Biography of 	Boegaerts, Very Rev. John B. Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller December 1997

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Very Rev. John B. Bogaerts, Orleans Parish, Louisiana 
    Very Rev. John B. Bogaerts, vicar-general and chancellor of the
archdiocese of New Orleans, was born at Olmen, Belgium, December 29,
1840, and studied the classics at the Jesuits' college at Turnhout and
at the little seminary of Malines, Belgium, where he also perfected
himself in philosophy, afterward studying theology in the great seminary
of Malines.  He was ordained sub-deacon by Cardinal Sterck, archbishop
of Malines, in 1862.  On February 3, 1863, he sailed from Havre
(France), for New Orleans, on board the "Ste. Genevieve," being one of
the party consisting of thirty-six priests and seminarians, destined for
the diocese of New Orleans, who had been recruited by the Most Rev. J. M
Odin, then archbishop of New Orleans, in the various seminaries of
France, Belgium and Ireland, including one Italian priest, Rev. Father
Manoritta, now stationed at New Orleans, and the present bishop of
Natchez, Rt. Rev. T. Heslin.  There were also on board twelve subjects
for the diocese of Galveston and eight sisters, Ursulines and Sisters of
the Incarnate Word, intended for the dioceses of Louisiana and Texas.
Rt. Rev. Bishop Dubuis, bishop of Galveston led the party.  They arrived
in New Orleans on Good Friday, April 3, 1863, after a sixty days' trip.
The eight months intervening, up to November 4, 1863, were spent at the
seminary of the Lazarist Fathers, at Bouligny (now the Sixth district of
New Orleans), where Rev. T. B. Bogaerts was ordained deacon, and finally
priest, November 4, 1863,- with nine other clergymen, all of the
archdiocese of New Orleans.  Of the ten priests then ordained, eight
celebrated their silver jubilee of twenty-five years of priesthood, on
November 4, 1888, at the St. Louis cathedral in New Orleans, some 120
priests being in attendance, and the present archbishop, Most Rev. F.
Janssens, presiding.  Rev. J. B. Bogaerts' first field of labor was
Gretna, opposite New Orleans, where he celebrated the first mass on
November 15,1863, and organized a parish.  He was transferred to St.
Henry's church (Sixth district), New Orleans, on July 15, 1871, where
the same work was repeated.  He remained its pastor until May 1, 1891.
In May, 1889, he was appointed vicar-general of the archdiocese.  He
acted as administrator of the diocese during the five months of absence
of Archbishop Janssens in Europe, whither the latter went in 1889 to
recruit priests for his diocese.  After the Archbishop's return from
Europe, Very Rev. J. B. Bogaerts continued to act in the double capacity
of vicar general and pastor of St. Henry's church, until his removal on
May 1, 1891, when be was appointed chancellor of the archdiocese and
pastor of St. Mary's church (archbishopric), continuing at the same time
in the capacity of vicar-general.
 
 From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp.
301-302. 
Submitted by Mike Miller