Feast of St. John Gabriel Perboyre, C.M.
“Then Jesus appeared to them and said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go therefore, and make disciples from all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to fulfill all that I have commanded you. I am with you always until the end of this world.” (Mt 28:18-20)
The month of September is a very significant month for the Vincentian Family because this is the month we celebrate the feast of many Saints & Blessed of the Vincentian family, especially the Solemnity of St. Vincent de Paul, our holy founder. I am writing a short article about St. John Gabriel C.M., whose feast we celebrate on September 11th. Let’s learn more about him and be inspired by his life.
John Gabriel was born in Le Puech, France, in the Diocese of Cahors on January 6th, 1802, and was baptized on the following day. The work of young John Gabriel showed love for the mission of Jesus Christ. Fr. Jacques C.M., the uncle of John Gabriel, discovered John Gabriel’s vocation to the priesthood in 1816, when John Gabriel was 15 years old. He wrote a letter to his father about his desire & intent to become a priest. John Gabriel had the happiness of being ordained a priest on 23rd September 1826, the day of the anniversary of the ordination of St. Vincent, he offered his first Mass at the Chapel of the Mother House of the Daughters of Charity: at the same altar where four years later, the Holy Virgin will give the visions of the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine. Fr. John Gabriel was very much interested in missionary work among the people. His classmates were sent to China in 1833 and 1835, but he didn’t get the chance because of his poor health. Finally, Fr. John Gabriel reached Macau, China, on August 29th, 1835, after about five months at sea. Although Fr. John Gabriel faced hardships and difficulties in becoming a missionary in China, he succeeded in working in the Lord’s vineyard there.
We all know that when we follow Christ, we are called to take up our Cross or our suffering. An incident happened to Fr. John Gabriel in 1839. He made his annual retreat in September and prepared to resume his missionary labors. However, some soldiers attacked him and some other missionaries. Many of them escaped, but as we see in the life of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, the traitor, handed Jesus over; similarly, in the life of Fr. John Gabriel, a catechumen who, for the offer of 30 ounces of silver, revealed the hiding place of the father. Fr. John Gabriel was persecuted by the soldiers. It was like Jesus’s suffering; Fr. John Gabriel had suffered a lot, and with this suffering, he died on the Cross on September 11th, 1840. The martyrdom of Fr. John Gabriel bears many a resemblance to the passion and death of our Lord. The decree of the martyr’s beatification was approved on May 30th, 1889, by Pope Leo XIII, and in the same year, on November 10th, he was publicly enrolled among the Blessed. Pope John Paul II, on June 2nd, 1996, elevated him to the Communion of Saints within the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church.
My dear VMY members, it is a great joy for us that we have received a great Saint in the Vincentian Family who inspires us to become missionaries in the vineyard of the Lord. Despite facing problems, hardships, and persecution, St. John Gabriel made a firm commitment to become a great missionary. He proved that everything is possible in the sight of God and that missionary zeal encourages each VMY member to love the mission of Christ. As members of the VMY Association, we have the ability to help, love, and serve each other. St. John Gabriel is a great model for us. His missionary journey was not easy; instead, it was difficult and challenging, but he faced the challenges in faith. St. John Gabriel’s message gives us the strength to adapt to any situation and face any problems as we are members of the VMY. We play an important role in our community. Let St. John Gabriel intercede for us so that we can fulfill our mission in the Lord’s vineyard.
Fr. Seberian Bibekananda Singh, CM
National Priest Advisor of VMY India