Blessed Jacob Desire Laval
Blessed Jacob Désiré Laval (born September 18, 1803 AD in Croth, Normandy, France; died September 9, 1864 AD in Port-Louis, Mauritius) was a French Catholic priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritains) who served as a missionary in Mauritius for 23 years and is known as the "Apostle of Mauritius." He evangelized the freed slaves of Mauritius and is credited with a massive transformation of the island's population toward Catholicism. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 29, 1979. His feast day is September 9.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Jacob Desire Laval, Blessed Jacob Desiré Laval
| Blessed Jacob Desire Laval | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 09 |
| Profession | French Catholic Spiritan missionary priest and Apostle of Mauritius; born Croth Normandy September 18 1803; studied medicine; ordained priest 1838; entered Congregation of Holy Spirit (Spiritans) 1841; missionary in Mauritius 1841-1864; evangelized freed slaves and poor; died Port-Louis September 9 1864; beatified Pope John Paul II April 29 1979; feast September 9 |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/CSSp); 19th-century African and Indian Ocean mission; Mauritius; Port-Louis; Normandy; France |
| Patronage | Mauritius; Port-Louis; freed slaves; people of African descent in the Indian Ocean; Spiritan missionaries; missionary priests; medical doctors who become priests; Norman Catholics; Indian Ocean Catholic communities; ecumenical veneration |
| Attributes | Spiritan cassock or missionary priest's dress; September 9 feast; Port-Louis setting; Indian Ocean; freed slaves (Mauritian Creole population); catechism book; doctor's bag (medical background); Mauritius flag colors |
| Birthplace | Croth, Normandy, France |
| Death Place | Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died September 9, 1864, in Port-Louis, Mauritius; Blessed Jacob Désiré Laval (French: Bienheureux Jacques-Désiré Laval) was a French Catholic Spiritan missionary priest; Apostle of Mauritius; ministered to freed slaves and poor of Mauritius 1841-1864; vast transformation of Mauritian population toward Catholicism; beatified Pope John Paul II April 29 1979; feast September 9 |
| Primary Shrine | Tomb of Blessed Laval, Port-Louis, Mauritius; beatified Pope John Paul II April 29 1979; feast September 9 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; September 9 feast locally in Mauritius and in the Spiritan Congregation |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Jacob Désiré Laval was born September 18, 1803, in Croth, Normandy. He studied medicine and worked as a country doctor before converting to a more intense religious life. He was ordained a priest in 1838 and entered the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) in 1841.
He arrived in Mauritius in September 1841 and devoted the remaining 23 years of his life to the evangelization of the freed slaves and poor of the island. He learned Creole, established catechism communities, and trained lay catechists. Contemporary accounts estimate that tens of thousands of people were baptized or catechized through his ministry, transforming the formerly enslaved population into a devout Catholic community.
He died September 9, 1864, in Port-Louis. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 29, 1979 — the first beatification of John Paul II's pontificate. His feast day is September 9.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Croth, Normandy, France
Death location: Port-Louis, Mauritius
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Feast day
September 9
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