Benjamin Petit

Missionary work

Twin Lakes mission In October 1837 Bishop Bruté sent the newly ordained priest to the St. Mary of the Lake Mission in South Bend, Indiana, as a replacement for Father Louis Deseille, who died from an illness on September 26, 1837, after having walked several miles from Pokagon's village in Michigan back to South Bend. The St. Mary of the Lake Mission, which later became the University of Notre Dame, served as the central base for Father Petit's visits to the other missions and Catholic homes. He took up primary residence there in a log chapel built by Father Stephen Badin. Father Petit first visited the Twin Lakes mission on November 3, 1837 He mastered all three languages he needed to use: his native French, the English spoken by the Americans and the language of the Potawatomi.

He became known among the Potawatomi as "Chichipe Outipe." Petit also referred to the mission at Twin Lakes as "Chichipe Outipe". Recently, however, it has been discovered that "outipe" most likely correlates with the Potawatomi word, "wtapik," meaning "forehead." Thus, what Petit wrote in his letters as "Chichipe Outipe," is his French spelling of the phrase, "shishibé wtapik," meaning "duck's head." This discovery is corroborated by Petit, who translates the phrase himself in several instances that had previously gone unnoticed by scholars.

In one letter, to demonstrate his mastery of the Potawatomi language, he closes by writing a phrase in Potawatomi, followed by its translation: “Nin Mackahtaokônia Chichipé Outipé angenickaso gatamikoa tchaiai Muckatahokônia Autchakpock Kick. I, the Black Robe, called the ‘duck's head,’ I greet all the Black Robes from the mouth to the source (Vincennes).”

Having been trained and law and practiced as attorney in France, Petit tried to help the Potawatomi to draft a legal appeal against removal, but to no avail. Within a few months of his arrival, Father Petit had resigned himself to the Potawatomi's impending removal to reservation lands set aside for them west of the Mississippi River. In July 1838 he reported to Bishop Bruté that the Potawatomi's efforts to resist removal from Indiana had failed, and declared "the land is lost, and without recourse, I believe."

Father Petit was known for his compassion and enthusiasm toward his Potawatomi parishioners. He sincerely lamented the Potawatomi's removal from Indiana and the closure of the Catholic mission at Twin Lakes. As he explained in a letter dated September 14, 1838, to his family, "It is sad, I assure you, for a missionary to see a young and vigorous work expire in his arms." He also described his anguish during the mission's final hours: "At the moment of my departure I assembled all my children to speak to them for the last time. I wept and my auditors sobbed aloud; it was indeed a heartrending sight, and over our dying mission we prayed for the success of those they would establish in their new hunting grounds."

Potawatomi Trail of Death On August 29, 1838, General John Tipton and a local militia made a surprise visit to the Potawatomi village at Twin Lakes, near Plymouth, Indiana, and in the ensuing days completed preparations for the Potawatomi's forced removal to reservation lands on the banks of the Osage River, at the present-day site of Osawatomie, Kansas. On September 4, General Tipton gave the order to begin the two-month march, which later became known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death. Father Petit was willing to join his Potawatomi parishioners on their journey, "at least until I can place them in the hands of another pastor," but Bishop Bruté initially declined his permission. The Potawatomi began their march to the Kansas territory without Father Petit; however, the bishop soon changed his mind. On September 7, three days after the Potawatomi's departure from Twin Lakes, Father Petit formally accepted General Tipton's invitation to join the caravan.

Father Petit caught up with the caravan at Danville, Illinois, on September 16, 1838, and accompanied the Potawatomi on the remainder of their journey. Father Petit described his arrival at the encampment on Sunday, September 16: "I came in sight of my Christians, under a burning noonday sun, amidst clouds of dust, marching in a line, surrounded by soldiers who were hurrying their steps.... Nearly all the children, weakened by the heat, had fallen into a state of complete languor and depression. I baptized several who were newly born – happy Christians, who with their first step passed from earthly exile to the heavenly sojourn." Tipton commented in a letter dated September 18, 1838, that Father Petit "has, both by example and precept, produced a very favorable change in the morals and industry of the Indians; that his untiring zeal in the cause of civilization has been, and will continue to be, eventually beneficial to those unfortunate Pottawatomies when they reach their new abode."

Of the 859 Potawatomi who began the journey, 756 survived, 42 died, and others escaped. The caravan included 286 horses, 26 wagons, and an armed escort of one hundred soldiers. The journey west covered about over 61 days, often under hot, dry, and dusty conditions. During the journey Father Petit conducted mass, blessed the graves of the dead, and baptized the dying children, including newborns. He also ministered to the sick and assisted the attending physicians as an interpreter. Father Petit became severely ill with high fever, and suffered from exhaustion and weakness, as did many of the Potawatomi. They also suffered from eye inflammation due to the sun, dust, and windy conditions on the trail. He later reported that the conditions began to improve when the caravan arrived in Missouri, especially after the Potawatomi were allowed to hunt for wild game to supplement their diet.

Upon arrival at their reservation lands along the Osage River on November 4, 1838, the Potawatomi were placed under the supervision of the local Indian agent, and Father Petit completed arrangements to transfer his charge to Christian Hoecken, a Jesuit missionary who had worked on the Kickapoo mission.

Death Father Petit and Abram Burnett (Nan-wesh-mah), a Potawatomi friend, began the return to Indiana on January 2, 1839. After 150 miles of travel on horseback, Father Petit became too ill to continue the ride, and took a stage to Jefferson City, Missouri. Still too weak to ride a horse, Father Petit traveled east in an open wagon in the rain and over bad roads to reach the Jesuit seminary on January 15, 1839. He arrived exhausted from his strenuous journey and weakened by successive attacks of fever, with many running sores on his body.

Father Petit hoped to recover at St. Louis and return to Indiana, but his condition worsened on February 6. He died at the Jesuit seminary at 9th and Washington Streets in St. Louis on February 10, 1839, at the age of 27 years, 10 months.

Legacy and honors Father Petit's remains rest in a place of honor under the Log Chapel at the University of Notre Dame. Because of his devoted service to the Potawatomi, Father Petit is remembered by Notre Dame University as a martyr of charity.

Father Petit's chalice, which accompanied him on the Trail of Death from Twin Lakes to Kansas, was returned to Bishop Bruté after Father Petit's death. The chalice is displayed at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Vincennes, Indiana.