Cavalry of Christ

[2] The Rio Grande region at the time exemplified the Wild West, and the Oblates faced many dangers, from violent crime to yellow fever.

From 1852 through 1883, there were 30 priests and 8 brothers serving hundreds of ranches from three mission centers: Brownsville, Roma, and La Lomita.

[2] One notable member of the Cavalry of Christ was Father Pierre Yves Kéralum (1817–1872), a French priest and architect who designed the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville.

Brétault rode an estimated 70,000 miles serving the area that today comprises Hidalgo, Willacy, Kenedy, and Kleberg counties.

[9] His 1899 memoir, Reminiscences of a Texas Missionary, describes what life was like for the Oblates at the time; for example, ministering to the family of a small child killed by an alligator; giving the last rites to a Union soldier sentenced to be shot for desertion; and working for the release of several priests who were political prisoners in Matamoros.