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March 11, 2021With an indomitable spirit and a firm grasp on what he desired to achieve, the Rt. Rev. Felix DeGrasse, O.S.B., his imprint on the early Church in Oklahoma is great. Throughout his life in Oklahoma, he was at the forefront of missionary expansion. His presence was not without controversy, however.
Traveling from the Abbey of Pierre-qui-Vire in France, he arrived at Sacred Heart Mission in Indian Territory on April 14, 1877. With a profound affinity toward the American Indian, he wasted no time in becoming a missionary to the Pottawatomi Tribe from 1877-1887.
Through his efforts, the Benedictines formed a strong relationship with the Pottawatomi that has persisted to the present day. He set his sights on the Osage Tribe that had been removed to Indian Territory not long before his arrival. The Jesuit missionaries in Missouri had made periodic efforts to evangelize but did not have a permanent presence. In 1887, he became the first resident missionary to the Osage and partnering with Saint Katherine Drexel, built Saint Louis School for Indian Girls at Pawhuska in the same year. He also was responsible for Saint John’s School for Boys in Hominy Creek. These two schools were operated by Franciscan Sisters and provided a basic education for hundreds of children.
Leaving in 1889, he became the consummate advocate for the faith as he established parishes in Pawhuska, Guthrie, Ponca City, Perry, Mulhall, Langston, Shawnee and Chandler. Realizing the skills and capabilities of this gifted monk, the community of Sacred Heart Abbey elected Father Felix the abbot of the monastery in 1898 after the death Thomas Duperou. There were problems in the community that had to be addressed such as the relationship of the French, Basque and American monks that was indeed problematic.
So as not to mislead, it should be understood that the relationship between the abbot and Bishop Meerschaert was not without turbulence. The Prefects Apostolic (the first structure that would lead to diocesan status) previously were Benedictine. When Bishop Meerschaert was named Vicar Apostolic, the next step toward becoming a diocese, the Benedictines were not pleased since the territory had been in their pastoral charge and should remain so.
From Father James White: “Abbot Felix DeGrasse, in particular, was insistent that the monks be permitted the care (and the income) of certain parishes they had held or planned for prior to Bishop Meerschaert’s arrival. The abbot’s complaints to Rome about the matter caused several years delay in reaching a settlement.”
Bishop Meerschaert had petitioned Rome to elevate the vicariate to diocesan status in 1898 and the bishops of the New Orleans province (to which the vicariate belonged) concurred. It was not until 1905 that the Diocese of Oklahoma was erected. Abbot Felix died on Jan. 3 of that year and the decree establishing the diocese was issued on Aug. 17. The obstacles appear to have been removed rather quickly upon his demise.
Regardless of political tensions, the death of Abbot Felix was a great loss to the Church in Oklahoma. His indefatigable energy and zeal for souls cannot be questioned.
