On Memorial of “Apostle of Mauritius” Blessed Jacques Laval, Catholic Bishop Calls for Rekindling of Hope

Port Louis, 10 September, 2025 / 10:08 PM

September 9, the death anniversary of the passing on of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval known as the “Apostle of Mauritius”, the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Port Louis in Mauritius has called on the people of God in the Indian Ocean Island nation to rekindle hope amid challenges.

In his homily on Monday, September 8, the eve of the Memorial of the French-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans/CSSp.), who passed on 9 September 1864, Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône called upon Mauritians to participate in the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, following the example of Blessed Laval, whom he described as a “pilgrim of hope.”

“This year, 2025, we are celebrating Père Laval Pilgrimage in the Jubilee year that Pope Francis launched on December 24, 2024, in Rome. In our Diocese, we want to live this Jubilee year with Père Laval, who is also a pilgrim of hope,” Bishop Durhône said.

He added, “Hope will come when we take the time to listen, when we share our suffering, and when we allow Christ to open our hearts, as he did with the disciples at Emmaus.”

“With Blessed Laval, we live as pilgrims of hope,” the Local Ordinary of Port Louis Diocese said, and referring to Romans 5:3-5, added, “We know that our suffering brings perseverance. Perseverance brings resistance. Resistance brings hope. And the hope that we receive will not disappoint us, because the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”

On September 9, tens of thousands of pilgrims of different faiths participate in the annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Blessed Laval at the Shrine in Sainte-Croix, Mauritius’ most important religious site.

It is the anniversary of the passing on of the Spiritan Priest venerated in Mauritius for his dedicated service to the poor, the ill, and the formerly enslaved. His shrine is a central point for spiritual reflection and intercession.

In his September 8 homily, Bishop Durhône reminded pilgrims that Blessed Laval’s mission was rooted in communion, unity, and empowerment of the poor.

“When Father Laval listens to a former slave, he makes him feel confident. You learn to organize yourself to get out of misery. Father Laval visits the sick, the prisoners, prepares families for sacraments, trains Catechists, and raises lay leaders,” he said.

Linking the pilgrimage to the Jubilee of the Poor, Bishop Durhône urged the Church in Mauritius to listen to the cries of today’s suffering families.

“The Church must stand close to parents suffering because of drugs, to prisoners seeking reintegration, and to young people searching for meaning,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader continued, “Sometimes, children under the influence of drugs kill their parents or rape their parents. The house must give hope to parents who suffer. Courage to mothers, fathers, families, who do not give up and continue to fight to raise children in this suffering.”

“The Jubilee must be the occasion of an impulse with renewed passion. Let’s take care of the young, the students, the engaged, the young generations. They are the joy and hope of the Church and the world,” Bishop Durhône said.

The Catholic Bishop further emphasized that education remains a foundation for hope in the country’s future.

“Hope for our country is in the education of our children. The Church wants to collaborate with the State and educators to ensure that Mauritian children can read and write when they finish grade 6. We must abolish automatic promotion at the end of grade 4. Our children are the real treasure of the nation, more precious than stones or natural resources,” he said.

Bishop Durhône expressed hope that Blessed Laval, already venerated as the patron saint of Mauritius and the Indian Ocean, might one day be canonized by the universal Church.

“In the Diocese of Port-Louis, we will soon launch the process for the canonization of Blessed Laval. We believe that Blessed Laval is already a saint for our region, but we hope one day he will also be a saint for the universal Church,” the Catholic Bishop said.

Born in France in September 1803, Blessed Laval abandoned his career as a medical doctor and dedicated his life to serve the ill and the poor people in Mauritius as a missionary from 1841 to the time of his death on 9 September 1864.

He was beatified on 29 April 1979, becoming the first Frenchman to be beatified by Pope St. John Paul II and the first Spiritan to be proclaimed as Blessed.