History of St. Augustine parish in Leopold Indiana

 Msgr. Jean-Francois Augustin de Bessonies was born in Sousceyrac, France, on June 17, 1815, on the day after the Battle of Waterloo. He became a seminarian of the Diocese of Vincennes in 1836, while still living in France. He was ordained a deacon at Christmas in 1838 and then traveled to Indiana in 1839. Fr. Bessonies was ordained as a priest by Bishop de la Hailandiere in Vincennes on January 18, 1840. The bishop assigned him to ministry in Rome, but Fr. Bessonies was a little disappointed to learn that this was Rome, Perry County! He spoke almost no English and had a hard time getting to Perry County because he didn't understand any directions people gave him, but he finally made it. Fr. Bessonies heard about how German settlers had been enticed to settle in Jasper and Ferdinand in southern Indiana by the priest there placing ads for settlers in the Cincinnati newspapers. So he decided to do the same thing, with Belgian settlers. He founded the town of Leopold (named after King Leopold of Belgium) and then advertised for settlers from Belgium and Luxembourg. The church in Leopold, St. Augustine, was named after Fr. Bessonies. Fr. Bessonies went on to have an illustrious career, forming new parishes all over the diocese. He spent 1853-1854 at St. Augustine Church in Fort Wayne, then went to Jeffersonville, building St. Augustine Church, and also served at St. Mary-of-the-Knobs. In 1857 he arrived in Indianapolis, where he built St. John the Evangelist Church on the current site. He also built the second St. John the Evangelist church building, ten years later. Msgr. Bessonies was very active in Indianapolis. He bought the land for Holy Cross Cemetery and enticed the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Little Sisters of the Poor to come to the diocese. He was the vicar geneneral from 1872 to 1877, when he became the administrator of the diocese after the death of Bishop de St. Palais. In 1878 he became the vicar general again until the time of his death in 1901. He traveled all over the diocese blessing cornerstones and new churches in the absence of the bishop. Bessonies was named a Roman Prelate, with the title of "monsignor," by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. Msgr. Bessonies retired as pastor of St. John's in 1892, but continued to live there until his death on February 22, 1901. He is interred in St. John's Church. 

The above is from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. St. Augustine parish in Leopold, Indiana is the also the site of the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation. 

I noticed that this article says the parish of St. Augustine was named after Fr. Bessonies, whose middle name was Augustin. There is probably a connection. However, the parish is named SAINT Augustine. The good Monsignor Fr. Bessonies is very likely in Heaven and praying for us, but he has not yet been canonized.