BL. JACQUES SALÈS, JESUIT AND MARTYR - 7 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 7th of February

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BLESSED JACQUES SALÈS, JESUIT AND MARTYR

Jacques Salès and Guillaume Saultemouche [Jacobus Salesius, Jacob Sales and William Saltemouche] were martyred for their defence of belief in the real presence in the Eucharist by Huguenots in France. Jacques Salès (1556-1593) attended the Jesuit school at Billom from 1568-1572; he entered the novitiate at Verdun in 1573.

Father Salès determined to devote himself to confronting the errors of Huguenots. Calvinists sometimes joined the Catholics at his lectures and tried to interrupt the Jesuit preacher by heckling him. Nevertheless, Salès was successful in confirming Catholics in their faith. In 1590 Salès was sent to Tournon to take the chair of "controversial" theology; he was responsible for devising a plan of studies to treat the theological issues that divided Catholics and Protestants, showing the truth of Catholicism and responding to the objections of the Protestants. He continued travelling around to give missions and wrote several booklets to aid people in understanding orthodox theology; one of these booklets explained the Eucharist.

His final mission came in 1593. The baron of Montréal  wanted someone who could refute the Calvinist ministers who were becoming more bold in their attacks on Catholics. Salès was picked for the mission; accompanying him was Brother William Saultemouche (1557-1593) who had served as porter at Pont-à-Mousson and was known for his simplicity and gentle character. Salès opened his sermons in Aubenas on November 29, explaining Catholic belief without insulting or denigrating the Protestants. He moved on to other towns in the area after he finished in Aubenas, but then returned with Saultemouche on February 5, 1593.

That evening the Jesuit teacher was visiting a Calvinist family when he heard the sound of a mob outside, so he rushed to the Catholic church where he found Saultemouche. They prayed for a while and then returned to their residence. 

Early the next morning three soldiers forced their way into the Jesuit residence and found the two Jesuits at prayer. They were taken to Huguenot headquarters and were examined by a few Calvinist ministers who tried unsuccessfully to get the Jesuits to deny their faith. Frustrated by Salès' intransigence, the minister in charge of the interrogation decided that the Jesuit priest must be killed. Soldiers took Salès outside where they met Saultemouche who insisted on accompanying his companion. In the square outside the headquarters, Salès was asked one last time to deny his belief in Christ's real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. When he refused, he was shot in the back and fell to the ground. A soldier then drove the bayonet of his rifle through his chest. Brother Saultemouche folded his arms around the priest and was stabbed by a sword until he too was dead. The Calvinists then had the bodies of the two Jesuits dragged through the streets of Aubenas. Six days later their remains were dumped. That night two Catholics came and retrieved the bodies and buried them in a nearby garden.

Originally Collected and edited by: Tom Rochford, SJ

Source:

https://www.jesuits.global/saint-blessed/blessed-jacques-sales/

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Jacques may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.