Father August W. Vandebilt
Knights Of Columbus
4th Degree Assembly # 2322
Father August Wynand Vandebilt
Pastor Of St. Francis de Sales in Houma 1914-1938
Father August W. Vandebilt was born in Axel Holland on November 10,1866. He studied at the American College of Louvain University in Belgium, one of the greatest center of learning in the world; and was ordained a priest there on June 29, 1890. From 1890 to 1897 he was assistant Pastor at the parish of St. Peter and Paul in New Orleans and from that time until he came to Houma, he was pastor of the church of Our Lady of the Lake in Delcambre, Louisiana.
The parish taken over by Fr. Vandebilt from Father Paquet does not seem to have been in a condition particularly thriving, according to the Act of Transfer between the incoming and outgoing pastors signed on March 1, 1914, the ecclesiastical building consisted of "one Church, about 160 feet by 80 feet with it contents, rectory, a two story building without any furniture whatsoever, one two story school building," they were far from imposing.
Financially, the parish had fared even worse. There was even a pew rent deficit of two hundred forty-five dollars and forty-five cents. Father Paquet writes in the Act of Transfer "Pew rents from Easter 1913 to Easter 1914, $2341.00 (due to incoming pastor prorate for one month $195.00)". According to the annual report for 1913 there was a deficit to the amount of $245.46.
Rev. P.C. Paquet also stated, "I have not received any salary for the last two months, though having taken all revenues from baptism, marriages and funerals. Furthermore, I have not been able to pay the assistants board and the sexton's salary for the month of February amounting to $50.00."
If the was the material condition of the parish, it must have been at least as bad spiritually, if not worst. The exact state of affairs would be very difficult to estimate; but we do know that Jansenism and the anti-clericalism had work their evil in South Louisiana. In spite of the hard work of the priest, people were still religiously backwards, ignorant of their faith and often suspicious of the men who did God's work in their midst. We still find much of this in Houma. In 1914 conditions must has been far more serious.
As with any other pastor in a similar position, Father Vandebilt's first concern was the revitalizing of the spiritual life of the parish schools under his charge. The story of the convent and the work of the Sisters in promoting catholic education has been related earlier in the work and is recent years the success of this has been largely due to the support and encouragement given by Father Vanderbilt. His great achievement in this line was in regard to the education of the boys of Houma. Before his time a number of rather half-hearted attempts had been made to bring them into the Catholic School, but all these had failed; and it was only when Father Vandebilt turned Father Paquet "Boys School" over to the Sisters that any great advances were made. Today if he was living, he would see his work around by the fact that at least half the children in the Academy are boys and are being given a true Christian foundation on which to build their lives.
In another line, Father Vandebilt work with boys was successful and there was in regard to the Junior Holy Name Society he founded. Especially when his first assistant Father Charles P. Greco , directed it did it flourish, not only was the spiritual life of the boys taken care of, but also their recreational and physical life. Many men in Houma today recall the baseball teams managed by Father Greco and the part they played on these teams; and it is noteworthy that most of the men who so look back to their youth are good devout Catholic today. Today the work of the Junior Holy Name Society has been taken over and expanded by the Catholic Youth Organization which was introduced into the parish by Father Jerome Drolet in 1937. Hundreds of the youth of Houma, girls as well as boys, young women as young men, have joined and are active in prompting wholesome Catholic recreation and culture, as well as seeking religious guidance. In this too, work originally started by father Vandebilt has been crowned.
Many other important parish societies have their origin in the days of Father Vandebilt and especially must be mentioned the Altar Society and the Ushers Society and the Holy Name Society. Today these three are flourishing. The Altar Society at present has about four hundreds ladies as members and cares for the needs of the altar so that the supreme Sacrifice may be fittingly offered on it. The Ushers Society, now number about sixty members, cares for the order of the church, and it is noteworthy that since its founding, the outward devotions the people has increased as their orderliness has improved. The Holy Name Society has approximately two hundred and fifty members today, and due to it, the prejudices of many men with regard to the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist have been broken down.
The most important society of all however was founded in 1936. This was the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. It was introduce by Father Henry Neubig under the direction Father Vandebilt, and it was of the utmost necessity. While the Catholic schools had large numbers enrolled, literally thousand of children were without almost any religion instruction; and this society through its classes taught by devoted women and men supplied this need. Today over fifteen hundred children are instructed by its members each year, and it works is to be seen through out the parish St. Francis de Sales in the increase of knowledge of Faith and by the more frequent reception of the Sacraments on the part of the young. Without the society, the work of the priest would be seriously handicapped.
