Multnomah-Umatilla County OR Archives Biographies.....Coudeyre, S. J., Rev. Augustus J. June 30, 1875 - March ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 23, 2011, 10:02 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 760 - 763 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company REV. AUGUSTUS J. COUDEYRE, S. J., a man of scholarly attainments whose consecrated labors have long constituted a factor in the intellectual and moral progress of the Pacific northwest, is now in charge of a very prosperous parish as pastor of St. Ignatius church of Portland. He was born in southern France on the 30th of June 1875, a son of Martin and Mary (Mournette) Coudeyre. He has two brothers who are priests in France, namely. Emile, a missionary in the Redemptorist order; and Celestin, who is in charge of a parish. Augustus J. Coudeyre received his early educational training under the Brothers of La Salle and subsequently entered the Jesuit Fathers’ College at Lyons, France, which conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1894. In June of that year he made the voyage to the United States and entered the Jesuit order in Spokane, Washington. He there resumed his studies and later began mission work among the Indians on the reservation at Umatilla, Oregon, continuing at that place for three years and afterward spending two years on the reservation at Colville, Washington. Five years among the Indians of the northwest gave him a very thorough knowledge of the red men and their history. Following this experience he pursued a four years' theological course in St. Louis University of St. Louis, Missouri, where he was ordained to the priesthood on the 27th of June, 1907. Immediately afterward he went to Yakima, Washington, where he served as assistant pastor for one year. With his broad intellectual training, however, it was deemed best that he enter the educational field and thus he accepted a position at Gonzaga University of Spokane, Washington, where he taught languages and mathematics for four years. On the expiration of that period he went east to Poughkeepsie, New York, for special or postgraduate work. A year later he returned west and during the succeeding twelve years was prefect of studies at Seattle College, a Jesuit institution. His next removal took him to Tacoma, Washington, where he was principal of St. Leo's College for one year, and then for a similar period he was again connected with Seattle College. In response to an insistant call, he next returned to Gonzaga University of Spokane as principal of the high school, thus continuing until August, 1927, when he was appointed pastor of St. Ignatius parish of Portland. The history of the parish is a most interesting one. It was about the year 1909 that Rev. Francis Dillon came to Portland as the first Jesuit priest and purchased twenty-five acres of land for the order. Father Dillon now lives at St. Ignatius Mission near Missoula, Montana. There are five provinces of the Jesuit order in the United States: New England at Boston, Massachusetts; New York and Maryland at New York city; New Orleans; Missouri at St. Louis; and California at Portland. The last named was formerly located in California but on account of the geographical location the Pacific Coast headquarters were changed to Portland. With the inception of St. Ignatius parish soon thereafter, a handsome three-story brick building was erected and this was dedicated in 1909. School was begun with only a few pupils and there are now nearly three hundred students taught by eight Sisters of the Holy Name, for whom a special home has been erected. A large modern schoolhouse has also been built. The plans of the founder are gradually being worked out with a view to making St. Ignatius a great educational center offering the finest college facilities. There are nearly two hundred and fifty families in the parish and great things are hoped for under the leadership of the new pastor, Father Coudeyre. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/photos/bios/coudeyre1405gbs.jpg File Size 118Kb File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/coudeyre1405gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb