Pierre Chatrousse was born in Voiron (Isère), July 2, 1795. He studied at the major seminary of Grenoble and was ordained to the priesthood on July 19, 1819. He was vicar general of Grenoble when he was appointed bishop of Valence. It was Bishop Philibert de Bruillard, bishop of Grenoble who consecrated him bishop on September 21, 1840.

As parish priest and then as vicar general of Grenoble, he made the acquaintance of the Oblates of Notre-Dame de l’Osier and was “very favorably disposed towards us. (Mazenod Diary, entries of 15 and 30 September, 1837) He invited Bishop de Mazenod to his consecration as bishop. Bishop de Mazenod thanked him for the invitation and admitted that he had recommended him to the minister of public worship (Mazenod Diary, entries 25 and 26 August, 1840) and, his many commitments notwithstanding, “in the interests of the Congregation,”he was present at the consecration in the Dauphiné on September 21.

In December of 1840, Bishop de Mazenod sent Bishop Chatrousse some money for the victims of the flooding of the Rhône. In October-November 1842, together, they undertook a trip to Algiers for the translation of the remains of Saint Augustine to Hippo. In the month of September, 1845, Bishop de Mazenod spent one day in Valence with the bishop. In 1853, Bishop Chatrousse entrusted the direction of the major seminary of Romans and the house for mission preachers to the Oblates. The Oblates did rather well in both ministries. No doubt in order not to incur the displeasure of the diocesan clergy, Bishop Chatrousse took a dim view of vocations to the religious life and, at the end of 1856, complained of the bad financial management of the seminary.

Bishop Chatrousse died on May 17, 1857. Abbé Craisson, the vicar general and former superior of the seminary, not favorably inclined to the Oblates, suppressed the house of mission preachers and wrote unfavorable recommendations to the new bishop, Bishop R. Lyonnet, concerning the Oblates. Bishop Lyonnet, a friend of the Jesuits, entrusted the direction of the seminary to them in October of 1857. See article: Romans.

Yvon Beaudoin, o.m.i.