From the Archives

Bishop Theophile Meerschaert’s indomitable courage and grit in sometimes hostile environments was legendary. Traversing streams on horseback, braving blizzards to impart the sacraments and taking sometimes convoluted routes by train to find Catholics in the far-flung areas of the state of Oklahoma were commonplace.

One such foray on the Frisco Railroad nearly cost him his life in Oklahoma City. On Dec. 24, 1907, returning to the station from a missionary jaunt, then at First and Harvey, he began to walk toward (then) Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in the darkness to celebrate Christmas Mass. He was accompanied by Father Tessier, and as they proceeded Bishop Meerschaert fell into an unmarked three-foot hole excavated by the Metropolitan Railway Company (street cars) repairing tracks at the Rock Island junction. As Father Tessier struggled to remove the rather stout bishop, a Rock Island switch engine, unaware of the good bishop’s presence in the hole, ran over the top of where he fell. Slouching down to avoid decapitation, the engine passed over him. It passed over him again. Finally given the opportunity to extricate himself, he fell over another track and into another hole this time breaking his wrist and damaging his left knee.

Arriving at the rectory of the Cathedral, Dr. John Riley was summoned to examine the bishop and seeing the injuries suggested they go to nearby Saint Anthony’s Hospital. Not surprisingly, he steadfastly refused. Dr. Riley then painfully manipulated the bone fragments with a lack of anesthesia and soon put the wrist into a splint. Bishop Meerschaert stayed in bed for six weeks. 

Dr. Riley recalled, “During my visits to him at this time, he impressed me with his sense of appreciation, and his great, cordial reception that he always gave you, when you came and left. This made a lasting impression on me. He recovered very nicely from this accident; and from this unfortunate affair I grew to love this great and good man.” 

With many tasks ahead, Bishop Meerschaert escaped an early death and continued his tireless work to spread the Gospel until his passing in 1924.