Imagine a time when anti-Catholic sentiment ran high in puritanical Massachusetts. Now, stand before Cheverus Hall, a building named for a man who softened that prejudice. Cheverus Hall stands as a testament to a remarkable figure. It honors Jean-Louis Lefebvre Cheverus. He was a Catholic priest who won over even the Puritans with his kindness and learning.
Boston had no Catholic church within 300 miles when Father Cheverus arrived in 1796. Most of the 600 Catholics were poor Irish and French. They faced deep-seated prejudice. Priests were seen as vile imposters. Catholic teachings were considered a hideous collection of absurdities and errors.
Cheverus spent 27 years in New England. He impressed people with his tact, sermons, simplicity, and care for the sick and poor. He left a lasting mark. This is evident in Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine, and here at Boston College with Cheverus Hall.
The priests before Cheverus hadn’t helped the Catholic cause. The first priest, l’abbe de la Poterie, deserted his post. The second, Father Rousselet, caused brawls during Mass. Then came John Thayer, a converted Congregationalist minister. He fought with Rousselet for control.
Father Francis Anthony Matignon arrived in 1792. He started to set things right. He asked Cheverus to join him as a missionary. Cheverus, a refugee from the French Revolution, arrived in Boston in 1796.
He traveled throughout New England. Cheverus searched for Catholics in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He ministered to the Penobscot Indians in Maine. He dedicated the first Catholic church in Newcastle.
Cheverus began to win over his detractors. His sermons were short and well-received. He cared for the sick during a yellow fever outbreak. One Protestant told him, “I esteem and venerate you as the most virtuous man that I have ever known.”
Cheverus lived simply. He advised William Smith Shaw on founding the Boston Athenaeum. He even donated books to it. John Adams made the first donation when Cheverus raised money for a church.
In 1810, Cheverus became the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston. He wasn’t loved by everyone. He faced prejudice in Northampton, Massachusetts. He ministered to two Irish Catholic men condemned to death.
Father Thayer left his estate to establish an Ursuline convent. Cheverus brought nuns to Boston to educate Catholic girls. Later, a mob burned the convent to the ground.
In 1823, Cheverus returned to France. He was named cardinal in 1836. William Ellery Channing, a Unitarian minister, praised Cheverus. He used him as an argument against anti-Catholicism.
Consider Cheverus Hall more than just a residence hall. It’s a symbol of tolerance. It is a monument to a man who bridged divides through kindness and virtue.