Category Archives: Blog

Feast of St. Hilary

Today (January 13) is the feast of St. Hilary (c. 310 – c. 367) Bishop of Poitiers (France) and Doctor of the Church. While there were several men named after him in South LA, there are at least a few from the Vidrine Family with his name. Interestingly, they all descend

La Guignolée on New Year’s Eve

La Guignolée is a tradition on New Years Eve in the Illinois Country, formerly called Upper LA. Most certainly, it was practiced when Jean Baptiste Lapaise de Védrines and Elisabeth de Moncharvaux were living there. Our Courir de Mardi Gras in Lower LA has similar roots. This is the translation:

The Peoria Tribe of Indians

What a joy to visit the headquarters of the Peoria Tribe of Indians in Miami, Oklahoma, which the Kaskaskia Tribe joined with in the 1800’s! Unfortunately, there are no more living Kaskaskia descendants but the ones with mixed heritage like us (the Vidrine Family) who descend from Marie Rouensa. The first

Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr

Today is the feast of St. Stephen, the Deacon and first Martyr of the Church. He was martyred in Jerusalem around the year 34ad. Jean-Baptiste Lapaise de Védrines and Elisabeth’s second son was named after him – Etienne Vidrine dit Lapaise (1770–1849). Etienne was born on June 15, 1770 at

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