Prosper Philippe Augouard

Prosper Philippe Augouard
File:Prosper Philippe Augouard - BNF.jpg
Born	(1852-09-17)17 September 1852 Poitiers, France
Died	Paris, France
Other names	"Cannibal Bishop", Diata-Diata ("quick-quick")
Occupation	French missionary priest, bishop
Known for	Explorer of Africa

File:Augouard en 1871 Zouave.jpg

Philippe Augouard in 1871, as a Papal Zouave

Prosper Philippe Augouard C.S.Sp. (17 September 1852 – 3 October 1921) was a French Catholic priest, missionary, and explorer of Africa.

Early life

Augouard was born 17 September 1852 in Poitiers, France. His father was Francis, a carpenter. His mother was Jeanne Adèle, maiden name Barreau.

Career

Augouard was educated at Montmorillon to become a French priest. When Augouard was at Rennes he was a volunteer in the Siege of Paris of 1870–71. During this time he met Bishop Louis Gaston Adrien de Ségur and learned the philosophy of being a Christian bishop. Augouard heard the story told by Antoine Horner of his missions in Zanzibar and East Africa, which motivated him to join the organization known as the Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.). He then traveled to Africa in December 1877 as secretary to Bishop Le Berre, Vicar Apostolic of Gabon. In 1879, at age 27, Augouard went on an exploring expedition for about a month to the interior of central Africa. He arrived at Lake Nkunda (aka Malebo Pool) five days after the renowned Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley arrived there.

Augouard is known for exploring the Congo and Ubangi Rivers, for which he was awarded a prize from the Paris Geographical Society. Augouard settled in Brazzaville in 1887. In 1890 he was appointed Bishop of Brazzaville and vicar apostolic of the Upper Congo and Oubangui. In the process of exploration he developed Christian mission stations along some 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of the Congo River. Because of his rapid expansion of missions he was nicknamed Diata-Diata, meaning 'quick-quick'. He was also given the nickname Cannibal Bishop, as a crude characterization aimed at to his Christian followers.

Later life

Augouard returned to Paris for health reasons around 1920. He died 3 October 1921 at the Mother House.

Accolades and awards

• Academy of Moral and Political Sciences award of $3000 in April 1912.
• Officer of the Legion of Honor
• Colonial Medal of Congo
• Medal of 1870
• Commander of the Order of Leopold
• Officer of the Royal Crown of Belgium
• Civic Crown by the National Society to Encourage the Good.

Works

• (1890) La Mission de l'Oubanghi. Conférence, etc.
• (1934) Guirlande enchevêtrée d'anecdotes congolaises

References

• Banville, Ghislain de (2000). Kalouka et Zoungoula: les deux premières religieuses de Brazzaville, au Congo 1892-1909.Paris: Karthala.
• Brice Ibombo, Armand (2012). L'œuvre missionnaire de Mgr Propser Augouard au Congo-Brazzaville (1881-1921). Paris: l'Harmattan.
• Goyau, Georges (1926). Monseigneur Augouard. Paris: Plon.
• Lachèse, Marie-Christine; Bernard Lachèse (2015). De l'Oubangui à la Centrafrique: la construction d'un espace national. Paris: L'Harmattan.
• Michelin, Pierre (1943). Monseigneur Augouard un défricheur d'Empire et un apôtre. Paris: Maison de la Bonne presse.
• Renouard, Georges (1895). Le Congo et son apôtre, Mgr Augouard. Paris: H. Oudin.
• Witte, Jehan de (1913). Les Deux Congo: 35 ans d'apostolat au Congo français, Mgr Augouard; les origines du Congo belge. Paris: Plon-Nourrit.
• Witte, Jehan de (1924). Monseigneur Augouard Archevêque titulaire de Cassiopée, ses notes de voyage et sa correspondance, sa vie. Paris: Émile-Paul Frères.

External links

• Newspaper clippings about Prosper Philippe Augouard in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW