Martyrs Of The Hulks Of Rochefort

Blessed Noëlhilaire Le Conte

Blessed

Post-Congregation

Feast Day

17-Aug

Born

3 October 1765 in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France

Died

17 August 1794 aboard the prison ship Deux-Associés, in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France

Beatified

1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II

Venerated

2 July 1994 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)

Biography

Blessed Noëlhilaire Le Conte, son of a gardener, dedicated his life to the service of God within the Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in the Diocese of Bourges, France, he served faithfully before assuming the role of Director of Music at the Cathedral of Bruges. His ministry was tragically interrupted by the violent anti-Catholic persecutions of the French Revolution. In 1793, during the height of the Terror, he was imprisoned on a decommissioned ship, or "hulk," anchored in the harbor of Rochefort, France. Alongside other clergy and faithful, he was deliberately abandoned on this vessel to perish, a fate he endured with unwavering faith. Blessed Noëlhilaire Le Conte