Blessed Martyrs of Laval
The Blessed Martyrs of Laval (died 1794 AD in and near Laval, Mayenne, France) were a group of Catholic priests, religious, and a laywoman put to death at Laval during the French Revolution for their fidelity to the Catholic faith and their refusal to take the schismatic oath demanded of the clergy. They are venerated together as Blesseds and martyrs of the Church. Their feast day is January 21.
Led by the priest Jean-Baptiste Turpin du Cormier, the martyrs of Laval refused to swear the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and continued their ministry in secret until they were seized and executed. They were beatified together in 1955.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Martyrs of Laval
| Blessed Martyrs of Laval | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 21 |
| Profession | Priests, a religious, and a laywoman; martyrs |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Patronage | The Diocese of Laval; fidelity under persecution |
| Attributes | Palm of martyrdom |
| Birthplace | France |
| Death Place | Laval, Mayenne, France |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; executed during the French Revolution for refusing the schismatic oath |
| Primary Shrine | Laval, France |
Biography
During the French Revolution the government imposed on the clergy the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, requiring an oath that the Church condemned as schismatic. Priests who refused—the so-called "non-juring" or "refractory" clergy—were deprived of their parishes, hunted, imprisoned, and in many cases put to death. In the town of Laval, in the Mayenne region of western France, a number of such priests and religious continued to exercise their ministry in secret rather than betray their consciences.
The best known among them was Jean-Baptiste Turpin du Cormier, a priest of Laval who became the leader of the group. With him are honored a company of fellow priests, a Conventual Franciscan, several religious sisters, and a devout laywoman, who likewise refused the oath or aided the persecuted clergy. They were arrested and, in the course of the year 1794, condemned and executed—most of them shot or guillotined at Laval—giving their lives rather than deny their faith and their communion with the Church.
The Blessed Martyrs of Laval were beatified together on June 19, 1955, by Pope Pius XII. They are venerated as a group, and their feast is kept on January 21.
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Feast day
January 21
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