Bishop Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus

1768-1836

Cheverus High School is named after the first Bishop of the Boston diocese, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, a French missionary priest to New England. At that time, Maine was still part of Massachusetts and was within the juridical boundaries of the Boston diocese. Cheverus was born on January 28, 1768 and died on July 19, 1836.

As a newly ordained priest, Fr. Cheverus could not bring himself to renounce his allegiance to Rome by taking the oath imposed upon all priests by the French Revolution. It cost him his parish in France and nearly cost him his life forcing him to flee to London in disguise. Fr. Cheverus learned English so that he could form a congregation in exile in England, but a letter from his former professor at seminary, Fr. Francis Matignon of Boston (after whom a school is named in North Cambridge, MA), explained the difficult conditions and the desperate needs of the Catholic community in New England. Cheverus answered Matignon’s call and arrived in Boston in October 1796 putting him at the service of Bishop John Carroll (founder of Georgetown University.)

Cheverus worked as a missionary in New England for twenty-seven years, especially serving the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot missions. He lived among them and learned their language. He visited the small widely-dispersed Catholic communities and nursed the sick and buried their dead during yellow-fever epidemics. He raised money to build a church in Boston and skillfully attended to the diverse needs of the various communities.

While ministering in a hostile and prejudiced Puritan environment, Cheverus won the respect of both Protestants and Catholics alike. He is said to have been blessed with brilliant talents, wide learning, transparent holiness and Christ-like charity. Protestants invited him to their pulpits and legislators often sought his counsel. Because of his reputation, he was seated next to President John Adams at a state banquet. He was name the first Bishop of Boston on April 8, 1808.Bishop Cheverus was recalled to Montauban, France on January 15, 1823 because of his poor health. Montauban was a Protestant Huguenot stronghold, but shortly after his arrival there a resident wrote: "There are no longer Protestants at Montauban; we are all the bishop's people". On 30 July, 1826, he was named Archbishop of Bordeaux and on February 1, 1835 he was created a Cardinal.