Charles Nerinckx

Charles Nerinckx, originally Carolus Nerinckx ( born October 2, 1761 Herfelingen, Austrian Netherlands, . † August 12, 1824 in Ste Genevieve ( Missouri)), was a flämischstämmiger Roman Catholic missionary priests in the United States. He is the founder of the Sisters of Loretto.

Life

Nerinckx was the eldest of 14 children of the physician Sebastian Nerinckx and his wife Petronilla born Langendries. He studied philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of Louvain in 1781 and entered the seminary of the Archdiocese of Mechelen in Mechelen, a. In 1785 he was ordained priest, and became chaplain at the Cathedral of Mechelen. In 1794 he came as pastor after Meerbeek. After the annexation of the Austrian Netherlands by revolutionary France, he was driven from office in 1797 and retired to a hospital in Dendermonde back, which was led by his aunt. There matured his decision to go to America to participate in the vast new settlement of the Midwest in the construction of the Catholic Church. After his arrival in the fall of 1804 Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore sent him to Kentucky; nearly half of the state has been transferred his responsibilities.

In the following years Nerinckx put on horse back huge distances to collect Catholic settlers, to administer the sacraments, to plant churches and bring church building projects in transition. His prudence and energy, coupled with deep spirituality, gave him the honorary title of Apostle of Kentucky. Bishop Carroll was going to suggest it to the Holy See as Bishop of New Orleans, but Nerinckx refused.

His main concern had been the Catholic education of children already in Europe. In Kentucky, he founded this goal with Mary Rhodes, Ann Havern and Christina Stuart 1812, the Community of the Sisters of Loretto under the name Friends of Mary at the foot of the cross. He made ​​two trips to Europe in order to gain support for his work in building and returned with pictures, vestments and vessels for the liturgy as well as with some young Flemish priests, the later the Jesuit Order in the United States established, including Pierre -Jean De Smet.

Charles Nerinckx died on a mission trip that he made to Indian tribes in Missouri.