From the Archives

The persuasive power possessed by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert to entice Europeans to come to Oklahoma is no more evident than in the story of Victor Van Durme. 

Van Durme was an accomplished musician and had just finished his seminary studies at the Schett Seminary, just outside of Brussels in Belgium. Bishop Meerschaert was attending the 50th anniversary of the American College at Louvain, founded to train missionaries for work in the United States.

The enthusiastic bishop met with Van Durme for five minutes at the behest of the rector of Van Durme’s seminary who had been a classmate of Meerschaert. Meerschaert questioned the young seminarian asking, “Do you want to go the foreign missions?” Van Durme replied, “Yes, I am going to the Belgian Congo and I can speak the native tongue.” 

The grilling continued as Meerschaert tried to convince him to come to America with him. Protesting that he did not know the language, Van Durme was assured that English was much like French and he would surely get the hang of it in no time. He went on to cajole Van Durme further saying that no one in his diocese knew a thing about church music. Van Durme in his later years confessed, “When we talked about music, I fell for it.” 

Ordained in 1908, his first assignment was chaplain to Mount St. Mary’s Academy and to act as the bishop’s secretary. His loyalty and devotion to Bishop Meershaert made for a happy priest during the episcopacy of said bishop. He was not, however, enamored with his successors. 

Van Durme then served in Stillwater, and from 1925-32 was pastor of the Cathedral of the Osage, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pawhuska, following the enigmatic and sometimes bizarre Edward Van Waesberghe who built the church. 

It was certainly not an easy assignment as Father Edward had a difficult time letting go of the pastorate – having spent 27 years of his priesthood in Pawhuska.

Father Van Durme served as a diocesan consultant for many years and was pastor at El Reno after his departure from Pawhuska until 1947.
His ministry in Oklahoma came full circle as he returned as chaplain to Mount St. Mary’s Academy and resided in the same house he had inhabited 32 years earlier. He stayed 25 more years until he died at the ripe old age of 88.

Father Jim White added this insight: “The Belgian priest remained resentful and suspicious of the rising and assertive generations of Oklahoma priests.” Regardless of his abilities to be an exemplary curmudgeon, his willingness to forsake what he had trained to be to come to Oklahoma, of which he knew little, and give his life in service to a an extremely foreign culture is to be commended and admired.