The Three Brothers

At the request of Bishop Louis DuBourg, three young French Christian Brothers, Aubin, Fulgence and Antonin, were sent to the New World in 1817 to establish the first American apostolate.  

Brother Aubin, who was born Jean Francois Souchon in Bas-en-Basset, France, was 25 years old and appointed the Director of the new community.  Brother Fulgence, who was born Victor Javaux in Ste. Colombre, France was 28 and Brother Antonin, born Francois Thomas Muraillas in Grenoble, was just 20 years old. 

Lyons Novitiate

The three young men attended and completed the Novitiate, the formal year-long training in the basics of the religious life of the Christian Brothers, in the town of Lyon, France.  

Bishop Louis William Valentin DuBourg

In 1812, Father Louis DuBourg was appointed apostolic administer of the Louisiana territory, which extended from New Orleans up to Canada and also included the Floridas.  He needed priests and other religious to help propagate the faith.  While in Rome appealing to the Pope in 1815, DuBourg was consecrated Bishop.  He then traveled throughout France and Beligium to recruit subjects and resources for his American mission.  While passing through Paris, Bishop DuBourg requested some Christian Brothers for a school in New Orleans.  The Institute was slowly recovering from the French Revolution and Brother Gerbaud, the Superior General, refused due to the scarcity of men.

Frère Gerbaud

Brother Gerbaud was the sixth Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools who led during a very challenging time.  The French Revolution suppressed and subequently outlawed the Institute.  Many Brothers were arrested, imprisoned, murdered or fled.

Cardinal Lita Letter to Brother Gerbaud, 23 December 1815

In December 1815, Brother Gerbaud received a letter from the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda requesting Brothers.

Translation:

Among the large number of regions of Christianity, New Orleans is one of those which show the greatest dearth of apostolic workers.  The Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, wishing to provide for the instruction of the youth of this country, can think of nothing better than to address itself to your Paternity, in order to ask and pray you to give some of your Brothers to the Rev. Louis William DuBourg, who has been made Bishop of this diocese.  He should be leaving soon to open schools in the vast province, to instruct and bring up the youth in the principles of the Christian faith.  Thus they may be able to do a great work and acquire a great merit before God.  By such an act, your Paternity will surely be doing a thing beneficial to God and to your congregation.  Therefore we hope that you will very promptly fulfill his request.  The Congregation prays that the good God will deign to shower His blessings upon you.

Pope Pius VII to Brother Gerbaud

Bishop DuBourg also requested the Holy Father himself to interveign.  Brother Superior received a letter from His Holiness, Pope Pius VII.

Translation:

Our Venerable Brother William DuBourg, recently consecrated here and named Bishop of New Orleans, ardently desires to bring with him some of your Brothers to instruct the youth of his vast diocese.  We earnestly recommend this matter to you, and We desire that if you have some subjects who are willing to go there and whom you judge proper for this pious work, that you should send them if it can be done.  This will be most agreeable to God and to Us.

Brother Gerbaud to the Propagation of the Faith

Brother Gerbaud responded to the Congregation of the Propaganda on April 20, 1816, promising Brothers for Bishop DuBourg's mission.

Translation:

We have received with profound respect, the request with which your Eminence has honored us by your letter of December 23, 1815.  Although burdened by numerous demands which we have been unable to supply, lacking sufficient subjects, we shall, with devine assistance, do everything possible to comply with the intentions of your Eminence.  We are flattered at being able to give a public testimony of our entire submission to the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith.  We unite our feeble prayers to those of all the faithful for the exaltation of the faith, for the preservation of the Holy Father and the most Eminent Cardinals of the Holy Catholic Church.  I am, with profound respect to your Eminence, your very humble and obedient servant.  Brother Gerbaud.

Brother Aubin, Fulgence and Antonin arrived in Sainte Genevieve and opened the school in January 1819.  They taught successfully for three years until the death of Father Pratte, their local friend, patron and the pastor of Ste. Genevieve's Catholic Church, in September 1822.  Bishop DuBourg desired to extend his educational reach by splitting up the Brothers and sending them out individually to open schools.  He sent Brother Aubin to the Barrens, Brother Fulgence to New Orleans and Brother Antonin remained in Sainte Genevieve.  This went against the promise the Bishop made that the three would be kept together to observe a community life.  Communications with each other and with the Superiors proved difficult and the Brothers' mission came to an unhappy end.  One by one, they left the Institute. 

What happened to the three Brothers?

Brother Patrick Murphy's Letter

Supposedly, in 1854, the former Brother Aubin (Jean Francois Souchon) visited Brother Patrick Murphy, then Director of the Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, and asked to be allowed to make a retreat with the Brothers.  

Translation of a portion of a letter of Brother Patrick.  

In 1854, while I was Director of the College in St. Louis, an elderly gentleman came and asked to make a retreat at the institution.  I pointed out to him that it was not customary to admit externs to retreats in our houses; besides, lodgings were already overtaxed.  So I expressed my regrets.  He persisted, saying that he had been a Brother of the same Institute as I and pleaded that I grant him the favor that he asked as a last consolation before his death.  He then related to me that he had been brought to America by Bishop DuBourg, with two other Brothers; that the Bishop had assigned him to the Barrens where he was employed in the education of children; that one of his confreres had been sent to New Orleans and the other had remained at Ste. Genevieve.

'It was not possible for us to modify this arrangement; we were not able to communicate with our Superior General because of the distance and the difficulty of travel and communication.  Being unaccustomed to this manner of life, I found myself forced to return to secular life, and established myself in the neighborhood of the Barrens.  I have since learned that my confrere in New Orleans had taken very nearly the same course and become engaged in commerce.  Concerning the one at Ste. Genevieve, I have never heard of him again.' 

To verify his statement, he had brought with him his Office Book, Manual of Piety and Collection.  In consequence, I permitted him to make a retreat.  This retreatant seems to have been the former Brother Aubin, the Director of the little community of Ste. Genevieve.

Apparently, the former Brother Fulgence, Victor Javaux, became a successful riverboat navigator.  Brother Barbas, who at the time was one of the oldest teachers at Christian Brothers College wrote in 1890:

I remember hearing about one of them, who had lived many years in New Orleans and had become very rich as a result of his interest in a Mississippi Steamboat Company.  It was remarkable, too, that the family name of this Brother was given to one of the quarters of the town, and to one of its streets.  Lastly, it is said, that, at the point of death, he asked to be buried in the habit of the Brothers which he had always kept wtih him.

1850 Census

According to the 1850 Census, Monsieur Javaux was a farmer living in Perry County, Missouri with his two sons. 

Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Peter, Buffalo, NY

In 1874, Brother Gerardus, a New York District Brother and former Visitor of the District, recalled seeing Brother Antonin at a French Church, Our Lady of Lourdes and of St. Peter in Buffalo, New York.  He was serving as sacristan and server.  He pointed him out to Brother Pompien who conversed in French with Brother Antonin, who was then 77 years old.   

Calvert Hall

It was not until 1846 that a permanent community was established in the United States at Baltimore, Maryland.