On the open sea off the coast of Rochefort in France, in the squalor of a ship lying at anchor, the blessed martyrs John Baptist de Souzy, priest, and Ulric (John Baptist) Guillaume, a Brother of the Christian Schools, who, while persecution raged against the Church, were inhumanely imprisoned and, stricken by hunger and grievous disease, died for Christ.
Lifespan: †1794
Beatified: 1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Memoria liturgica: 27 August
It seemed that they died; their departure from us was thought to be a disaster, but they are in peace (cf. Wis 3:2–3)
The French Revolution had great merits in shaping the political, moral, and social formation of the modern era, but like all revolutions — which in some measure presuppose a violent overthrow of the classes in power by the insurgents — it left behind a sea of blood, unjust deaths, crimes, and violence.
The Catholic Church, which in every revolution that has occurred in the world since her origins has been obliged to pay a tribute of blood, had in this one as well innumerable martyrs, put to death for the sole fact of being religious.
The Constituent Assembly in 1789, having confiscated all ecclesiastical property and suppressed religious institutes, decreed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, by which bishops and parish priests were to be elected by popular vote, and imposing upon the clergy the oath of adherence to that Constitution; some complied (the juring clergy) and some refused (the refractory clergy).
The Legislative Assembly, which came to power, turned ferociously against the refractory clergy, massacring some three hundred bishops and priests by 1792. The National Convention, which succeeded it, issued decrees of deportation against the refractory clergy, requiring voluntary surrender under pain of death; 2,412 priests and religious were thus affected, deported to three regions of France, of whom 829 were sent to La Rochelle (Rochefort). Among these last was John Baptist de Souzy, a priest of the Diocese of La Rochelle, born in that city on 24 March 1732, who had been appointed by the bishop as vicar general of the deportation; together with his fellow prisoners, he endured hardships of every kind, wretched living conditions, and cruel ill-treatment, for the intention was to eliminate them clandestinely.
He was imprisoned in 1794 at La Rochelle and, like the others, put on board ships that were then anchored off the Île d’Aix, in the Charente estuary; he died of privation, borne with heroic patience and steadfastness in faith, on 27 August 1794.
He was beatified together with 63 other companions in martyrdom — known as the Martyrs of the Hulks — for whom sufficient documentation could be gathered, by Pope John Paul II on 1 October 1995.
Their names are:
Diocese of La Rochelle
Jean-Baptiste SOUZY – Born at La Rochelle on 24 March 1732, priest of the Diocese of La Rochelle, appointed by the Bishop as vicar general of the deportation. Died 27 August 1794.
Diocese of Limoges
Antoine BANNASSAT – Born at Guéret on 20 May 1729, parish priest of Saint-Fiel (Creuse); died 18 August 1794.
Jean-Baptiste de BRUXELLES – Born at Saint-Léonard (Haute-Vienne) on 12 September 1734, canon of the collegiate church of Saint-Léonard; died 18 [month unclear in source] 1794.
Florent DUMONTET DE CARDAILLAC – Born on 18 February 1749 at Saint-Méard (Haute-Vienne), vicar general of Castres and almoner to the Countess of Provence; died the 5th of 1794.
Jean-Baptiste DUVERNEUIL – Born in 1737 (?) probably at Limoges, Carmelite of the convent of Angoulême; died 1 July 1794.
Pierre GABILHAUD – Born at Pont-Saint-Martin in July 1747, parish priest of Saint-Christophe (Creuse); died 13 August 1794.
Louis-Wulphy HUPPY – Born at Rue (Somme) on 1 April 1767, priest of the Diocese of Limoges; died 29 August 1794.
Barthélémy JARRIGE de LA MORELIE DE BIARS – Born on 18 March 1753 at Moutier (Haute-Vienne), Cluniac religious of the ancient observance; died 13 July 1794.
Jean-François JARRIGE de LA MORELIE DU BREUIL – Born at Saint-Yrieix (Haute-Vienne) on 11 January 1752, canon of Saint-Yrieix; died the 31st of 1794.
Pierre-Yrieix LABROUCHE de LABORDERIE – Born on 24 May 1756 at Saint-Yrieix (Haute-Vienne), canon of Saint-Yrieix; died 1 July 1794.
Claude-Barnabé LAURENT de MASCLOUX – Born on 11 June 1735 at Dorat (Haute-Vienne), canon of the collegiate church of Dorat; died the 7th of 1794.
Jacques LOMBARDIE – Born the 1st of 1737 at Limoges, parish priest of Saint-Hilaire-de-Foissac (Corrèze); died the 22nd of 1794.
Joseph MARCHANDON – Born on 21 August 1745 at Bénévent (Creuse), parish priest of Marsac (Creuse); died the 22nd of August 1794.
Diocese of Moulins
Paul-Jean CHARLES – Born on 29 September 1743 at Millery (Côte-d’Or), Cistercian monk of Sept-Fons; died 25 August 1794.
Augustin-Joseph DESGARDIN – Born on 21 December 1750 at Hénin-Liétard (Pas-de-Calais), Cistercian monk of Sept-Fons; died the 6th of 1794.
Pierre-Sulpice-Christophe FAVERGNE – Born in 1745 at Orléans, Brother of the Christian Schools at Moulins; died the 12th of 1794.
Joseph IMBERT – Born in 1719 or 1721, perhaps at Marseilles, Jesuit and subsequently a priest at Moulins; died the 9th of 1794.
Claude-Joseph JOUFFRET de BONNEFONT – Born on 23 December 1752 at Gannat (Allier), Sulpician, superior of the minor seminary of Autun; died 10 August 1794.
Claude LAPLACE – Born on 15 November 1725 at Bourbon-Lancy (Saône-et-Loire), vice-director of the episcopal tribunal of Moulins; died 14 September 1794.
Pierre-Joseph LEGROING de LA ROMAGÈRE – Born on 28 June 1752 at Saint-Sauvier (Allier), canon of the cathedral of Bourges; died 26 July 1794.
Jean-Baptiste-Xavier LOIR – Born on 11 March at Besançon, Capuchin of the convent of Petit-Forez at Lyon; died 19 May 1794.
Jean MOPINOT – Born on 12 December 1724 at Reims, Brother of the Christian Schools at Moulins; died 21 May 1794.
Philippe PAPON – Born on 5 October 1744 at Saint-Pourçain (Allier), parish priest of Contigny (Allier); died the 17th of 1794.
Nicolas SAVOURET – Born on 27 February 1733 at Jouvelle (Haute-Saône), Cordelier and director of the Poor Clares at Moulins; died the 16th of 1794.
Jean-Baptiste VERNOY de MONT-JOURNAL – Born on 17 November 1736 at Moulins, canon of the collegiate church of Moulins; died 1 January 1794.
Diocese of Rouen
Louis-Armand-Joseph ADAM – Born on 19 December 1741 at Rouen, Cordelier of the house of Rouen; died 13 July 1794.
Charles-Antoine-Nicolas ANCEL – Born on 11 October 1763 at Rouen, follower of Saint John Eudes, member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception at the College of Lisieux; died 29 July 1794.
Claude BEGUIGNOT – Born on 19 September 1736 at Langres (Haute-Marne), Carthusian of the house of Saint-Pierre-de-Quevilly, near Rouen; died 16 July 1794.
Jean BOURDON – Born on 3 April 1747 at Sées (Orne), Capuchin of the house of Sotteville, near Rouen; died 23 August 1794.
Michel-Bernard MARCHAND – Born on 28 February 1749 at Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), freed from the Diocese of Rouen; died 15 August 1794.
Diocese of Nancy
Gervais-Protais BRUNEL – Born on 18 June 1744 at Magnières (Meurthe-et-Moselle), Cistercian monk of the Trappist house of Mortagne (Orne); died 20 August 1794.
François FRANÇOIS – Born on 17 January 1749 at Nancy, Capuchin religious in various convents of Lorraine; died 10 August 1794.
Jacques GAGNOT – Born on 9 February 1753 at Frolois (Meurthe-et-Moselle), Carmelite of the convent of Nancy; died 10 September 1794.
Jean-Baptiste GUILLAUME – Born on 1 February 1755 at Fraisans (Doubs), Brother of the Christian Schools at Nancy; died 27 August 1794.
Jean-Georges RHEM – Born on 21 April 1752 at Katzenthal (Haut-Rhin), Dominican religious of the convent of Sélestat (Alsace); died 11 August 1794.
Claude RICHARD – Born on 19 May 1741 at Lerouville (Meuse), Benedictine religious at Moyenmoutier; died 9 August 1794.
Diocese of Sens-Auxerre
Jean HUNOT – Born on 21 September 1742 at Brienon-l’Archevêque (Yonne), canon of Brienon; died 7 October 1794.
Sébastien-Loup HUNOT – Born on 7 August 1745 at Brienon-l’Archevêque (Yonne), canon of Brienon; died 17 November 1794.
Lazare TIERSOT – Born on 29 March 1793 at Semur-en-Auxois, Carthusian of the charterhouse of Beaune (Côte-d’Or); died 10 August 1794.
Diocese of Verdun
Scipion-Jérôme BRIGEAT LAMBERT – Born the 9th of 1733 at Ligny (Meuse), vicar general and later dean of the chapter of Avranches; died the 4th of 1794.
Jean-Nicolas CORDIER – Born the 3rd of 1710 at Saint-André (Meuse), Jesuit, professor in various colleges and one of the religious superiors of Saint-Michel (Meuse); died 30 September 1794.
Nicolas TABOULLIOT – Born on 16 February 1745 at Bar-le-Duc (Meuse), parish priest of Méligny-le-Grand (Meuse); died 23 February 1795.
Diocese of Périgueux
Antoine, known as Constant, AURIEL – Born on 19 April 1764 at Pajolles (Lot), curate of Calviac and Sainte-Mondane (Lot); died 16 June 1794.
Élie LEYMARIE de LAROCHE – Born on 8 January 1758 at Annesse (Dordogne), prior of Coutras (Gironde); died 22 August 1794.
Diocese of Autun
Claude DUMONET – Born on 2 February 1747 at Prissé (Saône-et-Loire), professor at the college of Mâcon; died 13 September 1794. Canon of the cathedral of Mâcon, remained a deacon; died 27 September 1794.
Diocese of Saint-Brieuc
Gabriel PERGAUD – Born on 29 October 1752 at Saint-Priest-la-Plaine (Creuse), Augustinian canon regular (Genovefan), prior of the abbey of Beaulieu (Côtes-d’Armor); died 21 August 1794.
Diocese of Chartres
Michel-Louis BRULARD – Born on 11 June 1758 at Chartres, religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites of the house of Charenton, near Paris; died 25 July 1794.
Diocese of Bourges
Charles-René COLLAS du BIGNON – Born on 25 August 1743 at Mayenne (Mayenne), priest of the Society of Saint-Sulpice, superior of the minor seminary of Bourges; died 3 June 1794.
Diocese of Poitiers
Jacques-Morelle DUPAS – Born on 10 November 1754 at Ruffec (Charente), curate of Ruffec; died 21 January 1794.
Diocese of Saint-Dié
Jean-Baptiste MUNESTREL – Born on 5 December 1748 at Sérécourt (Vosges), canon of the chapter of Remiremont (Vosges); died 16 August 1794.
(Sources: santiebeati.it and imagomundi.biz)