Father Ladislas Radigue (1823–1871) grew up in Normandy and pursued his vocation to the priesthood at the College of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. For 20 years he trained novices and was elected prior of the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, where he and his fellow priests were arrested on April 12, 1871.
Father Polycarpe Tuffier
Father Polycarpe Tuffier (1807–1871) was sent to the fathers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a child and made his religious vows at the age of 16. He became the procurator of the congregation, taught philosophy, and then worked at several colleges in Belgium as a religious brother before being ordained a priest and serving as the congregation’s secretary general.
Father Frézal Tardieu
Father Frézal Tardieu (1814–1871), born in Lozère in southern France, made his vows in 1839. When he was a director of the novitiate of Vaugirard, he was sent to Louvain in Belgium before becoming a general council of the congregation. He is remembered for his compassion and humility. He was known for saying “It is better to talk to God than to talk about God.”
Father Marcellan Rouchouze
Father Marcellan Rouchouze (1810–1871) was born in the Loire region of France the first of three children, all of whom became religious of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts. He took his vows in 1837 but did not become a priest until the age of 42 after meeting St. John Vianney, who told him, “My son, you must be a priest! The good Lord has great plans for you.”
Cardinal Semeraro said in his homily during the beatification Mass that these men were “massacred by the violent madness of the revolutionaries.”
The cardinal added that the event also serves as “a warning for today.” He said that even though the good “may seem to be defeated by abuse and cunning, in reality, it continues to work in silence and in discretion, bearing fruit in the long term.”
“Such is the Christian social renewal, founded on the transformation of consciences, on moral formation [and] on prayer,” Semeraro said.
The ceremony took place amid security precautions to ensure the safety of attendees because of violence that erupted when Catholics tried to honor the martyrs almost two years earlier. When Catholics held a procession in Paris on May 29, 2021, to honor the victims on the 150th anniversary of the massacre, the group faced violent backlash from counter-demonstrators. About 50 people ultimately blocked the procession from moving forward and forced organizers to run into a church for shelter.
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Tyler Arnold is a staff reporter for the National Catholic Register. He previously worked at The Center Square and has been published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative and The Federalist.
Zelda Caldwell is News Editor at Catholic News Agency based in Washington, DC. She previously worked for Aleteia, as News and Culture editor.