Antoine Désiré Mégret

Statue of the city founder Antoine Désiré Mégret in Abbeville

Antoine Désiré Mégret (born May 23, 1797 in Abbeville , France, † December 5, 1853 ) was a French Catholic clergyman. He is the founder of the city of Abbeville ( Louisiana ).

Life

Mégret was born in France and came to Louisiana in 1842. He was sent to serve as a pastor in the parish of St. Jean du Vermilion in Vermilionville (now Lafayette ). On July 25, 1843, he acquired five kilometers north of Perry's Bridge on the sum of 900 dollars from Joseph LeBlanc Vermilion River a 160 Arpent large piece of land.

In the house of the previous owner he set up a small chapel, the first predecessor of St. Mary Magdalen Church , which was consecrated in 1844. Land that was not intended for the construction of the rectory and the construction of a cemetery or for public spaces was sold in plots. On February 12, 1844, he named the settlement around the chapel in memory of his native town Abbeville. Father Mégret developed his city around two central squares based on the model of a French village. He provided land and a building for the administration and thus influenced Abbeville to become the permanent seat of the Vermilion Parish in 1854 .

Yellow fever was rampant in Abbeville in 1853 . The epidemic claimed a total of 73 lives. The last victim was Father Mégret, who had spiritually helped the sick. His final resting place is in St. John's Cathedral in Lafayette.

source

• Notice board on the statue for Father Mégret in Abbeville