Archdiocese of Saint Louis Archives and Records Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., Papers 1774-1990 Descriptive Summary Creator: Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., and Rev. Charles-Leon Souvay, C.M. Abstract: The Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M. Papers represents the working papers of Rosati while in St. Louis, including diaries, writings, and correspondence. The bulk of the papers cover the years 1816 to 1843. The Papers also include some biographical materials about Bishop Rosati. There is an annotated item-level index to the collection. Extent: 9 linear feet (17 boxes) Language of Materials: French, Latin, English, Italian, Spanish Record Group Number: RG 01 B Historical Note Brief Chronology of the Life of Bishop Joseph Rosati 1789 January [30] Born in Sora, Italy 1807 June 23 Entered Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians) in Rome 1811 February 10 Ordained by Bishop Menochio 1815 October 21 Left Rome for Marseilles, on his way to America 1816 July 25 Arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. 1816 December 4 Arrived at St. Thomas Seminary, Bardstown, Kentucky 1818 October Opened St. Mary's Seminary at the Barrens, the first such institution west of the Mississippi River 1820 October 15 Became superior of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) in America 1822 August Pius VII appoints him Vicar Apostolic of Mississippi and Alabama (Did not take effect) 1823 July 14 Pius VII appoints Rosati Bishop of Tenegra and Coadjutor to DuBourg 1824 March 25 Consecrated by DuBourg at Donaldsonville, Louisiana 1824 May 20 Arrives in St. Louis for the first time as a bishop 1826 November 4 Rosati receives word of DuBourg's resignation and news concerning division of Diocese 1827 March 2 Rosati receives Papal permission to make his residence in St. Louis and to administer New Orleans until new bishop is appointed 1831 August 1 Laying of the Cornerstone of the Basilica of Saint Louis King of France 1840 Appointed apostolic Delegate to Haiti 1840 April 26 Leaves St. Louis 1841 November 30 Rosati consecrates Peter Richard Kenrick as his Coadjutor in Philadelphia 1841 December Travels to Haiti to meet with Haitian President Boyer and his council 1843 February 2 Set out for Rome from Haiti to report to Pope Gregory XVI 1843 September 25 Dies at Monte Citorio, the House of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome 1954 August 26 Rosati’s body reinterred at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis City, Missouri Scope and Content PUT IN DATES…. Series 1 Personal and Biographical contains Bishop Rosati’s personal memoranda notebooks, financial ledgers, theological writings, and general biographical materials about him. The materials cover the Archdiocese of Saint Louis Archives and Records 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis MO 63119-5738 Phone: 314.792.7020 | Fax: 314.792.7029 | Email: [email protected] years 1809 to 1990, and include a file regarding his reinternment in St. Louis in 1954 from his original burial in Rome. Series 2 Correspondence contains letters to and from Bishop Rosati. The correspondence is from clergy, bishops, sisters, and laypeople from around the country and the world. As a mission diocese, Rosati received reports and updates from missionaries working in various parts of the country. See the Annotated Index to the Bishop Joseph Rosati Papers to search for particular people, places, or things. The series is ordered into three general sections: Subseries 2.1 Correspondence, Topical contains correspondence from 1815 to 1841 by specific topics, including faculties for clergy, petitions from Catholic community missions, letters written by Rosati, letter books, and the Church-State situations in Mexico and Haiti. The letter books contain annotations, and some full transcriptions, of correspondence written by Rosati. There is an index to the correspondence compiled in 1890 by then-Chancellor Rev. Henry Van der Sanden. Of interest are the materials for Mexico and Haiti, countries to which Rosati was asked to be a church diplomat on behalf of Rome. Subseries 2.2 Correspondence, Alphabetical contains the bulk of the Rosati Papers from 1816 to 1843. There are a handful of translations and additions in the folders ranging from 1774 to 1967. The folders are arranged alphabetically by surname with the contents arranged chronologically. Letters from persons that did not have a significant amount of correspondence were compiled into a folder by the first letter of the surname. The contents of those folders are arranged alphabetically by surname and then chronologically if there are more than one letter for a person. Subseries 2.3 Correspondence, Women Religious contains correspondence with religious order sisters from 1821 to 1843. It is organized by the religious order first, and then by the sister’s name. Letters from sisters that did not have a significant amount of correspondence were compiled into a general folder for the religious order. Because many sisters did not indicate their surnames, the contents of those folders are arranged chronologically. Series 3 Souvay Collection contains copies, transcripts, annotations, and translations of documents related to Bishop Joseph Rosati, including diaries, general writings, and correspondence. The materials are arranged by type, then chronologically within folders. They cover the years 1814 to 1843. Of note is the typed transcription of Rev. John Timon's memoirs of Vincentians in the U.S. and start of St. Mary's of the Barrens, circa 1850. Rev. Charles-Leon Souvay, C.M., was a professor at St. Mary’s of the Barrens and Kenrick Seminary, and an establishing member of the Catholic Historical Society of St. Louis in 1918. He was Superior General of the Vincentians from 1933-1939. Souvay compiled these copies and transcripts from various archives, presumably around the 1920s or 1930s. Some of the items indicate the archives in which the original is housed. It is possible that some of this material is derived from or duplicates materials in the DeAndreis- Rosati Memorial Archive at DePaul University in Chicago. Series 4 Microfilm includes microfilmed copies of much of the materials in the Rosati Papers, including correspondence, diaries, and materials from the Souvay Collection. The reels likely cover the years 1814 to 1843. The content on the reels have not been checked against the physical materials in the collection. The microfilm was made in the 1960s by Notre Dame University, which also holds copies of the reels. Archdiocese of Saint Louis Archives and Records 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis MO 63119-5738 Phone: 314.792.7020 | Fax: 314.792.7029 | Email: [email protected] Restrictions Open to the public. Please make an appointment to research at the archives. See our website at http://archstl.org/archives. Related Material See the Annotated Index to the Bishop Joseph Rosati Papers (HPRM Record No. ED/3338). See the thesis by Mary Norine Busch, A.B., “Calendar of the Papers of His Excellency Joseph Rosati, C.M., 1809-1843 in the Chancellery Archives at St. Louis,” 1949. (HPRM Record No. HIST/142765) DePaul University houses the Vincentian Studies Collections, where more materials about Bishop Rosati can be found. Administrative Information Provenance: Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., Office of the Archbishop/Chancery Accession: None. Original collection of the Archives. Processing Note: Some major reprocessing work was applied to this collection from 2015-2019. It was evident that Rosati’s papers had been split up into separate collections in the Archdiocesan Archives, but this made it difficult to navigate correspondence, and to understand the scope of his archival legacy. Materials were removed from the priest personnel and the women religious collections to be reunited with the bulk of Rosati’s Papers. While indexing the correspondence, Emory Webre was able to rectify identification issues, provide preservation enclosures, and write annotations of the letters. The final rehousing and order of folders was completed by Rena Schergen. Archdiocese of Saint Louis Archives and Records 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis MO 63119-5738 Phone: 314.792.7020 | Fax: 314.792.7029 | Email: [email protected] Records Inventory Last Updated 2019/10/22 Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., Papers 1774-1990 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/P2000001 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Personal Papers - Faculties, appointments, and last will and testament Container A4832 1809-1840 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/D1000003 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Diaries and Calendars - Memoranda and loose notes 1816-1840 Container A4832 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/D1000006 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Diaries and Calendars - Personal diary 1831 August 1 - 1836 Container A4832 December 31, with news clipping scrapbook by Rev. John J. Tannrath 1915-1917 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/C2000002 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Coat of Arms - and biographical notes, circa 1870-circa 1990 Container A4832 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/T1000002 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Topical - reinternment from Rome to the Old Cathedral (with Container A4832 photographs) 1954 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/D1000059 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Diaries and Calendars - Memoranda ledger 1822-1840 Container A4832 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/T1000454 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Topical - Financial ledger 1830-1839 Container A4833 Folder Record Number EXEC/01/T1000455 Series 1 Executive - Archbishop and Bishop - Topical - Financial Ledger 1830-1840 Container A4833 Folder Record