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Also known as: Claudius;
Claudius de la Columbiere; Claude
Memorial: 15 February
Profile
French nobility who felt a call to religious life from an early age.
Educated at Jesuit college in Lyons, France. Priest. Taught humanities at
Avignon. Studied in Paris. Tutor. Preached against Jansenism, advocating
dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesuit in 1659. Spiritual
director of Saint Margaret Mary of Alocoque.
Chaplain to Mary Beatrice d'Este, the Duchess of York, he converted many
Protestants through the example of his holy life. Due to rumors of
"Popish" plots against the king and the reestablishment Catholicism,
Claude was imprisoned, accused of being part of the Titus Oates Plot. It
was only by the efforts of Louis XIV, who had recommended him for the
assignment, that he was not martyred. Banished from England. His health
was ruined by prison, and he returned to Paray to die. The day after his
death in 1682, Saint Margaret received supernatural assurance that Claude
La Colombiere needed no prayers, as he was in already heaven. He is
considered a "dry" martyr, having suffered every abuse for the faith but
death.
Born: 2 February 1641 at Grenoble, France
Died: 15 February 1682 at Paray-le-Monial of hemoptysis (coughing up
blood)
Beatified: 16 June 1929
by Pope Pius XI
Canonized: 31 May 1992 by Pope John Paul II in Rome
Name Meaning: lame one
Patronage: toy makers, turners
Readings
The past three centuries allow us to evaluate the importance of the
message which was entrusted to Claude. In a period of contrasts between
the fervor of some and the indifference or impiety of many, here is a
devotion centered on the humility of Christ, on his presence, on his love
of mercy and on forgiveness. Devotion to the Heart of Christ would be a
source of balance and spiritual strengthening for Christian communities so
often faced with increasing unbelief over the coming centuries.
- Pope John Paul II, during the canonization of Saint Claude
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