Bienheureux Louis Leroy
Martyr au Laos (+ 1961)
Louis Leroy, O.M.I. (Oblat de Marie Immaculée), né en Normandie en 1923, mort à Ban Pha (Xieng Khouang) en 1961.
Arrivé au Laos en 1955, Louis était assassiné le 18 avril 1961.
Les six années du Père Louis au Laos sont connues, notamment à travers la correspondance suivie qu'il entretient avec les Carmélites de Limoges...
Connu pour ... ses qualités d'accueil et son sourire, son infatigable dévouement au service des malades, son amour des plus pauvres, sa patience envers les pécheurs... et surtout le témoignage d'une foi indéfectible et d'un dévouement sans bornes...
...Lors de l'offensive générale de la guérilla en avril 1961, sa présence avait été signalée aux attaquants par des gens qui voyaient d'un mauvais œil cette présence chrétienne active dans le secteur...
...Il vivait héroïquement sa consécration de religieux missionnaire, interprétant à la lettre l'appel solennel du Fondateur des Oblats, Saint Eugène de Mazenod, à ses fils: '[Les Oblats] se sentent appelés... à renoncer entièrement à eux-mêmes... prêts à sacrifier tous leurs biens, leurs talents, leur repos, leur personne et leur vie pour l'amour de Jésus Christ, le service de l'Église et la sanctification du prochain...'
Il fait partie des martyrs au Laos entre 1954 et 1970 béatifiés en 2016.
Liens utiles:
- Le Vatican reconnaît les martyrs du Laos - Présentation des martyrs du Laos
- Martyrs du Laos - Postulation
Je suis prêt à mourir
pour le Seigneur - Pho nhom tai pheua Phrachao
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/13034/Bienheureux-Louis-Leroy.html
Bx Louis Leroy
Prêtre OMI et martyr
(*Ducey, France, 8 octobre 1923 - † Ban Pha, Laos, 18 avril 1961)
Louis Leroy naît le
8 octobre 1923 à Ducey, dans le diocèse de Coutances en France. Orphelin de
père, il travaille une dizaine d’années dans la ferme familiale. A 22 ans, il
s’oriente vers la vie missionnaire chez les Missionnaires Oblats de Marie
Immaculée. Après un temps de rattrapage scolaire à Pontmain, il suit avec
courage les six années de philosophie et de théologie à Solignac. À l’un ou
l’autre de ses compagnons il confie son espoir de mourir martyr.
Ordonné prêtre le 4 juillet 1954, il est envoyé à la Mission du Laos. Affecté dans des postes de montagne, il étudie patiemment les langues – ‘lao, thaï-deng, kmhmu’ –, desservi par une surdité précoce. Ses résultats médiocres sont compensés par son infatigable dévouement au service des malades, par son amour des plus pauvres, par sa patience envers les pécheurs. Inlassablement, il visite les villages qui lui sont confiés, à des heures de marche autour de sa résidence de Ban Pha. A ses correspondantes carmélites, il confie ses joies et ses peines ; il souffre de la tiédeur et du manque de constance de certains chrétiens.
Devant l’arrivée des troupes communistes, obéissant aux consignes de Rome et de
son évêque, il refuse avec opiniâtreté de quitter son poste. Le 18 avril 1961,
un détachement vient le chercher. Demandant d’enfiler sa soutane, de prendre sa
croix et son bréviaire, il suit les soldats. Dans la forêt voisine, il est
sommairement abattu. Son rêve de jeunesse, témoigner du Christ jusqu’au martyre,
était exaucé.
Louis Leroy fait
partie des 17 martyrs béatifiés, en un seul groupe, à Vientiane, capitale du
Laos, le 11 décembre 2016. Cette célébration a été présidée par le
cardinal philippin Orlando Quevedo, oblat de Marie Immaculée (OMI) et
archevêque de Cotabato, envoyé au Laos comme représentant personnel du pape
François (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 2013-).
SOURCE : https://www.levangileauquotidien.org/FR/display-saint/ccd31fdb-0d18-4a01-a19a-1b7b2649c764
26 mars
– Bienheureux Louis Leroy OMI
En 1961, le père Louis
Leroy priait dans sa pauvre église quand un détachement de guérilleros vint le
chercher. Selon les villageois, il savait que c’était son dernier départ : il
demanda la permission de mettre sa soutane, mit sa croix et, avec son bréviaire
sous le bras, dit au revoir. Sans chapeau et pieds nus, il suivit les soldats.
Dans la forêt, quelques coups de feu et c’était fini … Son rêve d’enfance de rendre
témoignage du Christ, même par le martyre, lui était accordé.
Il avait écrit au
Supérieur général des Oblats :
« Avant de connaître
les Oblats, les missions d’Asie m’attiraient, et pour ces missions, je voulais
abandonner mon métier de cultivateur… les difficultés que la mission au Laos a
rencontrées et rencontrera peut-être encore n’ont fait qu’augmenter mon désir
pour ce pays… Je recevrais avec une grande joie mon obédience pour le Laos si
vous jugiez bon de m’y envoyer… »
Bienheureux Louis Leroy
OMI
SOURCE : https://www.omiworld.org/fr/reflection/18-avril-bienheureux-louis-leroy-omi/
SEMAINE
II – MERCREDI: Bienheureux Louis Leroy, o.m.i. (8.10.1923-18.04.1961)
Parmi les chrétiens, nous
en avons qui vivent profondément leur christianisme et qui seraient prêts à
verser leur sang, s’il le faut, pour confesser leur foi. Un chrétien déjà
avancé en âge, baptisé depuis trois ans, disait au Père : quand je suis
seul sur la piste, je dis mon chapelet pour obtenir aux chrétiens la grâce de
résister aux communistes s’ils viennent à envahir notre pays. À côté de ces
beaux exemples, il y en a de moins beaux, la faiblesse de la nature humaine se
retrouve partout, le péché originel a envahi toute l’humanité ; on s’en
aperçoit rapidement quel que soit l’endroit où l’on se trouve.
Récemment une propagande
communiste avait fait circuler le bruit qu’avant un an tous les Pères seraient
rentrés en France, les chrétiens abandonnés à eux-mêmes, et alors ceux qui ont
le désir de devenir catholiques ne peuvent le faire raisonnablement. Cette
propagande avait réussi à troubler certains esprits, qui déclarent : dans
ce cas mieux vaut attendre pour entrer dans la religion. En même temps nous
avions la joie de nous voir demander dans de nombreux villages. Puisse leur
demande être sincère !
Lettres de Louis Leroy aux Carmélites de Limoges,
2 mars et 13 novembre 1956
SEMAINE
II – VENDREDI: Bienheureux Louis Leroy, o.m.i. (8.10.1923-18.04.1961)
À Ban Pha, où était le
Père Leroy, c’est carrément la persécution religieuse. Les gens sont
terrorisés, ils doivent se cacher pour prier. L’église et la maison des Pères
ont été pillées systématiquement… Le Père Leroy avait été fouillé, mis à nu
complètement devant tout le monde. Il avait eu un répit d’un quart d’heure
qu’il avait passé à genoux devant le Saint Sacrement, puis il avait suivi les
soldats qui prétendaient que leur commandant l’appelait : en soutane,
croix à la ceinture, bréviaire sous le bras, pieds et tête nus. On l’a conduit
dans un bois. Les gens ont entendu des coups de feu, et maintenant il y a une
tombe fraîche…
Les Pères Leroy et
Coquelet étaient probablement les meilleurs religieux de la communauté :
humilité, zèle, piété, ardeur à l’étude de la langue compensaient largement la
lenteur intellectuelle de l’un (vocation très tardive – paysan normand), et la
timidité du second.
Par contre, l’un et
l’autre étaient capables de rester des heures entières à l’église… Leurs gens
sont déjà venus plusieurs fois, malgré le danger, chercher de leurs nouvelles.
Mais on ne peut leur en donner.
Lettres d’Henri Delcros à
sa famille concernant Louis Leroy, 17 mai et 2 juin 1961
Louis Leroy OMI, né
le 8 octobre 1923 à Ducey, dans la Manche, et mort le 18 avril
1961 à Ban Pha, dans la province du Xieng Khouang au Laos, est un
missionnaire français membre de la congrégation des oblats de Marie-Immaculée
qui a été béatifié à Vientiane au Laos, le 11 décembre 2016. Il fait
partie du groupe des martyrs du Laos.
BIOGRAPHIE
Louis Leroy, solide
Normand issu d'une famille paysanne, après son service militaire et deux ans de
rattrapage scolaire au juniorat de Pontmain, entre à l'âge de 25 ans au
noviciat des oblats de Marie-Immaculée à La Brosse-Montceaux. Il est envoyé au
Laos comme missionnaire en novembre 1955, pays en proie depuis son
indépendance récente (1953) à des troubles communistes attisés par la Chine
populaire et le Vietnam du Nord et où les oblats se sont installés en 1935. Il
missionne dans le Xieng Khouang où il se perfectionne dans les différentes
langues de la région et la langue thaï (malgré une mauvaise ouïe), notamment à
Tha Ngong près de Vientiane. En 1957, succédant au Père Joseph Boissel, il reçoit la
responsabilité des âmes du village néophyte de Ban Pha dans les montagnes du
nord du Laos, où il doit sillonner les villages chrétiens alentour et les zones
non chrétiennes. Il tient un journal, intitulé chez les oblats Codex
historicus, où il fait preuve d'un foi indéfectible et d'une grande pureté
d'âme, malgré les obstacles immenses.
Après le coup d'État
du 9 août 1960 qui partage le pays en trois factions, celle des
neutralistes plutôt pro-français de Souvanna Phouma chassés de la
capitale par les indépendantistes royalistes appuyés par les Américains et
enfin celle des communistes, la province du Xieng Khouang est le théâtre
d'affrontements entre milices neutralistes et milices communistes. Le P. Leroy
reçoit le martyre le 18 avril 1961, torturé et fusillé par des hommes de
la guérilla du Pathet Lao. Pendant la même période dans la province, trois
oblats subissent le même sort, le jeune P. Michel Coquelet (1931-1961), tué
le 20 avril 1961; le P. Vincent L'Hénoret (1921-1961), tué le 11 mai
1961; et le Frère Alexis Guémené (1924-1961), tué le 4 juin 1961. Le
Pathet Lao communiste, après avoir définitivement pris le pouvoir dans tout le
pays en 1975, expulse tous les missionnaires.
Durant cette quarantaine
d'années, de 1935 à 1975, ce sont plus de cent oblats, toutes nationalités
confondues, qui ont travaillé, peiné, prié, versé leur sang parfois, dans cette
mission du Nord-Laos.
BÉATIFICATION
Son procès diocésain en
béatification in odium fidei est ouvert par Mgr Georges Soubrier à Nantes en
2008 avec quatorze autres martyrs de la période 1954-1970. Le postulateur de la
cause de Louis Leroy est le Père Roland Jacques, o.m.i. Le 5 juin 2015, le
pape François reconnaît le martyre du Père Leroy et de quatorze fidèles de
cette époque au Laos, et signe leur décret de béatification. La cérémonie de
béatification s'est déroulée le 11 décembre 2016 en la cathédrale de
Vientiane, au Laos. Elle a été célébrée par le cardinal Orlando Quevedo, délégué
pontifical.
BIBLIOGRAPHIE
Roland Jacques
O.M.I., Biographies des premiers témoins de l'Église du Laos ,
établies par le P. Roland Jacques O.M.I., postulateur diocésain, éd.
Postulation des martyrs du Laos, 34 rue du Cdt J. Duhail; 94210
Fontenay-sous-Bois, 2008
ARTICLES CONNEXES
Catholicisme au Laos
Liste de religieux
français tués hors de France
Mario Borzaga (1932-1960)
SOURCE : https://peoplepill.com/people/louis-leroy/
BBx 17 Martyrs du Laos
(6 prêtres, 6 religieux, 5 laïcs)
(† entre 1954 et 1970)
En 2008, le diocèse de Nantes ouvrait un procès en béatification pour 10 prêtres et 5 laïcs, tués en haine de la foi au Laos entre 1954 et 1970. Ces prêtres appartenaient aux Missions étrangères de Paris (MEP) et aux Oblats de Marie Immaculée (OMI). Deux ans plus tard, le diocèse de Nantes transmettait ce dossier à Rome.
À ces 15 martyrs, il faut ajouter le missionnaire italien Mario Borzaga et son catéchiste hmong, Paul Thoj Xyooj, tués eux aussi en haine de la foi au Laos en 1960. Leur procès diocésain, instruit en Italie, a également abouti.
Après cinq ans d’attente, Rome a promulgué, le 6 juin 2015, les décrets relatifs
au martyre de 17 chrétiens assassinés, exécutés ou morts d’épuisement, dans le
contexte de la guérilla communiste déterminée à éliminer tout ce qui était
étranger et chrétien.
Ces 17 martyrs ont été béatifiés, en un seul groupe, à Vientiane, capitale du Laos, le 11 décembre 2016. Cette célébration a été présidée par le cardinal philippin Orlando Quevedo, oblat de Marie Immaculée (OMI) et archevêque de Cotabato, envoyé au Laos comme représentant personnel du pape François (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 2013-).
La mémoire commune correspond au jour du martyre du père Jean Wauthier, OMI, né
le 22 mars 1926 à Fourmies (59), mort le 16 décembre 1967 à Ban Na (Xieng
Khouang), vicariat de Vientiane.
La mémoire individuelle est celle du jour du martyre (dies natalis) de
chacun.
LISTE DES 17 MARTYRS DU
LAOS
Joseph Thao Tiên, né le 5
décembre 1918 à Muang Sôi (Houa Phanh, Laos), prêtre diocésain taï-deng du
vicariat de Thanh Hóa (Vietnam), mort le 2 juin 1954 à Ban Talang (Houa Phanh),
vicariat de Vientiane.
Jean-Baptiste Malo, MEP,
né le 2 juin 1899 à La Grigonnais (44), missionnaire en Chine puis au Laos,
mort le 28 mars 1954 à Yên Hội (Hà Tĩnh), diocèse de Vinh (Vietnam).
René Dubroux, MEP, né le
28 novembre 1914 à Haroué (54), prêtre diocésain de Saint-Dié puis missionnaire
au Laos ; mort le 19 décembre 1959 à Palay, vicariat de Paksé.
Paul Thoj Xyooj, né en
1941 à Kiukatiam (Louang Prabang), catéchiste hmong, mort le 1er mai 1960
à Muang Kasy, vicariat de Louang Prabang.
Mario Borzaga, OMI, né le
27 août 1932 à Trente (Italie), mort le 1er mai 1960 à Muang Kasy,
vicariat de Louang Prabang.
Louis Leroy, OMI, né le 8
octobre 1923 à Ducey (50), mort le 18 avril 1961 à Ban Pha (Xieng Khouang),
vicariat de Vientiane.
Michel Coquelet, OMI, né
le 18 août 1931 à Wignehies (59) et éduqué à Puiseaux (45), mort le 20 avril
1961 à Sop Xieng (Xieng Khouang), vicariat de Vientiane.
Joseph Outhay
Phongphoumi, catéchiste veuf, né en 1933 à Khamkoem, diocèse de Tha-rè-Nongsèng
(Thaïlande), mort le 27 avril 1961 à Phalane, vicariat de Savannakhet.
Noël Tenaud, MEP, né le
11 novembre 1904 à Rocheservière (85), missionnaire en Thaïlande puis au Laos,
mort le 27 avril 1961 à Phalane, vicariat de Savannakhet.
Vincent L’Hénoret, OMI,
né le 12 mars 1921 à Pont l’Abbé (29), mort le 11 mai 1961 à Ban Ban / Muang
Kham (Xieng Khouang), vicariat de Vientiane.
Marcel Denis, MEP, né le
7 août 1919 à Alençon (60), mort le 31 juillet 1961 à Kham Hè (Khammouane),
vicariat de Savannakhet.
Jean Wauthier, OMI, né le
22 mars 1926 à Fourmies (59), mort le 16 décembre 1967 à Ban Na (Xieng
Khouang), vicariat de Vientiane.
Thomas Khampheuane
Inthirath, né en mai 1952 à Nong Sim (Champassak), élève catéchiste Lavên, mort
le 12 mai 1968 à Paksong (Champassak), vicariat de Paksé.
Lucien Galan, MEP, né le
9 décembre 1921 à Golinhac (12), missionnaire en Chine puis au Laos, mort le 12
mai 1968 à Paksong (Champassak), vicariat de Paksé.
Joseph Boissel, OMI, né
le 20 décembre 1909 au Loroux (35), mort le 5 juillet 1969 à Hat I-Et
(Bo-likhamsay), vicariat de Vientiane.
Luc Sy, catéchiste kmhmu’
père de famille, né en 1938 à Ban Pa Hôk (Xieng Khouang), mort le 7 mars 1970 à
Dène Din (Province de Vientiane), vicariat de Vientiane.
Maisam Pho Inpèng, laïc
kmhmu’ père de famille, né vers 1934 près de Sam Neua (Houaphan), mort le 7
mars 1970 à Dène Din (Province de Vientiane), vicariat de Vientiane.
SOURCE : https://levangileauquotidien.org/FR/display-saint/7b762f96-0112-466b-bcf0-fe7bda104920
Profile
Member of
the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Priest. Martyr.
Born
8 October 1923 in
Ducey, Manche, France
18 April 1961 in
Ban Pha, Xieng Khouang, Laos
5 June 2015 by Pope Francis (decree
of martyrdom)
11 December 2016 by Pope Francis
beatification recognition
celebrated in Vientiane, Laos, presided by Cardinal Angelo
Amato
Additional
Information
other
sites in english
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Blessed Louis
Leroy“. CatholicSaints.Info. 25 February 2023. Web. 17 April 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-louis-leroy/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-louis-leroy/
Louis Leroy
(1923-1961) Martyr in Laos
Louis Leroy was born
October 8, 1923 in Ducey (Manche). He was the eldest son of a farming family of
four. After primary school in Villiers-le-Pré (50), he worked ten years on the
family farm. Upon his return from military service at the age of 22, he began
moving toward the missionary life with the Missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate. After a period at Pontmain to catch up on his studies, he bravely
pursued six years of philosophy and theology in Solignac.
On July 4, 1954 he was
ordained a priest at the Abbey of Solignac. He wrote to the Superior General of
the Oblates: “Before I knew the Oblates the missions in Asia attracted me,
and I wanted to leave my work as a farmer for these missions…. The difficulties
the Laos mission has had and perhaps will have again have only increased my
desire for this country…. I would be very happy to receive my obedience for
Laos if you feel it is good to send me there….” He shared his hope to die
a martyr with some of his companions.
He lived for six years in
Laos. At the end of 1957 Louis Leroy arrived at his final post in the Ban Pha
Mountains. Tirelessly, he visited the villages assigned to him, walking for 2,
3 or 5 hours in all kinds of weather and on impossible slopes. He
writes: “[The missionary] quickly realizes that only the grace of almighty
God can convert a soul.” In one year, he will “cover at least 3,000
kilometers on foot with a backpack. It’s hard on certain days, especially when
one’s health is not at its best, but I’m very happy to have to work in this
area.”
On April 18,
1961 Fr. Leroy was praying in his poor church. A detachment of guerrilla
soldiers came to get him. According to the villagers, he knew this was his
final departure: he asked permission to put on his cassock, put his cross on
and with his breviary under his arm said goodbye. Without a hat and barefooted
he followed the soldiers. In the forest, a few shots and it was over…. His childhood dream of witnessing to Christ, even in
martyrdom, was granted.
[…] Having a little free
time today, which does not happen often, I just want to give you some news
about myself and my area.
You have probably heard
from the radio and newspapers about the events taking place in Laos. Currently,
as far as we can judge, it is rather quiet; once, about seven hundred soldiers
passed through my village. They said nothing to me or to the people. We know
nothing of the future, so we carry on as in the past, trusting in God.
As for me, my morale is
excellent. I’m very happy with my hard but splendid missionary life. My past
wishes about missionary life in the bush are fully realized. As for the
apostolate, I have a lot of work to do. During the past year, I have
distributed more than 4,000 communions, heard more than 2,000 confessions, 19
baptisms; this number will be much higher next year as currently I am
instructing 70 catechumens. The majority of them could be baptized around
Easter 1960.
Does this mean that
everything is perfect? Certainly not. Recently, an apostate Christian let her
10 month old baby die without baptism. Another apostate has taken up the art of
witchcraft. Another, baptized last year, has practically never set foot in
church since he became a Christian. In one of my villages, where Christians are
a minority among the heathen, sorcerers are active and are able to disturb some
of the Christians, telling them when they are ill that only a return to the
worship of the spirits can bring healing. Fortunately, this perfidious advice
is not always heeded.
The sick and injured take
up a lot of time and require long and tiring journeys. Among the patients I
treat, one Christian had his face, hands and a knee burnt. I visited him three
times; it takes three and half hours on foot in the mountains to get there and
there are many injured and sick like this.
The many pagans around
me, whom I meet every day or who come for treatment, are not decided to become
Christians.
This is an overview of my
area, which once again I highly recommend to your prayers. Pray also for me, so
that God can accomplish through me all the good he wants to accomplish.
[…] I leave you now, by
telling you that my prayers for all your intentions are more frequent — and how
many they are — than my letters. Not a day goes by without me talking about you
to the Lord and the Blessed Virgin, in whom I renew my religious dedication.
(Louis Leroy, Letter to the Carmelite Sisters of Limoges, 1959)
SOURCE : https://omi200.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/april-18-louis-leroy-1923-1961-martyr-in-laos/
On the Path To Sainthood Fr. Louis Leroy, O.M.I.
In December 2016, Fr.
Louis Leroy, O.M.I. was declared Blessed by the Catholic Church, a major step
on the path to sainthood. Father Leroy was one of six Oblate priests
that were beatified for their martyrdom as missionaries in Laos. His
missionary journey was filled with great faith, courage and ultimately the
greatest sacrifice.
Father Louis Leroy,
O.M.I. was born in 1923 in rural France. His father died when he was
nine years old and shortly afterwards Louis stopped attending school to work on
the family farm. While working the fields, the young man dreamed of
a life far away from the French countryside.
“Before I even knew the
Oblates the missions in Asia attracted me, and I wanted to leave my work as a
farmer for these missions,” said Fr. Leroy.
After a few years of
military service, he focused his attention on missionary life and joined the
Missionary Oblates. He was ordained in 1952 and wrote to the Oblate
Superior General about his desire to be a foreign missionary.
“The difficulties the
Laos mission has had and perhaps will have again have only increased my desire
for this country. I would be very happy to receive my obedience for
Laos if you feel it is good to send me there.”
Father Leroy got his
wish. Less than a year after his ordination he was on a boat headed
for Laos. He was assigned to some of the most isolated and
inaccessible parts of the country, walking as much as 2,000 miles a year to
find the poorest of the poor.
“I am alone in a sector
that has six villages, each with its chapel where worship is taking place,” Fr.
Leroy wrote in his diary. “For some villages, just to get there, one
has to walk for five hours, carrying a backpack on paths that go up and come
down very abruptly.”
Father Leroy also wrote
about the vastness of his work. “I’m very happy with my hard but
splendid missionary life. I have a lot of work to
do. During the past year I have distributed more than 4,000
communions, heard more than 2,000 confessions, 19 baptisms; this number will be
much higher next year as currently I am instructing 70 catechumens.”
In addition to caring for
the spiritual needs of the poor, Fr. Leroy also cared for their physical
needs. He provided basic medical care for the sick and injured in
places where there were no doctors or nurses.
Father Leroy’s spiritual
and humanitarian efforts were not welcomed by the Communists who were taking
control of the country. He and the other Oblates became targets of
Communist guerillas and they knew their lives were in danger. Still,
they refused to leave their flock.
On April 18, 1961, Fr.
Leroy was praying in his poor church. A detachment of guerilla
soldiers came looking for him. He knew this was his final
departure. Father Leroy asked for permission to put on his cassock,
put his cross on and with his breviary under his arm said good-bye and followed
the soldiers into the forest.
According to a witness,
Fr. Leroy was interrogated, beaten and his face burned until it was
disfigured. He was then shot. Some of the last words that
he spoke before his martyrdom were simply stated in a calm voice, “I am ready
to die for the Lord.”
En Camino a la Santidad
Louis Leroy, O.M.I.
En diciembre de 2016, la Iglesia declaró Beato al Padre Louis Leroy, O.M.I., un gran paso hacia la santidad. El Padre Leroy fue uno de los seis sacerdotes Oblatos beatificados por su martirio como misioneros en Laos. Su camino como misionero estuvo lleno de fe, valor y al final, el mayor sacrificio.
El Padre Louis Leroy, O.M.I. nació en la parte rural de Francia, en 1923. Su padre murió cuando él tenía nueve años y poco después Louis dejó la escuela para trabajar en la granja familiar. Mientras trabajaba en el campo, el joven soñaba con una vida lejos de la campiña francesa.
“Incluso antes de conocer a los Oblatos, me atraían las misiones en Asia y deseaba dejar mi trabajo como granjero para ir a ellas”, decía el P. Leroy.
Tras algunos años en el servicio militar, enfocó su atención en la vida misionera y se unió a los Misioneros Oblatos. Fue ordenado en 1952 y escribió al Superior General Oblato acerca de su deseo de ser misionero en el extranjero.
“Las dificultades que la misión en Laos ha enfrentado y tal vez tenga de nuevo, solo ha acrecentado mi deseo de ir. Me haría muy feliz recibir mi obediencia para Laos, si considera bien enviarme allí”.
El Padre Leroy obtuvo su deseo. Se embarcó hacia Laos menos de un año después de su ordenación y fue asignado a algunas de las partes más aisladas e inaccesibles del país, debiendo caminar hasta cerca de 3,200 km al año para llegar a los más pobres de los pobres.
“Me encuentro solo en un sector con seis aldeas, cada una con su capilla para culto”, escribió el P. Leroy en su diario. “Para llegar a algunas aldeas hay que caminar cinco horas, llevando una mochila, por abruptos caminos que suben y bajan”.
El Padre Leroy también escribió sobre lo vasto de su ministerio. “Me encuentro feliz con mi difícil pero espléndida vida misionera. Tengo mucho trabajo que hacer. En el último año di más de 4,000 comuniones, escuché más de 2,000 confesiones, 19 bautismos; y será mucho mayor el año próximo, pues en este momento estoy instruyendo a más de 70 catecúmenos”.
Además de atender las necesidades espirituales de los pobres, el P. Leroy también se encargaba de las físicas, dando atención médica básica a los enfermos y heridos donde no había doctores ni enfermeras.
El esfuerzo espiritual y humanitario del Padre Leroy no fue bienvenido por los Comunistas que tenían el control del país. Él y los demás Oblatos se convirtieron en objetivos de las guerrillas comunistas y sabían que sus vidas estaban en peligro. Aun así, se rehusaron a dejar a sus rebaños.
El 18 de abril de 1961, el P. Leroy se encontraba en su humilde iglesia rezando, cuando un destacamento de la guerrilla llegó buscándolo. Sabiendo que sería su último viaje, el Padre Leroy pidió se le dejara vestir su sotana y colocando su cruz y llevando su breviario bajo el brazo, se despidió y siguió a los soldados hacia el bosque.
Según un testigo, el P. Leroy fue interrogado, golpeado y su cara quemada hasta
quedar desfigurada. Luego recibió un tiro. Algunas de las últimas palabras que
dijo en su martirio, fueron dichas con una voz calmada, “Estoy listo para morir
por el Señor”.
The Sacred
Heart Cathedral (Lao: ວັດກາໂທລິກ ນະຄອນວຽງຈັນ; French: Cathédrale
du Sacré-Cœur de Vientiane),[1] also
called Vientiane Cathedral, is the name given to a Roman Catholic
cathedral in the city of Vientiane,[2] the
capital of Laos.[3] The
temple is situated at the Rue de la Mission and near the French Embassy in
Laos.
The
cathedral was built in 1928, when Laos was part of the French
Indochina, at the time of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, soon
followed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate. The temple architecture belongs to the neo-romanesque style
and it has images of Saint Joan of
Arc and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Cathedral,_Vientiane)
Beatification Date
2016.12.11
(61)
by Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B.
in Cathedral of
the Sacred Heart, Vientiane, Laos
Blesseds
Martyrs of Laos (17)
Blessed Jean Wauthier,
priest (1926–1967)
Blessed Jean-Baptiste Malo,
priest (1889–1954)
Blessed Joseph Boissel,
priest (1909–1969)
Blessed Joseph Tien
Thạo Tiến, priest (1918–1954)
Blessed Louis Leroy,
priest (1923–1961)
Blessed Lucien Galan,
priest (1921–1968)
Blessed Marcel Denis,
priest (1919–1961)
Blessed Mario Borzaga,
priest (1932–1960?)
Blessed Michel Coquelet,
priest (1931–1961)
Blessed Noël Tenaud,
priest (1904–1961)
Blessed René Dubroux,
priest (1914–1959)
Blessed Vincent L’Hénoret,
priest (1921–1961)
Blessed Joseph Outhay
Phongphumi, layperson (1933–1961)
Blessed Luc Sy,
layperson (1938–1970)
Blessed Maisam Pho
Inpèng, layperson (1934–1970)
Blessed Paul Thoj
Xyooj Paj Lug, layperson (1941–1960?)
Blessed Thomas Khampheuane
Inthirath, layperson (1952–1968)
SOURCE : http://www.gcatholic.org/saints/beati-FR1.htm
The Story of the Oblate Martyrs of Laos
Posted on December
14, 2016
By Fr. Roland Jacques,
OMI, Postulator
Translated and Compiled
By Fr. James Allen, OMI
The beatification
ceremony for all 17 Martyrs of Laos (including six Oblates of Mary
Immaculate) took place in the city of Vientiane, Laos,
on 11 December 2016. The Holy Father’s personal representative at
the ceremony was His Eminence, Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, Archbishop of
Cotabato in the Philippines.
The Martyrs of Laos, to
be known as “Father Joseph Tiên and his Companions,” include the following, in
the order of their martyrdom: Father Joseph Tiên (Diocesan priest in Laos);
Father Jean-Baptiste Malo, m.e.p. (French religious of the Missions
étrangères de Paris or Foreign Missions of Paris); Father René
Dubroux, m.e.p. (French); Father Mario Borzaga, o.m.i. (Italian); Catechist
Paul Thoj Xyooj (Laotian); Father Louis Leroy, o.m.i. (French); Father
Michel Coquelet, o.m.i. (French); Father Noël Tenaud, m.e.p. (French);
Catechist Joseph Outhay (Laotian); Father Vincent L’Hénoret, o.m.i.
(French); Father Marcel Denis, m.e.p. (French); Father Jean Wauthier,
o.m.i. (French); Father Lucien Galan, m.e.p. (French); Student catechist
Thomas Khampheuane (Laotian); Father Joseph Boissel, o.m.i. (French);
Catechist Luc Sy (Laotian); and Layman Phô Inpèng (Laotian).
Their feast day will be
celebrated on December 16.
Who were the six Oblate
Martyrs of Laos?
BLESSED MARIO BORZAGA,
OMI
Blessed Mario
BORZAGA was born in 1932 in Trent, at the foot of the mountains in
northern Italy. He was the youngest of a family of four children: three boys
and a girl. He was ordained in 1957 and received his first obedience to Laos in
that same year. He worked with the Hmong people in that country at a time when
the Pathet Lao communists were trying to take over the government. (The Hmong
had been cooperating with the U.S. forces.)
On May 1, 1960, he
and his young catechist were killed during one of their missionary journeys.
One of the communist soldiers testified:
“On the path along the
Mun Phou ridge, we met an American spy, accompanied by a Hmong. We forced them
to dig a hole. It was I who shot them. The Hmong died instantly but the
American, falling into the hole, cried: ‘Why have you shot me, the Father?’
Without waiting, we covered them with earth; then we rummaged through the
backpack of the American. There was not much: some granulated cords with two
pieces of crossed iron, some pictures of a radiant woman, alone or with a
child, and those of a man with the heart on the outside…”
BLESSED LOUIS LEROY, OMI
Blessed Louis
LEROY was born on October 8, 1923, in Normandy (France), in the village of
Ducey. Shortly after his ordination, he arrived in Laos in 1955.
On April 18, 1961,
Father Louis Leroy was praying in his poor church. A detachment of guerilla
soldiers came looking for him. According to the villagers, he knows that his
departure would be final: he asks to put on his cassock; he puts his cross in
his cincture; he takes his breviary under his arm and says farewell. Head bare
and barefoot, he follows the soldiers on the uneven path. According to a
witness, Louis Leroy was interrogated, beaten and burned on his face till it
was disfigured. Some Christians from another village who were passing through
there saw the scene from afar, but they did not recognize him. A bit later,
some shots were heard in the forest and it was over… His dream as a young man
had come true.
BLESSED MICHEL COQUELET,
OMI
Blessed Michel
COQUELET was born on August 18, 1931, in northern France, at Wignehies. He
arrived in Laos in 1957.
On or about April
19, 1961, not far from Xieng Khong, Michel was stopped by the guerillas. The
soldiers told him: “Your superior wants you to return to Xieng Khouang.” He
answered: “That is not true: my superior would have told me otherwise; there
are enough persons going to Xieng Khouang and coming back.” Leaving the bicycle
behind, the soldiers take him along the old French road toward Ban Sop Xieng. A
little away from the road, they tell him to dig his grave. Michel throws the
shovel aside. He would die standing up, fearless, for Christ and for the
Laotians. His parishioners could not find his grave; a passerby told them not
to look any more: his executioners came back and threw his body in the river.
At the same time, the house-chapel of Sam Tôm was ransacked and destroyed by
another detachment. Then it was the turn of Phôn Pheng; the village chief, a
Christian, and his secretary were beaten, bound and led through the village and
then shot, like the Father, on the edge of the road.
BLESSED VINCENT
L’HÉNORET, OMI
Blessed Vincent
L’HÉNORET was born on March 12, 1921, at Pont l’Abbé, France. For his
studies in philosophy and theology, he was sent to La Brosse-Montceaux in
Île-de-France. There, he personally saw the drama of July 24, 1944: the summary
execution of five Oblates of his community by Nazi German soldiers. He and his
confreres were deported to a prison camp at Compiègne; but they would be
liberated shortly thereafter, at the beginning of September, by the advancing
allies. After his ordination in 1947, he received his obedience to Laos.
On Thursday
morning, May 11, 1961, he was seen leaving Na Thoum by bicycle at seven in
the morning, as he had announced to his parishioners. A little later, between
Ban Na Thoum and Ban Faï (, he was stopped by three men wearing guerilla
uniforms. A peasant woman who was working in her field was witness to the first
part of the scene: the Father brought out a paper, his pass, undoubtedly. That
seemed to satisfy the soldiers, because the Father got on his bicycle again and
took to the road. The peasant woman did not see what followed, but a little
later, she heard some shots: she barely paid attention because that had become
common. Nevertheless, as she returned to the village, she found the bicycle and
then saw a body barely covered in a trench. Terrified, she did not dare say or
do anything for the moment. The next day, a little group of villagers went to
the site. At about 1500 meters from the village, the saw a large pool of blood
on the road and discovered the body of the Father which had been carried to
ditch farther into the forest. Frightened, they just covered it with a little
earth and branches. On Saturday, they went to get Father Khamphanh, and with
him proceeded to give a dignified but quick burial, without dawdling because
all remained aware of the danger. A cross was placed on the grave.
BLESSED JEAN WAUTHIER,
OMI
Blessed Jean
WAUTHIER was born on March 22, 1926, in the North of France, in the little
town of Fourmies. Upon his arrival in Laos on October 26, 1952, he was
immediately sent to serve at the mission among the poorest, the Kmhmu’.
On the night of December
16 – 17, 1967, Jean Wauthier was killed at close range. He had come to spend
two nights in the tiny village of Ban Na, catechumens for about three years, in
a region near the Plain of Jars. At 800 meters from there was a small military
post on a hill. Those who sought his life feigned a guerrilla attack.
At once he was up,
knapsack on his back — because in this region permanently at war, one had to be
always ready to run for the forest. He gathered the two children who were
staying with him and a couple of catechumens and went down with them to a
flowing stream at 200 or 300 meters below the village. He sheltered them in a
gully in the ground and reassured them: “Do not move, do not be afraid, pray,”
he told them.
He moved away to assess
the situation and took a few steps while reciting the rosary. The children hear
“Kill the Father.” A shot rang out. Hit at the the base of the neck, Jean
Wauthier begged his attackers hidden behind a small hedge, “Why do you shoot
me? Stop! I am really hurt.” “Stop talking!” was the reply. And the shooting
resumed. Shot three times in the chest, he collapsed. The children ran away,
terrified. Father Jean Wauthier has given his life so that the Gospel might
bear fruit in Laos.
Jean’s body was taken to
Vientiane. He rests in Laotian earth, in the Catholic cemetery of the town.
BLESSED JOSEPH BOISSEL,
OMI
Blessed Joseph
BOISSEL was born December 20, 1909 in the marches of Brittany (France), in
the hamlet of La Tiolais, outside the town of Loroux. He arrived in Laos in
1938.
In March 1945, the
Japanese hit Laos. On June 1, Joseph Boissel was captured with his companion
Father Vincent Le Calvez, and the Apostolic Prefect, Mons. Jean Mazoyer, OMI.
All three were taken to Vinh, Vietnam, where they were held among a hostile
population. Back in Laos in 1946, Joseph again found his Tran Ninh and contact
with the Hmong.
On Saturday, July 5,
1969, he decided to go to Hat I-Êt, a village of Kmhmu’ refugees a good 20
kilometers from Paksane, going up along the River Nam San. Because of the lack
of security, that year he was unable to go there for ministry for several
months. The catechist André Van was there and he needed to know that he was
supported.
Setting out around four
in the afternoon, he took two young Laotian Oblate Missionaries with him; as
usual, they were to help him with the visits, the care of the sick and the
religious service.
The following is told by
one of the two passengers, the only survivor able to do so:
Two or three kilometers
before arriving at the village, at a bend in the road, I heard a burst of
gunfire aimed at us. The tires blew out and I was hit in the hand. I saw a red
flag moving in the forest bordering our route. A second burst of gunfire and
Thérèse was hit in the head; since I am smaller, the bullets did not hit me.
The firing came from the left, on the driver’s side.
Father Boissel was hit in
the head – near the mouth and in the skull. The jeep went into a ditch, turned
over on us and burst into flames. Father’s glasses were broken; he died on the
spot… His big eyes were open. All three of us were completely covered with
blood.
Father Boissel was dead;
Thérèse was unconscious. I was in a huge daze… not moving… like dead. But I saw
three young Vietnamese soldiers going around the vehicle three times. He said:
“Let’s kill them!” – “Let’s burn the vehicle and its occupants!” They moved
away and threw a grenade at the car. The grenade exploded – it was the
explosions that caused our injuries. I said, “O Lord!” but veil of darkness came
over me…
I don’t know how long we
stayed like that in the car. But Thérèse came to first. She pushed me to get
out… The grenade had deafened us… It was difficult for us to communicate, to
understand one another… Both of us prayed to the Lord: “If you still need us…
send someone to help us.” We went to sleep along the road. I put my hand on
Thérèse’s heart and she put hers on my heart: united in suffering.
Oh, we had to wait a long
time, from 4:30 until about 9:30. Finally some people arrived to pick us up.
Father’s body had been burned to the point that his face was totally
unrecognizable. Thérèse, hit in the head, remained mentally handicapped as a
result of the attack. She really has no happiness in living.
SOURCE : https://www.omiusa.org/index.php/2016/12/14/martyrs-of-los-to-be-beatified-on-december-11-2016/
Beato Luigi
Leroy Sacerdote e martire
>>> Visualizza la
Scheda del Gruppo cui appartiene
Ducey, Francia, 8 ottobre
1923 – Ban Pha, Laos, 18 aprile 1961
Padre Louis Leroy, dei
Missionari Oblati di Maria Immacolata, venne inviato subito dopo l’ordinazione
sacerdotale alla missione nel Laos. Nonostante i suoi limiti fisici – era
rimasto precocemente sordo – si diede all’apprendimento delle lingue locali e
visitava senza sosta i villaggi che gli vennero affidati. Il 18 aprile 1961
venne prelevato da un drappello di militanti comunisti e ucciso nella foresta
vicina: si realizzava in tal modo il suo sogno di gioventù, ovvero morire
martire. Inserito nel gruppo di quindici martiri capeggiato dal sacerdote
laotiano Joseph Thao Tiên, è stato beatificato l’11 dicembre 2016 a Vientiane,
nel Laos, insieme al suo confratello padre Mario Borzaga e al catechista Paul
Thoj Xyooj. La sua memoria liturgica cade il 16 dicembre, unitamente a quella
degli altri sedici martiri del Laos.
Louis Leroy nacque l’8 ottobre 1923 a Ducey, nella diocesi di Coutances in Francia. Primogenito di quattro figli, rimase orfano di padre. Lavorò per circa dieci anni nella fattoria di famiglia, finché, ventiduenne, si orientò alla vita religiosa tra i Missionari Oblati di Maria Immacolata.
Frequentò lo scolasticato a Pontmain: era dotato di una notevole intelligenza pratica, ma aveva non poche difficoltà in latino e soffriva di frequenti mal di testa. In compenso, s’impegnava profondamente in tutto.
Nel 1947, insieme a un confratello, si recò in pellegrinaggio da Pontmain a Lisieux: percorsero centocinquanta chilometri a piedi per poter pregare sulla tomba di santa Teresa di Gesù Bambino. Lo stesso anno, Louis confidò a un altro compagno, con una tal sicurezza da colpirlo: «Sono entrato tra gli Oblati per andare in una missione difficile dove potrei morire martire».
Compì il noviziato a La Brosse-Montceaux, dove confermò le sue buone qualità. I compagni hanno testimoniato, in aggiunta, che era di carattere allegro e amava ridere, ma era sostanzialmente serio. La sua attività di contadino gli fu utile quando aiutò le monache Carmelitane di Limoges a traslocare in campagna: rimase molto legato a loro anche negli anni a venire. Infine, il 29 settembre 1952 compì la sua oblazione perpetua e, il 4 luglio 1954, venne ordinato sacerdote all’abbazia di Solignac.
In base all’uso tra gli Oblati di Maria Immacolata, scrisse quindi al suo superiore generale per dichiarare di essere pronto alla missione: «Prima di conoscere gli Oblati le missioni d’Asia mi attiravano e per queste missioni avrei voluto abbandonare la mia missione di contadino... La conoscenza delle missioni oblate mi ha allora fatto desiderare il Laos, e le difficoltà che questa missione ha incontrato e forse incontrerà ancora non hanno fatto altro che aumentare il mio desiderio per questo paese... Riceverei con gran gioia la mia obbedienza per il Laos se voi giudicherete buono d’inviarmi là...». L’11 giugno 1955 giunse la consegna: doveva partire per il Laos.
Arrivato nel mese di novembre, venne inviato poco dopo a Xieng Khouang, il centro della missione. Si mise subito a studiare con pazienza le lingue locali, ma fu penalizzato da una precoce sordità. Nonostante questo limite, era infaticabile nel servizio agli ammalati, ardente nell’amore ai più poveri, paziente verso i peccatori.
Un anno dopo, disorientato dalla varietà di lingue e di dialetti, chiese di trascorrere qualche mese a Tha Ngon, nella valle del Mekong, per familiarizzare meglio con la lingua ufficiale, il lao. A fine 1957 era di ritorno a Xieng Khouang e da lì raggiunse la stazione missionaria di Ban Pha, in montagna. Risiedeva lì, ma visitava senza sosta gli altri villaggi che gli erano stati affidati, anche a ore di distanza dalla sua abitazione.
Nella sua corrispondenza con le monache carmelitane di Limoges si riflettono sia le sue speranze, sia le sue delusioni circa la vita missionaria; queste ultime erano causate soprattutto dall’incostanza dei fedeli laotiani, che spesso tornavano alle loro antiche usanze.
«Mi è capitato», scrisse, «di andare a trascorrere una notte in alcuni villaggi pagani per cercare di far loro conoscere la nostra religione ma, almeno apparentemente, ciò che ho detto loro non sembrava interessarli granché... [Il missionario] si rende presto conto che solo la grazia onnipotente di Dio può convertire un’anima».
Nel 1959 i missionari ricevettero l’ordine dalla Santa Sede di restare al proprio posto, a meno che non fossero anziani o malati. Anche padre Leroy rifiutò tenacemente di andarsene al seguito delle truppe reali, che avevano abbandonato Ban Pha: «Sono pronto a morire per il Signore», disse in lingua locale.
Il 18 aprile 1961 venne quindi prelevato da un drappello di militanti comunisti: chiese di poter indossare la sua veste, infilò nella cintura il caratteristico grande crocifisso dei Missionari Oblati e prese con sé il breviario. Fu poi ucciso nella foresta vicina.
La sua sepoltura improvvisata venne riconosciuta da alcuni fedeli, ma solo dopo due anni poté essere benedetta da un suo confratello: ormai era compresa in una risaia, che una cristiana aveva acquistato per preservare la sua memoria.
Padre Louis Leroy è stato inserito in un elenco di quindici tra sacerdoti, diocesani e missionari, e laici, uccisi tra Laos e Vietnam negli anni 1954-1970 e capeggiati dal sacerdote laotiano Joseph Thao Tiên. La fase diocesana del loro processo di beatificazione, ottenuto il nulla osta dalla Santa Sede il 18 gennaio 2008, si è svolta a Nantes (di cui era originario un altro dei potenziali martiri, padre Jean-Baptiste Malo) dal 10 giugno 2008 al 27 febbraio 2010, supportata da una commissione storica.
A partire dalla fase romana, ovvero dal 13 ottobre 2012, la Congregazione delle Cause dei Santi ha concesso che la loro “Positio super martyrio”, consegnata nel 2014, venisse coordinata, poi studiata, congiuntamente a quella di padre Mario Borzaga, suo confratello dei Missionari Oblati di Maria Immacolata, e del catechista Paul Thoj Xyooj (la cui fase diocesana si era svolta a Trento).
Il 27 novembre 2014 la riunione dei consultori teologi si è quindi pronunciata favorevolmente circa il martirio di tutti e diciassette. Questo parere positivo è stato confermato il 2 giugno 2015 dal congresso dei cardinali e vescovi della Congregazione delle Cause dei Santi, ma solo per Joseph Thao Tiên e i suoi quattordici compagni: padre Borzaga e il catechista, infatti, avevano già ottenuto la promulgazione del decreto sul martirio il 5 maggio 2015. Esattamente un mese dopo, il 5 giugno, papa Francesco autorizzava anche quello per gli altri quindici.
La beatificazione congiunta dei diciassette martiri, dopo accaniti dibattiti, è stata infine fissata a domenica 11 dicembre 2016 a Vientiane, nel Laos. A presiederla, come inviato del Santo Padre, il cardinal Orlando Quevedo, arcivescovo di Cotabato nelle Filippine e Missionario Oblato di Maria Immacolata. La loro memoria liturgica cade il 16 dicembre, anniversario del martirio di un altro Missionario Oblato di Maria Immacolata, padre Jean Wauthier.
Autore: Emilia Flocchini
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/97095
Heiligsprechungsverfahren für 15 Märtyrer in Laos
eröffnet
8. November 2008 Kommentare
deaktiviertfür Heiligsprechungsverfahren für 15 Märtyrer in Laos eröffnet
(Nantes) In Laos starben
zahlreiche Märtyrer, die „in odium fidei“ ermordet wurden und ihr Leben für die
Verkündigung des Glaubens in dem kleinen südostasiatischen Staat
hingegeben haben.
Für 15 Missionare, die in
Laos ermordet wurden, darunter Ordensleute und Laien, die in den Jahren
zwischen 1954 und 1970 ermordet wurden, wird nun in Nantes (Frankreich)
offiziell ein Heiligsprechungsverfahren eröffnet. Unter ihnen befinden sich
laotische Priester, Missionare aus verschiedenen Ländern (darunter viele
Franzosen), die der Gesellschaft für die Außenmissionen in Paris (MEP) und den
Oblaten von der Makellosen Jungfrau Maria (OMI) angehörten, ebenso wie
vier Laien.
Bischof George Soubier
von Nantes reichte beim Heiligen Stuhl entsprechend der Vorschriften der
Kongregation für die Selig- und Heiligsprechungsverfahren die notwendige
Dokumentation ein und teilte die Eröffnung der diözesanen Phase des Prozesses
mit, bei der Zeugenaussagen und Informationen gesammelt werden.
Generalpostulator ist P. Roland Jacques aus der Diözese Nantes.
Bei den 15 Märtyrern
handelt es sich um P. Joseph Tien, Laos 5/12/1918, + Muang Xoi (Sam Neua)
2/6/1954, erster laotischer Märtyrer; P. Jean-Baptiste Malo, M.E.P., Nantes (F)
1899, + Ha Tinh (Vietnam) 1954; P. René Dubroux, M.E.P., Lorraine (F) 1914, +
Palay (Champasak) 1959; P. Louis Leroy, O.M.I., Normandy 1923, + Ban Pha (Xieng
Khouang) 1961; P. Michel Coquelet, O.M.I., France 1931, + Sop Xieng (Xieng Kh.)
1961; den Katecheten Joseph Outhay, Thailand 1933, + Savannakhet 1961; P. Noà«l
Tenaud, M.E.P, Vendée (France)1904, + Savannakhet 1961; P. Vincent L’Hénoret,
O.M.l., Bretagne 1921, + Ban Ban (Xieng Kh.)1961; P. Marcel Denis, M.E.P.,
Atenon (France) 1919, + Khammouane 1961; P. Jean Wauthier, O.M.l., France 1926,
+ Ban Na (Xieng Khouang) 1967; den Laien Thomas Khampheuane, Laos 1952, +
Paksong (Champasak) 1968; P. Lucien Galan, M.E.P., France 1921, + Paksong
(Champasak) 1968; P. Joseph Boissel, O.M.l., France 1909, + Hat l‑Et
(Bolikhamsay) 1969; den Katecheten Luc Sy, Laos 1938, + Den Din (Vientiane
Province) 1970; und den Laien Maisam Pho Inpeng, Laos 1934, + Den
Din 1970.
Ein weiteres
Heiligsprechungsverfahren läuft bereits für den italienischen Missioanr P.
Mario Borzaga OMI und für den laotischen Katecheten Paul Thoj Xyooj, die
ebenfalls als Märtyrer in Laos starben.
Laos wurde zunächst von den Missionaren der Außenmissionen von Paris (MEP)
gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts evangelisiert. 1935 kamen auch die Oblaten von
der Unbefleckten Jungfrau Maria (OMI) in das Land und Ende der 50er Jahre gab
es die ersten einheimischen Priester. 1975 mussten mit der Machtübernahme der
sozialistischen „Pathet lao“ alle Missionare und Ordensschwestern das Land
verlassen. Einheimische Priester kamen in Arbeitslager.
Seit 1991 gibt es erste
Anzeichen einer Liberalisierung im Bereich der Religionen: im Verlauf der Jahre
wurden alle inhaftierten Priester freigelassen, es gibt eine gewisse
Kultfreiheit und die Regierung genehmigte den Bau von Kirchen. In jüngster Zeit
gab es auch mehrere Priesterweihen.
(Fides)
SOURCE : https://www.levangileauquotidien.org/FR/display-saint/ccd31fdb-0d18-4a01-a19a-1b7b2649c764
Voir aussi : https://missionsetrangeres.com/eglises-asie/2015-06-10-pour-approfondir-breve-presentation-des-17-martyrs-du-laos/
