St James Berthieu, priest and martyr [SJ] Outside SJ churches seasonal weekday. Texts in the Jesuit Supplement (Download here)
Memorial
Mass of the memorial; preface of Ascension I - II or Easter I - V or of the saint.
Cycle I
[299] Acts 20:28-38;Ps 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab; John 17:11b-19.
Hours of the memorial
On this day in our Jesuit history...
Blessed James Berthieu, S.J. of Madagascar is listed in the RM. His Jesuit feast is February 4.
Saint James Berthieu, Priest and Martyr (Memorial)
James Berthieu (1838-1896) was born in the Auvergne, France. He joined the Society in 1873 after ten years as a diocesan priest. Before the end of his novitiate he was appointed to the missions in Madagascar. In 1885, he opened a mission at Ambrositra, and eventually founded eighteen mission stations. In 1895, owing to the Malagasy rebellion against the French, Berthieu was leading a convoy of about 2,000 Catholics to a safe place. On 8 June 1896, he was captured by a band of insurgents, was tortured, and shot to death.
1649
The death of Vincent Caraffa, Seventh General of the Society. At a season of great scarcity Father Caraffa daily for two months fed l,000 poor persons at the door of the Professed House, the Gesu.
1649
The death of Vincenzo Caraffa, seventh superior general of the Society.
1773
At Bologna the Jesuit Scholastics were kept prisoners at the seminary villa, for refusing to lay aside the habit of the Society.
1809
The cornerstone of old St. Patrick Church in New York City is laid by Anton Kohlmann, S.J.
1862
Japanese martyrs, Paul Miki, John de Goto, James Kisai, are canonized.
1889
Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. dies, age 45, in Dublin. His final words were "I am so happy, so happy." He had written earlier: "I would wish that my pieces could at some time become known but in some spontaneous way... and without my forcing."
1889
The death of the jesuit poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins in Dublin at the age of 45.
1972
Laurence Gillick, blind, enters the Jesuits as a brother candidate. He is later ordained a priest, and is a tertian instructor.
1979
Joseph F. Wulftange, S.J. dies Teacher - Lonergan/Rahner expert.
2020
Fr. Arturo Sosa, as Superior General, announced the creation of a new Jesuit Province in Africa, the Province of Southern Africa (SAP). It brings together the present territories of the dependent Region of South Africa, the Province of Zimbabwe-Mozambique and the Province of Zambia-Malawi. The countries where the Jesuits work in this new Province are the Republic of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The decree takes effect on 25 March 2021.
