Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort
Never Apostatize
Today, June 10, marks the feast day of the holy martyrs that would not swear allegiance to any authority but Rome.
In 1790, the French Revolutionary authorities passed a law requiring priests to swear allegiance to the civil constitution, which would effectively remove them from under the authority and allegiance to Rome. Many refused, and in 1791 the government began the plan to deport them to French Guyana. These events prefigured the terror that was inflicted on many faithful Catholics during the God-less revolution of the French people.
A departure for Africa was never seriously considered, especially since the ships could not have survived the journey, and leaving French ports would not have been possible anyway because of the British naval blockade.
The priests were kept on the overcrowded ships in agonizing confinement under the strictest guard, with insufficient food and sanitary conditions. There was a strict ban on praying and speaking Latin.
A known total of 829 priests and religious were imprisoned on hulks (old ships no longer sea-worthy and used for storage, jails, hospitals, etc.) at Rochefort, France to await exile, most on the Deux-Associés and the Washington which had previously been used to house slaves or prisoners. The priests and religious were left to die, ignored to death as there was little provision for food and water, less for sanitation, and none at all for medical help. More than 500 of the “prisoners” died there. There have been 64 martyrs positively identified and countless more that gave their lives in defense of the One Church, founded by Jesus Christ.
Survivors published a total of three reports, but in the interest of national reconciliation, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte suppressed any public discussion of the subject, so that the fate of the priests was forgotten over the decades. Only in the immediate vicinity of the affected villages did the memory of the events remain common knowledge.
As it was in the beginning of Christianity, the blood of the martyrs continues to be the seed of faith for the Church. Their willingness to die for Christ leads to greater conversion and their righteousness continues to be an example for us all.
Antoine Auriel, pray for us.
Antoine Bannassat, pray for us.
Augustin-Joseph Desgardin, pray for us.
Barthélemy Jarrige de La Morelie de Biars, pray for us.
Charles-Antoine-Nicolas Ancel, pray for us.
Charles-Arnould Hanus, pray for us.
Charles-René Collas du Bignon, pray for us.
Claude Beguignot, pray for us.
Claude Dumonet, pray for us.
Claude Laplace, pray for us.
Claude Richard, pray for us.
Claude-Barnabé Laurent de Mascloux, pray for us.
Claude-Joseph Jouffret de Bonnefont, pray for us.
élie Leymarie de Laroche, pray for us.
Florent Dumontet de Cardaillac, pray for us.
François d'Oudinot de la Boissière, pray for us.
François François, pray for us.
François Hunot, pray for us.
François Mayaudon, pray for us.
Gabriel Pergaud, pray for us.
Georges-Edme René, pray for us.
Gervais-Protais Brunel, pray for us.
Jacques Gagnot, pray for us.
Jacques Lombardie, pray for us.
Jacques Retouret, pray for us.
Jacques-Morelle Dupas, pray for us.
Jean Baptiste Guillaume, pray for us.
Jean Bourdon, pray for us.
Jean Hunot, pray for us.
Jean Mopinot, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste de Bruxelles, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste Duverneuil, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste Laborie du Vivier, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste Menestrel, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste Souzy, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste-Ignace-Pierre Vernoy de Montjournal, pray for us.
Jean-Baptiste-Xavier Loir, pray for us.
Jean-François Jarrige de la Morelie de Breuil, pray for us.
Jean-Georges Rehm, pray for us.
Jean-Nicolas Cordier, pray for us.
Joseph Imbert, pray for us.
Joseph Juge de Saint-Martin, pray for us.
Joseph Marchandon, pray for us.
Lazare Tiersot, pray for us.
Louis-Armand-Joseph Adam, pray for us.
Louis-François Lebrun, pray for us.
Louis-Wulphy Huppy, pray for us.
Marcel-Gaucher Labiche de Reignefort, pray for us.
Michel-Bernard Marchand, pray for us.
Michel-Louis Brulard, pray for us.
Nicolas Savouret, pray for us.
Nicolas Tabouillot, pray for us.
Noël-Hilaire Le Conte, pray for us.
Paul-Jean Charles, pray for us.
Philippe Papon, pray for us.
Pierre Gabilhaud, pray for us.
Pierre Jarrige de la Morelie de Puyredon, pray for us.
Pierre-Joseph le Groing de la Romagère, pray for us.
Pierre-Michel Noël, pray for us.
Pierre-Sulpice-Christophe Faverge, pray for us.
Pierre-Yrieix Labrouhe de Laborderie, pray for us.
Raymond Petiniaud de Jourgnac, pray for us.
Scipion-Jérôme Brigeat Lambert, pray for us.
Sébastien-Loup Hunot, pray for us.
