Joseph Raphael John Crimont
Joseph Raphael John Crimont, SJ was a 20th-century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the Vicar Apostolic of Alaska from 1917–45.Life
Born in Ferrières, France, Crimont was educated at the College of La Providence in Amiens. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1875, and was a teacher at the College of St. Servais in Liège. He was ordained a Catholic priest on August 28, 1888.
From 1890 to 1893, Crimont served as a missionary to the Crow Nation in Montana. From 1893 to 1896 he was stationed at the Holy Cross Mission in Alaska. He was superior at Gonzaga College in Spokane, Washington in 1896 and president in 1901. He wrote the article on "Alaska" for the Catholic Encyclopedia.
On March 28, 1904 he was named the third Prefect Apostolic of Alaska. Pope Benedict XV named him Titular Bishop of Ammaedara and the first Vicar Apostolic of Alaska on February 15, 1917. He was consecrated on July 25, 1917 by Archbishop Alexander Christie of Oregon City. The co-consecrators were Bishops Edward John O'Dea of Seattle and Augustine Francis Schinner of Spokane. Pope Pius XI named Walter James Fitzgerald, SJ as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic on December 14, 1938. He served the vicariate until his death on May 20, 1945.
