I occasionally hear people wanting to go on pilgrimage to Utrecht - the foundation of Independent and Old Catholicism. I think it is always important to understand our past to better understand our present and our future. At the same time, such a trip is difficult for many due to the expense and time-commitment. While Old Catholicism has its European origins, it is easily forgotten that Bishop Varlet was a missionary in the New World before he was appointed bishop.
As a priest, Varlet served as vicar general for the Illinois and Mississippi region of the Diocese of Quebec. Fr. Varlet went and was stationed in Cahokia, IL. I cannot help but think of how the experience of ministering to a neglected and underserved community would play a role in his desire to confirm the poor in Amsterdam who had been without a bishop due to church politics. I believe the story of how the French mission in the New World would shape Bishop Varlet has yet to be written and it will be an important story to tell.
I wish Independent and Old Catholicism had a small monument in Cahokia, IL to remember his work. A place that planted the seeds of a movement that even he was unaware of when he left these shores. I believe here he recognized the church was found in the neglected and forgotten. It was this that inspired him to minister to people neglected on the Continent. May we not forget our history. May we minister to the Body of Christ especially the poor, outcast, needy, and neglected.
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