BL. JEAN BOURDON, PRIEST AND MARTYR

BL. JEAN BOURDON, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 23 AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 23rd of August

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BL. JEAN BOURDON, PRIEST AND MARTYR

Blessed Jean Bourdon (Protais of Seez) was born son of Simon and Marie Louise Le Fou. He entered the Capuchins on November 26, 1767, taking the name Protasius. Ordained a priest in 1775, he became Secretary of the Franciscan provincial of Normandy.

HE REFUSED TO BETRAY THE FAITH

When the French Revolution broke out he was Guardian of Sotteville, near Rouen. This point in history saw the beginning of most atrocious anti-Catholic persecutions. Bl. Jean intervened in favour of the lay brothers before the National Assembly in 1790. He refused to sign the "Civil Constitution of the Clergy".

HE WAS CONDEMNED FOR HAVING CELEBRATED HOLY MASS WITHOUT CIVIL PERMISSION

Condemned to exile for having celebrated Mass without civil permission and having in his possession texts not in accordance with the revolution, he was initially sentenced to deportation to Guyana, and was forced to make the 34-day journey to Rochefort on foot.

ATROCIOUS LIVING CONDITIONS

Upon his arrival in Rochefort, he was, instead of being taken to Guyana, imprisoned on board the prison ship "Deux Associes". With many other clergy and religious on board, all suffered atrocious living conditions.

Bl. Jean died, probably from typhus, on August 23, 1794 at the age of 47. He was buried on Madame Island and beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 1995. (📷 An early Victorian prison hulk)

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BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...

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