Jean-Baptiste’s early education in Lyon laid the groundwork for his spiritual and intellectual development. By the age of twenty, his calling to religious life became evident, leading him to a momentous decision that would define his legacy.
In May 1740, Jean-Baptiste entered the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor at the novitiate friary in Lyon. Upon taking the Capuchin habit, he adopted the religious name Jean-Louis of Besançon, reflecting his hometown and his new identity as a servant of God. The Capuchins, a reform branch of the Franciscan Order, were known for their strict adherence to poverty, simplicity, and service to the poor, ideals that resonated deeply with Jean-Louis. On May 9, 1741, he made his perpetual profession, committing himself irrevocably to a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty. Some years later, he was ordained a priest, further dedicating himself to the salvation of souls.
Jean-Louis spent much of his religious life in Lyon’s two Capuchin friaries: the larger Friary of Saint Francis, founded in 1575 in the Saint-Paul quarter, and the smaller Friary of Saint Andrew, established in 1622. His ministry was characterized by humility and zeal. From 1761 to 1764, he served as Guardian (superior) of Saint Andrew’s Friary, and later, until 1767, he held the same role at Saint Francis’s Friary. Despite these leadership positions, Jean-Louis shunned ambition, famously stating that he joined the Order “not to command but to obey, not to dominate but to submit.” His tireless dedication to the confessional, where he facilitated countless conversions across all social classes, earned him a reputation for noble urbanity and affability. An abbot who knew him described him as endowed with virtues that made him a fruitful minister, particularly beloved by the poor and simple, though respected even by the pious elite for his gracious demeanor.
The French Revolution, beginning in 1789, brought unprecedented challenges to the Catholic Church in France. In 1790, the Revolutionary government enacted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, requiring priests and religious to swear an oath of allegiance that subordinated the Church to the state, a demand many faithful Catholics, including Jean-Louis, viewed as incompatible with their vows. By 1791, at the age of 74, Jean-Louis was residing in the Friary of Saint Francis when the Constituent Assembly ordered an inventory of religious houses. When questioned about his intentions, he firmly declared his desire to remain a Capuchin, refusing to compromise his faith.
As persecution intensified, Jean-Louis was forced to flee Lyon in October 1791. He sought refuge in Bourbonnais, at a castle owned by his sister, Nicole-Élisabeth, and her son, Gilbert de Grassin, where two of his Dominican nieces also found shelter. However, on February 3, 1793, following a tip-off by an informer, the castle’s inhabitants were interrogated by revolutionary officials. Jean-Louis, along with sixty other priests who refused the oath, was arrested and imprisoned in an old Poor Clare monastery in Moulins. Despite his advanced age, which might have spared him, the revolutionary authorities were unrelenting, targeting even elderly clergy for deportation.
On April 2, 1794, Jean-Louis was part of the third consignment of prisoners sent from Moulins to Rochefort, a port city on France’s Atlantic coast. The journey, escorted by the Gendarmerie and National Guard, was arduous, but local people along the way took pity on the prisoners, offering aid. Upon reaching Rochefort, Jean-Louis and his fellow clergy were stripped of their possessions and confined to the Deux Associés, one of three unseaworthy prison ships moored off the coast of Charente-Maritime. These ships, intended for deportation to French Guiana or Madagascar, became floating death camps due to a British naval blockade that prevented their departure.
Conditions on the Deux Associés were horrific. Over 400 prisoners were crammed into the ship’s hold, chained in groups of ten, forced to eat spoiled food from a single dirty tin with wooden spoons while standing on deck. At night, they slept in a suffocating, overcrowded hold where burning tar was used to “purify” the air, causing respiratory distress and fainting. Those who succumbed were dragged onto the freezing deck, exacerbating their illnesses. Hygiene was nonexistent, and the prisoners endured constant insults from the crew, themselves hardened inmates. Religious items, such as breviaries, were confiscated, but some clergy secretly preserved a breviary, a Gospel book, holy oils, and even the Blessed Sacrament, allowing discreet prayer and sacramental ministry amidst the horrors.
Despite his age and frail health, Jean-Louis’s lively spirit uplifted his fellow prisoners. A survivor later testified that, though “venerable in age,” he was “the joy of all,” displaying the energy of a man half his age. He downplayed his own suffering, encouraging others with his faith and resilience. On May 19, 1794, Jean-Louis died aboard the Deux Associés, found kneeling in prayer by his hammock pole, his body a silent witness to his lifelong devotion. His death, in a posture of supplication, echoed the Capuchin ideal of becoming “a prayer” in life and death. He was the first of twenty-two Capuchins to perish at Rochefort, buried unceremoniously in an unmarked grave on Île Madame or Île-d’Aix.
The martyrdom of Jean-Louis and his companions did not go unrecognized. On October 1, 1995, Pope John Paul II beatified Jean-Baptiste Souzy, vicar general of La Rochelle, and 64 companions, including Jean-Louis, Protase de Sées, and Sébastian de Nancy, three Capuchins among the 829 priests and religious who suffered on the Rochefort prison ships. Of the 585 who died, their sacrifice was recognized as a “grace of martyrdom” for their fidelity to the Pope and the Apostolic See. Jean-Louis’s optional memorial is celebrated on August 18, aligning with the feast of Sts. Florus and Laurus, though some sources also note August 10 for the Rochefort Martyrs.
Blessed Jean-Louis Loir de Besançon is remembered as a model of Capuchin simplicity, humility, and courage. His life of service, particularly in the confessional, and his steadfast refusal to compromise his faith during the French Revolution, make him an enduring example of Christian witness. His martyrdom on the Deux Associés underscores the cost of fidelity in a time of persecution, inspiring the faithful to persevere in faith and charity.
Blessed Jean-Louis’s life challenges us to embrace humility, serve the poor, and remain steadfast in faith, even in the face of persecution. His joyful spirit amidst suffering and his prayerful death remind us that true holiness transforms even the darkest trials into acts of worship. Let us pray to Blessed Jean-Louis of Besançon for the grace to live with unwavering devotion to Christ, to uplift others in times of hardship, and to aspire to eternal life through faithful endurance.
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