August 27
Juan Bautista Souzy and 63 companions, martyrs (+1794)
Martyrs
Practical advice
Make the situation of someone deprived of liberty, sick or confined today more bearable through a visit, letter or authorized help.
Biography
Sixty-four French priests and religious died in 1794 for remaining faithful to the Church during the French Revolution. Led by Juan Bautista Souzy, they had rejected the oath contrary to their conscience and were sentenced to deportation. They remained crammed into prison ships anchored off Rochefort, in conditions of hunger, disease, filth and extreme cruelty. Even so, they discreetly organized the prayer, took care of the weakest and avoided responding with hatred. Many died between June and September; Their collective memory celebrates on August 27 those who turned that captivity into a community of charity and forgiveness.