The entire diocese had but three priests, one of whom was on loan for a year from the Diocese of St. Louis. The new bishop soon traveled to France to recruit priests and seek funds, with which he built St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, a library, seminary, and parochial schools. In addition to his episcopal duties and pastoral work, Bruté taught theology in his seminary and one of his academies. His correspondence with leaders of the church in America and with many in France was extensive. He maintained a correspondence with Hugues Felicité Robert de Lamennais, whom he tried to reconcile with the Church both by his letters from this country and conferring with him during one of his visits to France, but without success. In 1836, Bruté returned from a trip to France with several clerical recruits, among them Benjamin Petit, who became a missionary to the Potawatomi. Bruté also drafted old acquaintances such as Anthony Deydier who arrived on the same boat as Bruté in 1810.