin made Galveston his official residence. He founded various convents and schools, went a second time to Europe in 1852, and returned the same year with six priests and sixteen ecclesiastical students, whom he ordained soon afterward. In November, 1854, he began to build the College of the Immaculate Conception, which he placed under the charge of the Oblate Fathers. He obtained a charter for it as a university in 1857.

A marked feature in the administration of Bishop Odin was his annual visitations, His course often lay through the country of the Comanches and other hostile tribes, and sometimes no intelligence of his movements was received for months. He traveled usually on horseback, over bad roads, and frequently with hardly food enough to support life. In the visitation of 1858 he traveled 2,000 miles, confirmed nearly 4,000 persons, preached in French, Spanish, and English, and visited every town of any importance on the Rio Grande and in the interior of the republic. The Roman Catholic Church in Texas is to a great extent his creation. When he left it there were in it eighty-two priests and fifty churches.

In 1861 he was appointed archbishop of New Orleans. During his administration there the number of churches and priests nearly doubled, and many other religious institutions were founded. He set out for Rome in 1869, but was obliged to leave on account of his health.

Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 Virtualology^TM

ODIN, John Mary, archbishop, born in Ambierle, department of the Loire, France, 25 February, 1801" died there, 25 May, 1870. He became a member of the congregation of the Lazarists, and in 18'22, although he was not vet a priest, was sent to labor on a mission in Missouri. He taught, and studied in the Seminary of the Barrens near St. Louis, was raised to the priesthood in 1824, and the same year set out on a missionary tour through Texas and Arkansas. After his return he remained at the Barrens, filling at the same time the functions of superior of the seminary and director of the Lorentine nuns, while discharging the duties of missionary in a wide area. He attended the second council of Baltimore in 1833 as theologian to Bishop Rosati, and went in the same year to Europe to solicit assistance for the Lazarist missions and to attend a general assembly of the order in Paris as deputy from the United States. The assembly decreed the suppression of the Seminary of the Barrens, but, through the interposition of Father Odin, the institution was saved. He was stationed there after his return till 1836, when he was appointed pastor of Cape Girardeau. He returned to the Lazarist seminary in the following year and held various offices and professorships in it until 1840, when he was appointed vice-prefect of Texas. He went to San Antonio, and afterward to Houston, obtained from the legislature the restoration of its ecclesiastical property to the Roman Catholic church, and also extensive grants of land for educational purposes. He was also an energetic promoter of emigration. In 1841 he was summoned to the Barrens to take council with his superiors on the best mode of advancing religion in Texas. When he reached New Orleans, on his way, he was in rags, having given nearly all his effects to poor people. He was supplied with the necessary clothing by Bishop Blanc, who also handed him the bulls that had just come from Rome appointing him bishop of Detroit. But his superiors ordered him to return to his mission, as it was more easy to find a competent person for the vacant see than for the Texan mission. Soon after his return Texas was created a vicariate in favor of Father Odin, who was consecrated vicar-apostolic in New Orleans on 6 March, 1842. He had only four priests to minister to a population of more than 200,000, but he repaired the old church of San Antonio and several others, built new ones at various places, and established several schools with the help of the government. But his resources became exhausted, and in 1845 he sailed for Europe, where he obtained assistante. In 1847 he established in Galveston a community of Ursuline nuns, who opened an academy and formed the first religious community in Texas. The vicariate was erected into the bishopric of Galveston the same year. Bishop Odin made Galveston his official residence. He founded various convents and schools, went a second time to Europe in 1852, and returned the same year with six priests and sixteen ecclesiastical students, whom he ordained soon afterward. In November, 1854, he began to build the College of the Immaculate Conception, which he placed under the charge of the Oblate Fathers. He obtained a charter for it as a university in 1857. A marked feature in the administration of Bishop Odin was his annual visitations, His course often lay through the country of the Comanches and other hosthe tribes, and sometimes no intelligence of his movements was received for months. He travelled usually on horseback, over bad roads, and frequently with hardly food enough to support life. In the visitation of 1858 he travelled 2,000 miles, confirmed nearly 4,000 persons, preached in French, Spanish, and English, and visited every town of any importance on the Rio Grande and in the interior of the republic. The Roman Catholic church in Texas is to a great extent his creation. When he left it there were in it eighty-two priests and fifty churches. In 1861 he was appointed archbishop of New Orleans. During his administration there the number of churches and priests nearly doubled, and many other religious institutions were founded. He set out for Rome in 1869, but was obliged to leave on account of his health.

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