CRÉTIN, JOSEPH

First bishop of st. paul, Minn.; b. Montluel, Ain, France, Dec. 10, 1799; d. St. Paul, Feb. 22, 1857. He was one of four children of Joseph and Mary Jane (Mery) Crétin, both members of families distinguished for their heroic practice of the Catholic faith during the French Revolution. Joseph attended the presbyteral schools at Montluel (1812) and Courcieux (1813), made his classical studies at the preparatory seminary of Meximieux, and studied philosophy at L'Argentière and Alix. He entered the grand seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris on Oct. 20, 1820, was ordained for the Diocese of Belley on Dec. 20, 1823, and then served as curate (1823–31) and pastor (1831–38) at the parish of Ferney, where he founded a presbyteral school in 1826. During this period he received the degree of bachelor of letters from the University of France (1829) and became a close friend of the Curé of Ars, (St.) John vianney.

In August 1838 Mathias Loras, first bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, returned to France to secure priests for his new diocese. While visiting Ferney, he invited Crétin, his former pupil at Meximieux, to work in the U.S. Crétin, with his own bishop's permission, left France on Aug. 27, 1838, arriving in Dubuque on April 18, 1839, where he was immediately named vicar-general of the diocese. During the 11 years he held this post, he also devoted himself to pastoral care among the Winnebago of upper Iowa and the French settlers and Canadian voyageurs at Prairie du Chien, Wis. When, on July 19, 1850, Pius IX created the Diocese of St. Paul in Minnesota, Crétin was chosen first bishop; he was consecrated in France by Bp. Alexander Devie of Belley on Jan. 26, 1851. While in France, Crétin recruited two priests, three subdeacons, and one cleric in minor orders to serve in his diocese. He was canonically installed July 2, 1851.

During his 6-year episcopate, Crétin brought the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the Sisters of St. Benedict to the diocese. He also secured the services of Francis pierz, the celebrated missionary to the Chippewa. Letters written by Crétin and Pierz, and published in U.S. and German newspapers, attracted hundreds of Catholic immigrants to Minnesota. Through Pierz, Crétin invited to Minnesota the Benedictine priests, whose Abbey of St. John, now in the Diocese of St. Cloud, constitutes (1963) the largest Benedictine community in the world.

Bibliography: "The Letters and Papers of Bishop Joseph Cretin," Archives, Catholic Historical Society of St. Paul, St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Excerpts appear as "The Cretin Collection," Acta et Dicta, 1.1 (July 1907) 34–38; 2.1 (1909) 1–41; 2.2 (July 1910) 183–204; 3.1 (July 1911) 1–20; 3.2 (July 1914) 226–234. j. ireland, "Life of the Rt. Rev. Joseph Cretin …," ibid., 4.2 (July 1916) 187–218; 5.1 (July 1917) 3–66; 5.2 (July 1918) 170–205. j. m. reardon, The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul (St. Paul 1952) 61–121.

[j. p. shannon]