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Archbishop Morel

(1909-1930)

Mgr.Morel

In 1908, Mgr.Gandy requested Rome to give him a coadjutor. He died before getting a definite answer. Six months after his death Rome appointed a successor in the person of Mgr.Morel.
Fr.Morel after his arrival at Pondicherry was appointed Professor of Science at the Colonial College. He then became the Parish Priest of Tennur for a while. He was recalled to become Professor at St.Joseph’s High School, Cuddalore. Intellectually bright, he was a famous mathematician. In 1905 he succeeded Fr.Faure as Rector of the Major Seminary. He taught Philosophy. He was also the Vicar General. He remained in the Major seminary till his election to the episcopate in 1909.
On 21st September 1909 he was consecrated Archbishop by Mgr.Bottero in the presence of the Bishops of Mysore, Coimbatore, Madras-Mylapore, Rangoon and Mandalay.

Situation in 1909

In 1909 there were 77 missionaries and 22 Indian priests. Between 1909 to 1930, 29 missionaries died 2 left the mission and only 16 new ones arrived from Paris. Among the 22 Indian Priests, 12 died. But there were only 23 new ordinations. In 1914 the First World war broke out. In January 1915, 14 priests and one brother had to join the army . And in August again two other priests and another brother were requisitioned to the army.
Mgr.Morel himself set an example by taking charge of the parish of Villupuram during the period of the war!. Many parishes were regrouped to be under a single Parish Priest. Assistant priests were also given charge of the parishes. At the Cathedral, the four year strike of the caste people made a dent in the parish life. Fr.Combes started a 10 day “mission” and brought back the parish to its normal life again.
Fr.Gayet was appointed Rector of the Provincial Major Seminary and he remained at its helm till 1945 even after its transfer from Pondicherry to Bangalore under the title of St.Peter’s Seminary in 1934. During this period all in all 68 Indian priests were ordained for all the dioceses of the province of Pondicherry. With the idea to centralise the activities, Mgr.Morel started the deanery system in 1928. Eleven such deaneries or Vicariates were created with a Vicar Forane at the head of each.

Fr.Escande

Education

Petit Seminaire under Fr.Escande enjoyed an era of remarkable prosperity. Fr.Escande himself was known as the “Apostle of Petit Seminaire”. In Cuddalore, St.Joseph’s College was affected by the new syllabus of the Madras University. Two degree courses had to be cancelled. Hence from 1911, it became only a High School and ceased to be a College.
An extraordinary progress was made with regard to the Elementary Schools by Rev.Fr.Thomas Gavan-Duffy. He created a diocesan organization, named “Comite’ d’ Education” after his appointment in 1918 as the Inspector of the Mission Schools.

Fr.Gavan Duffy

In 1921, Fr.Gavan Duffy started a Training School at Tindivanam with 22 students. St.Anne’s Primary school became a Middle School under the effective direction of Bro.Claudien (Montfort Brother).
More than schools and teachers, Fr.Gavan Duffy was interested in the training of the Catechists. The training given by Fr.Gavan Duffy would prepare Teachers or Catechists with good formation in Secular and religious studies. The best teachers after a few years of teaching would be raised to the grade of Catechists.

Resignation of Archbishop Morel

Archbishop Morel, 68 years old, requested Rome to accept his resignation, which was accepted. Fr.Colas was appointed and was consecrated by Archbishop Morel on 29th September 1930. Retiring to Yercaud, Mgr.Morel did what he could do for about ten years. In 1940 he went to St.Martha’s Hospital, Bangalore and he died there in 1948, eighteen years after his resignation.

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