DE ANDREIS, FELICE. - B. at Demonte (Cuneo) on 12 Dec. 1778, d. at the “Barrens” (Louisiana, U.S.A.) on 15 Oct. 1820. At the age of 19 he entered the Congregation of the Mission (1 Nov. 1797) at Mondovì. Because of the Napoleonic suppression of religious communities in Piedmont, De A. took refuge in Piacenza, where he continued his theological studies. Ordained priest (19 June 1802), after a period of preaching he was requested
in 1815 by Msgr. L. Du Bourg, bishop of New Orleans, to work with other confrères in his diocese. After a journey of two years, the missionaries reached their destination, settling at St. Louis, Missouri. They soon created a compact religious organization. De A. also went several times among the Native Americans.
His name is chiefly associated with the “Barrens,” a steppe region 80 miles from St. Louis, which he transformed into a flourishing center of life. Here he opened the first American house of his Congregation, which he directed until his death. On 25 July 1918 his cause of beatification was introduced.