The pin measures 1/2'' wide. It appears to be in mint condition as pictured. The card it is on has staple holes. Below here, for reference, is some additional information that was found:
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. JEAN BAPTISTE PROVINCE OF LOWELL (1921 - 1999)Ê
FOUNDING
On December 21, 1841, Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal gratefully welcomed the sons of Bishop de Mazenod into his diocese, and without realizing it, was opening up for them all the doors of the American continent. Before long, these pioneers were spreading throughout Canada, even to the Far West. Others crossed over into the United States. At the end of October 1842, Father Telmon came to Corbeau (known today as Cooperville) New York, on Lake Champlain. In August 1851, Bishop Timon entrusted a parish in Buffalo New York, to Father Chevalier. Two years later, in October, Father Bernard founded another parish at Plattsburgh, New York. The following year, the Oblates established themselves in Bishop Goesbriand's diocese at Burlington, Vermont. Besides serving these parishes, the fathers were engaged in preaching missions throughout the country. From 1856 to 1861, they preached more than a hundred such missions to Canadian immigrants as well as to English speaking Catholics.
One successful mission, in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1868, resulted in a permanent establishment, at the invitation of Bishop Williams of Boston. These pages trace the history of that foundation and its rapid development. The Oblates in the United States became numerous enough to separate from Canada and form their own province in 1883. Lowell was selected for the residence of the first Provincial, Father James McGrath. In the course of time this initial group gave birth to four other provinces spread across the nation.
At the General Chapter of 1920, Father LŽon Lamothe, who had been personally called, placed before the superior general a request for the institution of a separate vicariate or province for the special needs of Franco-Americans. The geographic area would be the same as the first American province. He brought along a petition signed by all the French speaking priests and brothers. They believed that this action would enable them to better serve the two million Franco Americans living in this territory, and provide them with priests who understood their mentality and their language.
Archbishop Dontenwill, Superior General at the time, granted this request on March 1, 1921. The Vice Province of St. Jean Baptiste of Lowell was established for a trial period of three years, within the boundaries of the first province in the United States. It was to consist of St. Peter's parish in Plattsburgh, St. Joseph Ôs and Notre Dame de Lourdes in Lowell, and parishes in Aurora, Egg Harbor, and Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin. Father Eugene Turcotte was appointed vice-provincial, with 22 priests and 7 lay brothers under him.
The first concern of the new vice provincial was to organize houses of formation. Father Turcotte bought a house in Hudson, New Hampshire for the establishment of a Novitiate on June 22, 1922, and he opened a Juniorate at Colebrook, New Hampshire on September 1 of that same year. The small vice province made such significant progress that within three years, on May 1, 1924, it became a province with Father Turcotte at its head. The membership then consisted of 34 priests, 10 lay brothers, and 4 scholastics. Two years later, in 1926, there were 16 scholastic novices, and 12 novices - postulants for the brotherhood in Hudson. Six scholastics were studying in Ottawa. This rapid development inevitably created problems, and it must be acknowledged that a portion of the success that followed was due to the timely generosity of the Montreal province.
