A Community of Love, Unity and Service

Blessed Bishop Ambrose Leblanc

Bishop Ambrose Leblanc was a prelate and missionary whose truly Franciscan life brings greathonor and gives serious inspiration to his beloved Order. Born in 1884, he was the descendant ofa deported Acadian family, which later assembled with some fifty others of the exiles, to populatethe newly erected parish of Saint Jacques de Montcalm, Quebec. His pious mother, during anepidemic, lost three of her four children in infancy or early childhood, but saved Adolph, as hewas then called, by a vow she made to give him to the Franciscans if he survived. Admirable andgenerous parents, the Leblancs were known for their charity to the poor. They adopted andraised eleven girls, nine of whom became religious. Their unique little boy was already “sayingMass” at a tender age, and making up little sermons for his sisters.

When this cherished son entered religion in 1906, he chose the Franciscan Order, and five yearslater was ordained a priest. One of his brothers in religion said of him: “He made constantprogress in virtue; to the gentleness of his manners and the excellent education he received athome and in the seminary, he added concern for perfection and a lively ardor for intellectuallabors. On the day of his ordination in July of 1911, he already had a priestly mentality, with noother desire than to immolate himself with Christ.”

He soon was destined for the formation of youth; already he had played an important role in thebeginnings of his nine sisters’ consecration to God. He was a Supervisor for two years in theSeraphic College of Montreal, then director of the same at Three Rivers; he was Master ofNovices in Montreal for seven years, then Definitor or Provincial Counselor until 1927. Hebecame the first Franciscan Provincial when the Province of Saint Joseph was erected in Canada,and remained in charge for six years, then in 1936 left for the missions of Japan, as ecclesiasticalSuperior. When he came back to Canada after gaining firsthand knowledge of the situation, herecommended the transfer of the prefecture to Tokyo.

He returned to Japan in 1939 as Apostolic Prefect to the Prefecture of Urawa. The Japaneseemperor had permitted the Church’s establishment on condition the direction soon be confided tonative-born Japanese, and in October of 1940 fifteen foreign bishops resigned. The two prefectsnonetheless remained in Tokyo. For a year they were not disturbed, but finally all religious wereimprisoned in a concentration camp. During this time the Franciscan Superior was occupied likeeveryone else with garden work, washing floors, and all menial tasks. There were 30 to 40priests in the camp for two years; a Japanese bishop came to give orders that only one should sayMass each day, the others receive Communion. There were five or six bottles of wine at theirdisposition during those two years. Bishop Leblanc said to the priests: “A priest has the right tosay his Mass every day. Each of you, go ahead and say your Mass every day!” And never didthe wine run out. The prisoners considered this a miracle, however sparing the use of theavailable wine may have been.

Never did their Superior lose his smile. “Never was there a word of discouragement, criticism orimpatience! He was always of an even temper and with a sincere smile.” One day, back inCanada, he himself would say: “My life has been a perpetual enchantment.” He would labor inQuebec for the spread of devotion to the Virgin of the Smile, who cured little Saint Thérèse ofthe Child Jesus when her sisters, having lost hope, cried out to their Heavenly Mother for aid. Hepropagated replicas of the beautiful statue, now known to every Catholic of the Province ofQuebec. At the Montreal Chapel Les Buissonnets, named in honor of the home of the LittleFlower in Lisieux, the 13^th day of every month was consecrated to devotions to the Virgin of theSmile, under the direction of Bishop Leblanc.

Finally there came for the Bishop “the most beautiful day of my life.” As he had composed apoem hymning Thérèse and her invitation to heroic sacrifice, he also wrote an inspiring pageaddressed to the future day of his death, in which his ardor and love of God overflowed. Here isan extract of this beautiful text: “O blessed day, for me you will have the charm of my FirstMass. Until now, as a priest, I have been the sacrificer and Jesus the divine Victim. On the dayof my death, I will be the victim, and Jesus the Sacrificer... You will be sweeter than the day ofmy birth, more joyous than the day of my Baptism, greater than the day of my First Communion,more memorable than the day I received the habit, more solemn than the day of my Profession,more beautiful than the day of my Ordination, more grandiose than that of my First Mass! Oblessed Sister Death, do not delay; give me the kiss of departure; lead me to my God, to my Jesuswhom I cherish, whom I love... O you who have known me, do not look for me among thedead; I am going to the land of the living! ...Rejoice with me, sing with me the mercies of theLord, ending in a cry of gratitude the Te Deum which I will intone when I expire!”

Bishop Leblanc was in an automobile accident on the evening of February 13, 1959, when hisdriver lost control of the car on a slippery road. He expired in the ambulance which transportedhim to the hospital. Those who loved him could not but rejoice with him, on this most beautifulday of his life.

St. Catherine of Ricci

Alexandrina of Ricci was the daughter of a noble Florentine. At the age of thirteen she enteredthe Third Order of Saint Dominic in the monastery of Prato, taking in religion the name ofCatherine, in honor of her patron and predecessor of Siena. Her special attraction was to thePassion of Christ, in which she was permitted miraculously to participate. During the Lent of1541, being then twenty-one years of age, she had a vision of the crucifixion so heartrending thatshe was prostrated and confined to bed for three weeks, and was only restored on Holy Saturday,by an apparition of Saint Mary Magdalene and the risen Jesus.

During twelve years Saint Catherine passed every Friday in ecstasy. She received the sacredstigmata, the wound in the left side, and the crown of thorns. All these favors gave her continualand intense suffering, and inspired her with a loving sympathy for the yet more bitter tortures ofthe Holy Souls. In their behalf she offered all her prayers and penances; and her charity towardthem became so famous throughout Tuscany that after every death the friends of the deceasedhastened to Catherine to secure her prayers.

Saint Catherine offered many prayers, fasts, and penances for a certain great man, and therebyobtained his salvation. It was revealed to her that he was nonetheless in purgatory; and such washer love of Jesus crucified that she offered to suffer all the pains which would be inflicted on thatsoul. Her prayer was granted. The soul entered heaven, and for forty days Catherine sufferedindescribable agonies. Her body was covered with blisters, emitting heat so great that her cellseemed on fire. Her flesh appeared as if roasted, and her tongue like red-hot iron. She remainedcalm and joyful, saying, “I long to suffer all imaginable pains, that souls may quickly see andpraise their Redeemer.” She conversed with the Saints in glory, and frequently with Saint PhilipNeri at Rome without ever leaving her convent at Prato. She died, amid angels’ songs, in 1590.

St. Valentine

Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who assisted the martyrs during the persecution underClaudius II. His great virtue and influence became known, and he was apprehended and broughtbefore the emperor’s tribunal. “Why, Valentine, do you want to be the friend of our enemies andreject our friendship?” The Christian priest replied, “My Lord, if you knew the gift of God, youwould be happy, and your empire with you; you would reject the cult of your idols and wouldadore the true God and His Son Jesus Christ.” One of the judges interrupted, asking the martyrwhat he thought of Jupiter and Mercury. “That they were miserable, and spent all their lives indebauchery and crime!” The judge, furious, cried, “He has blasphemed against the gods andagainst the empire!” The emperor nonetheless continued his questioning with curiosity, pleased tohave this opportunity to know what Christians thought. Valentine had the courage to exhort himto do penance for the blood of Christians which he had shed. “Believe in Jesus Christ, bebaptized and you will be saved, and already in this life you will insure your empire’s glory and thetriumph of your arms.” Claudius began to be convinced, and said to those in attendance, “Hearthe beautiful doctrine this man is teaching us!” But the prefect of Rome, dissatisfied, cried out,“See how this Christian is seducing our prince!” Claudius, weakening, abandoned the holy priestto another judge.

This man, named Asterius, had a little girl who had been blind for two years. Hearing of JesusChrist, the Light of the world, he asked Valentine if he could convey that light to his child. SaintValentine placed his hand on her eyes and prayed: “Lord Jesus Christ, true Light, illuminate thisblind child!” The child saw, and the Judge with all his family confessed Christ and receivedBaptism. The emperor, hearing of this, would have turned his gaze away from these conversions,but fear caused him to betray his sense of justice. With several other Christians Saint Valentinewas tortured and martyred in the year 268.

This illustrious martyr has always been held in great honor in Rome, where there still exists acatacomb named for him.

St. Faustinus

Faustinus and Jovita were brothers, nobly born, and were zealous professors of the Christianreligion, which they preached without fear in their city of Brescia in Lombardy, during thepersecution of Adrian. Their remarkable zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, andprocured them a glorious death for their faith.

Faustinus, a priest, and Jovita, a deacon, were preaching the Gospel fearlessly in the region whenJulian, a pagan officer, apprehended them. They were commanded to adore the sun, but repliedthat they adored the living God who created the sun to give light to the world. The statue beforewhich they were standing was brilliant and surrounded with golden rays. Saint Jovita, looking atit, cried out: “Yes, we adore the God reigning in heaven, who created the sun. And you, vainstatue, turn black, to the shame of those who adore you!” At his word, it turned black. TheEmperor commanded that it be cleaned, but the pagan priests had hardly begun to touch it whenit fell into ashes.

The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those cameout and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels broughtthem strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a largenumber of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they kneltdown and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons andpossesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

St. Jovita

Faustinus and Jovita were brothers, nobly born, and were zealous professors of the Christianreligion, which they preached without fear in their city of Brescia in Lombardy, during thepersecution of Adrian. Their remarkable zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, andprocured them a glorious death for their faith.

Faustinus, a priest, and Jovita, a deacon, were preaching the Gospel fearlessly in the region whenJulian, a pagan officer, apprehended them. They were commanded to adore the sun, but repliedthat they adored the living God who created the sun to give light to the world. The statue beforewhich they were standing was brilliant and surrounded with golden rays. Saint Jovita, looking atit, cried out: “Yes, we adore the God reigning in heaven, who created the sun. And you, vainstatue, turn black, to the shame of those who adore you!” At his word, it turned black. TheEmperor commanded that it be cleaned, but the pagan priests had hardly begun to touch it whenit fell into ashes.

The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those cameout and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels broughtthem strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a largenumber of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they kneltdown and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons andpossesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

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