BL. JEAN BOURDON, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 23 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN 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)