Profile
In 1790 the French Revolutionary authorities passed a law requiring priests to swear allegience to the civil constitution, which would effectively remove them from the authority of, and allegience to, Rome. Many refused, and in 1791 the government began deporting them to French Guyana. 827 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. There they were basically ignored to death as there was little provision for food and water, less for sanitation, and none at all for medical help. 542 of the prisoners died there.
The survivors were freed on 12 February 1795 and allowed to return to their homes. Many of them wrote about their time on the hulks, and many of them wrote about the faith and ministry of those who had died. 64 of them have been positively identified and confirmed to have died as martyrs, dying for their faith –
- Blessed Antoine Auriel
- Blessed Antoine Bannassat
- Blessed Augustin-Joseph Desgardin
- Blessed Barthélemy Jarrige de La Morelie de Biars
- Blessed Charles-Antoine-Nicolas Ancel
- Blessed Charles-Arnould Hanus
- Blessed Charles-René Collas du Bignon
- Blessed Claude Beguignot
- Blessed Claude Dumonet
- Blessed Claude Laplace
- Blessed Claude Richard
- Blessed Claude-Barnabé Laurent de Mascloux
- Blessed Claude-Joseph Jouffret de Bonnefont
- Blessed Élie Leymarie de Laroche
- Blessed Florent Dumontet de Cardaillac
- Blessed François d’Oudinot de la Boissière
- Blessed François François
- Blessed François Hunot
- Blessed François Mayaudon
- Blessed Gabriel Pergaud
- Blessed Georges-Edme René
- Blessed Gervais-Protais Brunel
- Blessed Jacques Gagnot
- Blessed Jacques Lombardie
- Blessed Jacques Retouret
- Blessed Jacques-Morelle Dupas
- Blessed Jean Baptiste Guillaume
- Blessed Jean Bourdon
- Blessed Jean Hunot
- Blessed Jean Mopinot
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste de Bruxelles
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste Duverneuil
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste Laborie du Vivier
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste Menestrel
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste Souzy
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste-Ignace-Pierre Vernoy de Montjournal
- Blessed Jean-Baptiste-Xavier Loir
- Blessed Jean-François Jarrige de la Morelie de Breuil
- Blessed Jean-Georges Rehm
- Blessed Jean-Nicolas Cordier
- Blessed Joseph Imbert
- Blessed Joseph Juge de Saint-Martin
- Blessed Joseph Marchandon
- Blessed Lazare Tiersot
- Blessed Louis-Armand-Joseph Adam
- Blessed Louis-François Lebrun
- Blessed Louis-Wulphy Huppy
- Blessed Marcel-Gaucher Labiche de Reignefort
- Blessed Michel-Bernard Marchand
- Blessed Michel-Louis Brulard
- Blessed Nicolas Savouret
- Blessed Nicolas Tabouillot
- Blessed Noël-Hilaire Le Conte
- Blessed Paul-Jean Charles
- Blessed Philippe Papon
- Blessed Pierre Gabilhaud
- Blessed Pierre Jarrige de la Morelie de Puyredon
- Blessed Pierre-Joseph le Groing de la Romagère
- Blessed Pierre-Michel Noël
- Blessed Pierre-Sulpice-Christophe Faverge
- Blessed Pierre-Yrieix Labrouhe de Laborderie
- Blessed Raymond Petiniaud de Jourgnac
- Blessed Scipion-Jérôme Brigeat Lambert
- Blessed Sébastien-Loup Hunot
Died
- between 19 May 1794 and 23 February 1795 aboard prison ships docked at Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France
Venerated
- 2 July 1994 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)
Beatified
- 1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Source: https://catholicsaints.info/martyrs-of-the-hulks-of-rochefort/?lcp_page0=2#lcp_instance_0
