Saint Who?
Saints Who Taught about the Holy Spirit
Blessed Jacques Désiré Laval
Priest and religious († 1864)Feast: September 9
Jacques was born to a wealthy French family. As a young man, he considered becoming a priest but chose a more lucrative career instead. After graduating from the Sorbonne, he opened a successful medical practice and briefly stopped practicing the faith. But a near-fatal riding accident brought him to his knees. He became a priest, and gave away his fortune. He later joined the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, and his order sent him to Mauritius as a missionary.
Slavery had only recently been abolished on the island, and his parishioners were poor, uneducated former slaves. Jacques shared their poverty, sometimes sleeping in a packing crate and fasting because he had no food.
In time, Jacques converted an astonishing 67,000 former slaves, who were clearly inspired by his faith and his dedication as a priest. But they were also affected by his untiring attention to their other needs, such as improved medical care, agriculture, education, and sanitation. For this purpose he established relationships of mutual respect with the Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims on Mauritius. After twenty-three years, having inspired widespread conversions comparable to a new Pentecost, Jacques passed away. But his funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people, and Mauritians of all faiths have continued to make an annual pilgrimage to his shrine ever since.
Lord God, may your house be a house
of prayer for all people.
