Catalan-born prelate
Peter Verdaguer y Prat (Sant Pere de Torelló, December 10, 1835 – Texas, October 26, 1911) was a Catalan-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville from 1890 until his death in 1911.
Biography
Peter Verdaguer y Prat was born in Sant Pere de Torelló, county of Osona in the Province of Barcelona, to Francisco Verdaguer and Maria Prat Verdaguer.[1] He attended the seminaries of Vic and Barcelona before coming to the United States, where he completed his theological studies at St. Vincent's Seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, C.M., on December 12, 1862.[2] He then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, California, serving as a missionary and pastor of San Bernardino and in Los Angeles.[1]
On July 25, 1890, Verdaguer was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville, Texas, and Titular Bishop of Aulon by Pope Leo XIII.[2] He received his consecration on the following November 9 in Barcelona from Bishop Jaime Catalá y Albosa, the Bishop of Barcelona, with Bishops José Morgades y Gili and José Meseguer y Costa serving as co-consecrators.[2]
Returning to the United States, Verdaguer arrived in his new vicariate the following spring.[1] He then removed the episcopal see from Corpus Christi to Laredo.[3] He invited several religious institutes into the vicariate, including the Sisters of Mercy, Claretians, and Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.[3] He opened two hospitals, several churches and parochial schools, and an orphanage.[1] He increased the number of priests from 10 to 32 and saw Catholics increase by 40,000.[1]
Verdaguer died while traveling to Mercedes for Confirmation ceremonies, aged 75.[1] He is buried at Laredo Catholic Cemetery.[1]
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