Father Stephen Theobald
Like a steel instrument forged in fire, Stephen Louis Theobald was strong, direct, sharp, and at times even hard. The fire, however, did not burn out his heart, for he was also compassionate, artistic, eloquent, and deeply prayerful.
Theobald was born in British Guyana on July 5,1874. He was a lawyer, trained at Cambridge University in England, but wanted a career in journalism. Barred by his skin color from a press position in the United States, he moved to Montreal, Canada, and established himself with a leading paper there. Soon, another dream burned inside him: to be a priest.
At the turn of the century hardly a Catholic seminary in America would accept candidates of color. The outstanding exception was the St. Paul Seminary, which was founded in 1885 and stated its policy in 1890: "We beg to assure ... that there is no color line at (this) Seminary. Its doors are open for the black student as well as for the white on precisely the same conditions.... " Canadian friends invited Theobald to approach Archbishop Ireland for sponsorship. He entered the Seminary as a student for the Archdiocese of St. Paul in the autumn of 1905.
Ordained on June 8, 1910, Theobald served briefly as assistant priest at the Cathedral and as canonical advisor to Archbishop Ireland. By September of that year he was pastor at St. Peter Claver. He set about the usual work of a pastor: developing the various associations of the community; recruiting families of color who were in other Catholic parishes, inactive in their Catholic practice, or interested in religious conversion; providing for the education of young people. He was also much in demand as a speaker, regionally and nationally.
Father Theobald had a special devotion to the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. A novena in her honor drew participants from all over St. Paul, and he was sought out as a confessor. Neighboring pastors sometimes complained about his "stealing" their parishioners, a genuine sign of his pastoral success. He was as firm in resisting injustice from other priests and even the Archbishop as he was in his dealings with unruly children in the parish. Yet he was widely respected by other clergy.
His last recorded special sacramental celebration was a baptism on June 12, 1932. Exactly a month later he died of peritonitis. His death was mourned by over a thousand local faithful, and received national attention. Thirty-five years later the St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press concluded: "Father Theobald became a legend."
Fr. Theobald's Vestment