Missionary and martyr (1802-1840)

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Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, BLESSED, missionary and martyr, b. at Puech, Diocese of Cahors, France, January 6, 1802; martyred at Ou-Tchang-Fou, China, September 11, 1840. Jean-Gabriel was one of eight children born to Pierre Perboyre and Marie Rigal. By reason of his piety, he was the model of his companions during his childhood. While acting as companion to his younger brother, in the preparatory seminary of Montauban, he felt the Divine call to the priesthood, and after obtaining the consent of his father to take the step, he entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Mission, in the seminary of Montauban, December, 1818. On the feast of the Holy Innocents, 1820, he made the four vows of the Vincentians. He was raised to the priesthood, September 23, 1825, in the chapel of the Sisters of Charity, by Bishop Dubourg, of New Orleans, and on the following day he said his first Mass. Shortly after, he was sent to the seminary of Saint-Flour to teach dogmatic theology, and two years later, he was appointed superior of the preparatory seminary of Saint-Flour. His great sanctity and marvelous success induced his superiors, in 1832, to appoint him sub-director of the novitiate in Paris. He continued in this office until 1835, when he obtained the permission which for fourteen years he had sought and begged and prayed for, permission to go to China, there to preach, to suffer, and to die. He left Havre on March 21, and on August 29, 1835, arrived at Macao, where he spent some time studying the Chinese language. On December 21, 1835, he began his journey to Ho-Nan, the mission assigned him. In January, 1838, he was transferred to the mission of Hou-Pe, in which, as in that of Ho-Nan, he labored zealously and with great success. In September, 1839, the persecutions against the Christians broke out in Hou-Pe, and Jean-Gabriel was one of the first victims. The events leading to his death bear a striking resemblance to the Passion and Death of Christ. A neophyte, like another Judas, betrayed Jean-Gabriel for thirty ounces of silver. He was stripped of his garments and clothed with rags, bound, and dragged from tribunal to tribunal. At each trial, he was treated inhumanly, tortured both in body and in soul. Finally, he was taken to Ou-Tchang-Fou, and after unparalleled tortures, was condemned to death. The sentence was ratified by an imperial edict, and on September 11, 1840, Jean-Gabriel was led to death with seven criminals. The holy priest was strangled to death on a cross. Jean-Gabriel was declared Venerable by Gregory XVI on July 9, 1843; and was beatified by Leo XIII on November 9, 1889. His feast is celebrated on November 7

JOSEPH S. GLASS