Bl. John Mary du Lau and Companions
Martyrs of September 1792
Feast Day: September 2
Biography
In 1790 the French Revolutionary government imposed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which placed the Church in France under state control, and required priests to swear an oath to uphold it. Pope Pius VI condemned the measure, and many clergy refused the oath. By the summer of 1792, hundreds of these priests had been arrested in Paris. On September 2 and 3, 1792, as fear and rumor swept the city, mobs broke into several prisons and killed the prisoners, including many clergy. At the former Carmelite convent known as the Carmes, where some 150 priests had been praying together in captivity, Archbishop Jean-Marie du Lau of Arles stepped forward when the attackers called for him, and he was killed. Other clergy were killed at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the seminary of Saint-Firmin, and the prison of La Force. Two brother bishops, François-Joseph de La Rochefoucauld of Beauvais and Pierre-Louis de La Rochefoucauld of Saintes, were among the victims. The prisoners were offered their lives if they would take the oath, and they refused. Of the more than a thousand people killed in the September Massacres, 191 who died for their fidelity to the Church, including three bishops and a few laymen, were beatified by Pope Pius XI on October 17, 1926.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
Blessed John Mary and companions, you chose death rather than betray your fidelity to Christ and His Church. Pray for priests and bishops who serve under pressure and threat. When the world asks me to compromise what I believe, give me the courage to remain faithful, the grace to forgive, and the peace that comes from trusting God. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. Bl. John Mary du Lau and Companions, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “Bl. John Mary du Lau and Companions, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.