During the French Revolution (July 1789), the Sons of St. Vincent de Paul wrote some of the most glorious pages of their history with their own blood.

Though the Revolution had many causes, it quickly took on an anti-clerical character, leading to a wave of persecution that culminated in the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (July 12, 1790). This law made the Church subordinate to the State and banned priests who refused to take the civil oath from exercising their ministry, condemning them to exile. On the eve of the storming of the Bastille, the Abbey of Saint-Lazare—the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission—was attacked and looted, though its residents managed to escape. Most of them refused the oath and openly opposed the Constitution. Many sealed their faithfulness to the Church with their blood. The names of about forty are known with certainty—either guillotined, deported to Guyana, or drowned in the infamous “Nantes drownings.” Five of these heroic missionaries have been beatified, led by the former superior of the Seminary of Saint-Firmin in Paris.

Beatification banner of the 191 Martyrs of the French Revolution, beatified by Pope Pius XI on October 17, 1926.

Blessed Louis-Joseph François, C.M. (1751–1792)

Louis-Joseph François was born on February 3, 1751, in Busigny, France, into a deeply Christian family. Educated by Jesuits, he felt a calling to religious life and entered the Congregation of the Mission at the Saint-Lazare motherhouse in Paris before he was even 15. He had to wait until age 18 to profess his vows, and he was so joyful in his vocation that two of his brothers followed him into the Congregation, and one of his sisters joined the Daughters of Charity.

Ordained a priest in 1773, he began teaching theology and was appointed director of the seminary in Troyes. In 1788, he became Secretary General of the Congregation while continuing his preaching ministry, for which he was especially gifted.

That same year, he was named superior of the Seminary of Saint-Firmin in Paris—known as “College des Bons Enfants”—a house beloved by the entire Congregation as both its birthplace and a long-time mission of its founder, St. Vincent de Paul. Despite the growing turmoil, he worked hard to keep the seminary functioning.

François wrote several pamphlets against the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which he condemned as schismatic, heretical, and sacrilegious. One of these writings, titled Apologia, was published in several editions and helped many priests remain faithful to the teachings of the Church. According to one of his biographers, he was “one of the most fervent and capable defenders of the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Religion against the civil oath and the writings of its supporters.”

As the persecution intensified, he opened the doors of the Saint-Firmin Seminary to more than 90 priests and religious who had been expelled from their parishes and communities for refusing the civil oath. Seventy-seven of them were martyred; the rest managed to escape.

On September 3, 1792, after the seminary was stormed by attackers, Blessed Louis-Joseph François was captured, thrown out a window, and beaten to death on the ground. His body, like the others, was cruelly torn apart.

Blessed Jean-Henri Gruyer, C.M. (1734–1792)

Jean-Henri Gruyer was born on June 13, 1732, in Dole, France, to devout Christian parents who raised him in love and reverence for God. Responding to God’s call, he was ordained a priest in St. Cloud and returned to his hometown, where he lived with his family and assisted the local clergy. Seeking a deeper spiritual life, he decided at age 37 to leave his family and diocese to join the Congregation of the Mission. After a year of seminary, he was assigned to Argens, where the Congregation had a community devoted to popular missions. There, he professed his vows on January 24, 1773.

He was later appointed vicar of Our Lady of Versailles, and in 1784 he was transferred to the parish of Saint-Louis, where the French Revolution caught up with him. A constitutional priest was installed, but none of the Vincentian missionaries there agreed to take the civil oath, offering a powerful witness of fidelity to the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, they were expelled from the parish.

Blessed Jean-Henri returned to his hometown and lived in hiding for a year. Longing to rejoin his community and return to religious life, he made his way back to Paris. His travel permit, dated June 18, 1792, described him as “tall, with white hair, medium forehead, blue eyes, long nose, small beard, and round face.” The Seminary of Saint-Firmin welcomed him, and the superior, Blessed Louis-Joseph François, received him as a brother.

He was killed on September 3, 1792, sharing in the suffering and martyrdom of Blessed Louis-Joseph.

Blessed Nicolas Colin, C.M. (1730–1792)

Nicolas Colin was born on December 12, 1730, in Grennat, Haute-Marne, France. At age 17, he entered the Congregation of the Mission at the Saint-Lazare Motherhouse in Paris and professed his vows in 1749. He spent 22 years in missionary ministry, earning a reputation as a gifted preacher. Cardinal de La Luzerne, who held him in high esteem, invited him to serve in the Diocese of Langres and assigned him to the parish of Geneuries, a mission Colin accepted with his superiors’ permission. When the Revolution erupted, he was expelled from his parish for refusing to take the civil oath. He fled to Paris and took refuge at the Seminary of Saint-Firmin, where Blessed Louis-Joseph François warmly welcomed him. There, on September 3, 1792, he was martyred in the brutal massacre.

Blessed Jean-Charles Caron, C.M. (1730–1792) 

Jean-Charles Caron was born on December 31, 1730, in Auchel, Pas-de-Calais, France. At 20 years old, he joined the Congregation of the Mission at the Saint-Lazare Motherhouse in Paris on April 9, 1750, and professed his vows in 1752. For 29 years, he dedicated himself to missionary work and later served as pastor of the parish in Collégien, Diocese of Arras. When the French Revolution began, like many others, he refused to take the civil oath and was expelled from his parish. He sought refuge in Paris at the Seminary of Saint-Firmin, where he, too, was received by Blessed Louis-Joseph François. He shared in the martyrdom of his fellow missionaries during the savage killings of September 2–3, 1792.

The Church remembers these men together as a powerful sign of unwavering faith—united in purpose and witness, even unto death. The Martyrs of the French September tell the enduring story of faithful testimony sealed in blood: there is no more truthful witness than that of martyrdom.

Beatification of the September Martyrs

On Sunday, October 17, 1926, Pope Pius XI beatified 190 Martyrs of the September massacres of 1792 in St. Peter’s Basilica for their defense of the faith and their loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church. This large group was led by Blessed Jean-Marie du Lau, one of three bishops who were guillotined in that cruel persecution. Among them were the four Vincentian missionaries mentioned above. Their feast day is celebrated on September 2.

Joining their voices in a single liturgical celebration on that same day is another courageous witness to the Church’s freedom: Blessed Pierre-René Rogue, C.M., a 38-year-old priest who served the persecuted Catholics of his native Brittany. He was arrested while carrying Holy Communion to a sick person on Christmas Eve in 1795. He was guillotined on March 3, 1796, in full view of his elderly and saintly mother. Pope Pius XI beatified him on May 10, 1934.

Author: Fernando Espiago, CM