Saint Jacques Berthieu

Life story

Jacques Berthieu was born on 27 November 1838 at Polminhac in Cantal, Auvergne, France, into a Christian farming family. He studied at the seminary of Saint-Flour and was ordained a priest for that diocese in 1864. About nine years later, in 1873, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Pau.

In 1875 he sailed from Marseille for Réunion and the island of Sainte-Marie off Madagascar, where he learned Malagasy. From 1881, French law barred Jesuits from French territories, so he moved to Madagascar itself. He worked in several places, including the Fianarantsoa highlands, at Ambositra from 1886, and later at Anjozorofady-Ambatomainty.

From late 1894 to 1895 the Menalamba ('red shawl') uprising targeted both the French and Christians. Father Berthieu led a group of believers toward Antananarivo and stopped at the village of Ambohibemasoandro. On 8 June 1896 the Menalamba entered the village and found him hiding in the house of a Protestant friend. He was killed that day at Ambiatibe, about 50 km north of Antananarivo, by a shot at close range after several misses. His body was dragged to the Mananara River and never recovered.

Pope Paul VI beatified him on 17 October 1965, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized him on 21 October 2012. His feast is 8 June.

Works and witness

• Ordained for the diocese of Saint-Flour in 1864
• Entered the Jesuits in 1873; sailed to Réunion and Sainte-Marie in 1875
• Worked in Madagascar from 1881, at Ambositra from 1886
• Seized during the Menalamba uprising and killed on 8 June 1896
• Beatified in 1965 and canonized in 2012

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

• Jesuits Global: 'Saint Jacques Berthieu' (jesuits.global/saint-blessed/saint-jacques-berthieu)
• America Magazine (29 October 2012): 'New Jesuit Saint'

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.