
Prefontaine’s pectoral cross with its red silk cord is still
treasured in the Archives
of the Archdiocese of Seattle. After his death, it was presented
to Msgr. Daniel Hanly,
the Cathedral’s first pastor, upon his own elevation to the rank of
Protonotary Apostolic.
The Archives of the Archdiocese of Seattle treasures a number of
pectoral crosses belonging to the shepherds of the diocese, from Bishop
Blanchet to Archbishop Hunthausen. The collection includes one
cross which belonged not to a bishop but to a priest: the pectoral
cross presented to Father Francis X. Prefontaine at the time of his
investiture as a Protonotary Apostolic (an especially high rank of
Monsignor) in 1908.
Father Prefontaine had arrived in Seattle in 1867, and built
Seattle’s first Catholic Church, Our Lady of Good Help, in 1869. From
the beginning he rubbed elbows with Yeslers, Dennys, and many of the
other leaders who helped transform Seattle from a “lost cause” (Bishop
Blanchet’s words) to one of the fastest-growing cities on the west
coast. Prefontaine was especially known as a promoter of education
in Seattle: he served as an honorary board member for Seattle’s first
public library and was later instrumental in the building and growth of
Holy Names Academy and Seattle University. Prefontaine was also an
astute investor, particularly in real estate. When he died in 1909, he
left a fortune of more than $30,000, no mean sum at that time.
It was Father Prefontaine who first suggested to Bishop O’Dea that he
move his seat from Vancouver to Seattle. Bishop O’Dea did, and for
a short time, Our Lady of Good Help served as the pro-Cathedral.
Prefontaine dreamed that a great cathedral would rise on the lot at
Third and Washington which he had cleared with his own hands, and where
he had labored for nearly forty years. But that was not to be.
The land was sold to developers for a railroad tunnel (which ended up
being built east of the site), the pioneer church of Our Lady of Good
Help was rebuilt at Fifth and Jefferson, and a site on First Hill was
chosen for the new Cathedral.
Prefontaine was deeply disappointed. The removal of the church
also meant the removal of his home since he had lived in the church’s
basement for more than twenty years. Prefontaine retired, moving
to a new home on Capitol Hill where he served as chaplain to the Sisters
of the Holy Names, spending the balance of his time either in his own
extensive library or entertaining his many friends. “I have led a
strenuous life,” he told a reporter for the Seattle Daily Times, “and I
feel as though I need a rest.”
But Bishop O’Dea ensured that Prefontaine’s career did not end in
disappointment. At his recommendation, Pope Pius X named
Prefontaine a Protonotary Apostolic, the first in the Northwest.
The new rank brought new dignity in dress—robes of purple silk, and
gloves, ring, and pectoral cross not unlike those worn by a bishop. More
importantly, it was a great honor bestowed at the end of Prefontaine’s
distinguished career, as a sign of the Church’s gratitude to a priest
who had been instrumental in the building up of the faith in the Pacific
Northwest.
Prefontaine’s elevation was marked with due solemnity on September
24, 1908, just a few days after his seventieth birthday. St. James
Cathedral was filled with his friends and fans, as well as
representatives from every parish in Seattle. Forty priests
crowded the sanctuary to honor their friend. After the reading of the
decree from Pope Pius X, Bishop O’Dea invested Prefontaine with the
signs of his new dignity, including the pectoral cross. “His life
has been an open book,” said Bishop O’Dea, “to be published at large
throughout the state. He has seen your children grow to manhood and
womanhood and no one can say that he has been aught but a faithful
servant.” After his investiture, Msgr. Prefontaine celebrated
Pontifical Mass in the Cathedral—another special privilege attached to
his new rank. The P-I reported: “His kindly face wreathed in
smiles, Msgr. Prefontaine expressed his gratitude that the ceremony
passed off so happily.”
Perhaps even more delightful was the banquet which followed at the
Savoy Hotel, located in a brand-new high rise on Second Avenue (since
demolished). The menu for the occasion survives in the Archives.
It is headed by a passage from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:
“This day I hold an old accustom’d feast; / Whereto I have invited many
a guest.” The menu itself details an extraordinary 12-course feast
ranging from caviar canapés to turtle soup to potatoes dauphine to
braised squab chicken à la Henry to nesselrode pudding, Roquefort
cheese, and demi tasses. During the banquet, the hotel orchestra,
according to all reports, outdid themselves with the music, and Bishop
O’Dea paid tribute to the new Monsignor, expressing the hope that Father
Prefontaine might “live many years to enjoy the honor” he had received.
That was not to be. Just six months later, on March 4, 1909,
Prefontaine died after a brief illness. His bishop and his beloved
Sisters of the Holy Names and Sisters of Providence were at his side.
—Corinna Laughlin, Pastoral Assistant for Liturgy
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