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Archbishop Louis Couppé MSC

Title:

Archbishop

First Name:

Louis

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Couppé

Order:

MSC

Date of Birth:

26-Aug-1850

Place of Birth:

Romorantin, Loir-et-Cher

Country of Birth:

France

Date of Ordination:

30-May-1874

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

France

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

20-Jul-1926

Place of Death:

Douglas Park NSW

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

1926

Place of Burial:

Reinterred: Vunapope

Country of Burial:

Papua New Guinea

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/202408953

Appointments Table

Diocese
Place
Role
Start Day
Start Month
Start Year
End Day
End Month
End Year
Source
Sydney RandwickMSC SuperiorJan1885Linane Vol 2; ADB
Sydney Douglas ParkRetired1923Jul1926Linane Vol 2; ADB
Items per page:
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Biographical Notes

Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/couppe-louis-5790

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 93-94:

Couppe, Louis, Most Rev., M.S.C., French, Golden Jubilarian
First Superior of the Sacred Heart Fathers in Australia, and "Great Chief" in New Britain

Louis was born on 26 August at Romantin, and educated at the Jesuit House in Blois. Ordained as a secular on 20 May 1874 he joined the newly-formed Sacred Heart missionary society, receiving profession on 26 July 1881. For a time he was Superior of the scholasticate house in Rome. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart first came to the Randwick and Botany Mission in April 1885 at the invitation of Cardinal Moran. The 1887 Directory lists the Head Superior as Very Rev. Louis Navarre, Thursday Island. This would seem to contradict the claim that Couppe was the first Australian Superior, as Ferdinand Hartzer is listed first of the personnel at Randwick. Explicably, the head community at Issoudun intended to appoint Couppe, and directory compilers had not noted same. After a term as Superior and Mission Procurator, he was posted to the New Britain Mission which had been founded in 1889, and so we find in the 1890 Directory is assisting the Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Verjus, and living with him at Vlavola. Worn out by hardships and suffering, Verjus who had been consecrated in 1889 at the age of 29, left the New Britain scene, dying later at Oleggio in Italy on 13 November 1892. In the meantime Louis Couppe became the replacement, having been consecrated as Titular Bishop of Lero and Vicar Apostolic of New Pomerania (New Britain) on 5 October 1890. His residence was Vuna-Pope, later at Herbertshohe (1922), Rabaul. In 1923 he resigned after 33 years of labour and hardships — surviving them much longer than his predecessor. The increase in the number of missions and the number of priests assisting him, from 1890 to 1923, is tribute enough to his zeal and efficiency; and the Holy See confirmed this finding by creating him a Titular Archbishop in 1925. The few years of rest and retirement were spent at Douglas Park. He died on 20 July 1926 at the age of 75, having attained a golden jubilee of service and of priesthood. His remains were transferred by the ship 'Montero' to Vuna-Pope, Rabaul, in February 1927.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 12)
Ref.: MSC Archives, Canberra.

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