Father John Dubois was among the most influential people in the early days of Mother Seton’s community. Although he was not the first priest-Superior, he worked the most closely with Mother Seton in establishing the rules and norms of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s.
Father Dubois was the Superior from 1811 to 1826, in addition to his role as the founder, in 1809, of Mount St. Mary’s University. In 1826, he was appointed as Bishop of New York and left his role in Emmitsburg. On May 16, 1842, Father Dubois made one final trip to Emmitsburg. He stayed for a few weeks, departing in June.
The accounts of his visit show him quite frail, aged 78. Sister Ann Aloysia Reed was tasked with assisting him during his visit, and he often needed guidance to navigate the terrain. When he was invited to give Mass to the Sisters, Mother Mary Xavier Clark worried about his health, and asked Sisters to forgo Communion and attend a second Mass later for fear of overtaxing him. Nonetheless, he would wake early every day at the first bell after sleeping in a bed set up in Mother Seton’s old room.
Nonetheless, for the Sisters who had been around during his tenure, it was a joyous occasion, and for the younger Sisters to meet someone about whom they had heard so many stories. Father Dubois had provided the Sisters their first home in Emmitsburg, in a cabin on the property of Mount St. Mary’s. He had been the most influential figure in crafting the Rule of St. Vincent for the particular situation of an American Sisters’ community, and he had helped establish a long-lasting administration of St. Joseph’s Academy. He had provided Mother Seton with her last rites.
Father Dubois did not live long after his visit, departing this world in December of 1842, a few meager months after his visit. Shortly after his visit, he wrote one final letter to the Community, thanking them for their hospitality and congratulating Mother Mary Xavier on her re-election as Superioress.
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