Saint jacques berthieu biography sample paper english

Jacques Berthieu was a French Jesuit priest martyred in while he was spreading the faith in Madagascar. He was born in in France to a simple farming family. He studied at seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest in , then went on to serve at a local parish for nine years. He had a thriving and well-developed prayer life grounded in St. When he heard a call to become a missionary he joined the Jesuit order in Two years later, Jacques sailed to an island just off of Madagascar, where he studied the local language with several other Jesuits and some nuns.

At the age of 37, the new climate and culture challenged him. He did what he could with his limited language and skills—he started a garden to help feed the missionary station and offered what pastoral service he could to the people there. In , the French government closed French territories to the Jesuits, so Jacques and the team of missionaries he was living with moved to the larger island of Madagascar, which was an independent kingdom.

They built a church and began serving and teaching the people. Within a few years, the kingdom of Madagascar was at war with the French. Soon a revolt targeted Christians, who were seen as complicit with the colonizers.

Saint Father Jacques Berthieu first martyr of Madagascar - The martyr of Jacques Berthieu () Jesuit missionary in Madagascar - He was the first Blessed.

The group fled instead, but were soon caught. On this date in , Jacques was found, stripped, and beaten. Will you continue to pray for a long time? Wounded, he was marched some six miles to the village where he had been living, and was further tortured. His captors decided to kill him.