Etienne Jerome Rouchouze, SS.CC. of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary served as Vicar Apostolic and Titular Bishop of Nilopolis[1] from 1833 to 1843 of the Vicariate Apostolic of Oriental Oceania, from which were derived the Archdiocese of Pape‘ete, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and the Diocese of Taiohae o Tefenuaenata in the Marquesas Islands. As a missionary bishop, Msgr. Rouchouze resided in Valparaíso, Chile and in Honolulu; he was responsible for the evangelization efforts of the Picpus Fathers in the Hawaiian Islands and eastern Pacific.
Prior to his episcopal ministry, Pope Gregory XVI, on November 27, 1825, created the Prefecture Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands. Father Alexis Bachelot was subsequently appointed its first prefect on December 3, 1825.
Msgr. Rouchouze was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Oriental Oceania and Titutlar Bishop of Nilopolis on June 14, 1833 with ordinary jurisdiction over the Hawai‘i prefecture apostolic. He was subsequently consecrated to the episcopate in Rome, on December 22, 1833 by the Prefect of the Propaganda Fide, Cardinal Carlo Maria Pedicini. On June 29, 1834, in Golden Square in London, Msgr. Rouchouze served as principal co-consecrator in the episcopal ordination of Msgr. John Bede Polding, O.S.B., Titular Bishop of Hierocaesarea and Vicar Apostolic elect of New Holland.
On January 17, 1839, Msgr. Rouchouze blessed the first stone for the first church in Mangareva; he arrived in Mangareva on April 4, 1839. He said the first pontifical Mass in the Marquesas at Tahuata on February 6, 1839. He arrived in Honolulu on May 14, 1840. On December 8, 1842, the ship Marie-Joseph was blessed in Saint Malo in Brittany. Shortly thereafter, Msgr. Rouchouze, accompanied by thirteen brothers and ten sisters, left Saint Malo for Oceania on the Marie-Joseph. On February 24, 1843, Msgr. Rouchouze and his twenty-three missionaries left the island of Saint Catherine on the Marie-Joseph. On March 13, 1843, the ship was last sighted at 51° N, 62° W. Msgr. Rouchouze and his companions were never seen again and were presumed to have perished at sea.[2]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Prefect Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands, Prefect Apostolic of Tahiti, Prefect Apostolic of the Marquesas Islands |
Vicar Apostolic of Oriental Oceania 1833–1843 |
Succeeded by Vicar Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands, Vicar Apostolic of Tahiti, Vicar Apostolic of the Marquesas Islands |