Born at
Saint-Constant, (Laprairie), Quebec, July 23, 1830
Taking of the habit at Ottawa, June 26,
1858
Oblation at Ottawa, August 29, 1860 (No.
525)
Ordination to the priesthood at Ottawa,
June 19, 1862
Died at Kenora, Ontario, February 27, 1909.
Jean-Baptiste Baudin studied at Saint Hyacinthe College (1844-1846), but he was forced to interrupt his studies because of the death of this father. He travelled as far as Louisiana where he worked for a cotton grower. When he returned to Canada, he continued his studies at Montreal College (1851-1858) and entered the novitiate in Ottawa on June 26, 1858 where he made his perpetual vows on August 29, 1860. He subsequently taught at Ottawa College while studying theology and was ordained to the priesthood in Ottawa on June 19, 1862 by Bishop Joseph Eugène Bruno Guigues, o.m.i., Bishop of Ottawa.
The newly ordained priest exercised his ministry in the mission church of Saint-Sauveur in the city of Quebec (1862-1863) and returned to Ottawa College (1863-1865), after which he became superior and pastor of Maniwaki (1865-1870). He then worked in the parish of Saint Joseph of Lowell, Massachusetts (1870-1872) with pastoral responsibility for the missions of Haverhill and Lawrence in the same state.
In September 1872, he arrived in western Canada where he would subsequently spend his entire life. He was initially put in charge of Saint Mary’s parish in Winnipeg (1872-1879) and was parish priest there (1876-1879) and built the first house-chapel (1874). He likewise founded the missions of Selkirk, Manitoba (1879-1880), of Kenora, Ontario (1880) and of Brandon, Manitoba (1881-1882) and erected chapels at Selkirk and Brandon. He also did ministry among the Canadian Pacific railroad workers between Selkirk and Rivière-à-l’Aigle in 1880.
Father Baudin was then appointed parish priest of Kenora [Rat Portage] (1882-1895). He built the church there and served the missions of Keewatin and Norman. From there, he was appointed parish priest of Fort Frances, Ontario (1895-1896) and bursar of the bishop’s residence in Saint Boniface (1896?-1899) while continuing his ministry in Selkirk (1897-1900). After having served as parish priest of Saint Charles, Manitoba (1900-1901), he spent the final years of his life at Kenora (1901-1909). He was buried at Saint Charles, Manitoba.
Gaston Carrière, o.m.i.
Sources and Bibliography
G.A.: formula of oblation; 8 letters to
various Oblates (1880-1899)
Missions O.M.I., 1863-1909, passim.
“Le Révérend Père J.-B. Baudin, o.m.i.”, in Les
cloches de Saint-Boniface, 8 (1909), p. 70-72.
Morice, Adrien-Gabriel, o.m.i., “Baudin, Jean-Baptiste, o.m.i.”, in Dictionnaire historique des Canadiens et des Métis français dans l’Ouest,
2nd edition, Québec, Garneau, 1912, p. 323-324.
Carrière, Gaston, o.m.i., “Baudin, Jean-Baptiste”, in
Dictionnaire biographique des Oblats de
M. I. au Canada, Vol. I, Ottawa, 1976, p. 50-51.
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