Père Jean-Marie Biler
SERVITEUR DE DIEU
Martyr de la charité
Mort à Shreveport le 26 septembre 1873
en prenant soin des victimes de l’épidémie de la fièvre jaune.
Né à Plourivo en Bretagne (France) le 18 novembre 1839.
Ordonné à Saint-Brieuc en France le 17 décembre 1864.
Prêtre dans la paroisse de Caddo.
Mort à Shreveport le 26 septembre 1873
LA BIOGRAPHIE
Fr.
Jean-Marie Biler fut ordonné prêtre pour le diocèse de Saint-Brieuc, fondé au V° siècle. Quatre ans après son ordination, en janvier 1871, il accepta avec joie de suivre Mgr Martin en Louisiane. P. Biler, proche parent de Mère Marie-Hyacinthe, supérieure du couvent et du noviciat des Filles de la Croix et de l’école des filles à Fairfield, devint aumônier de ces deux institutions. Après des débuts difficiles en Louisiane en raison de sa difficulté à apprendre l’anglais, il se donna pleinement à sa mission de prêtre et répondit généreusement aux attentes de sa communauté d’adoption qui serait bientôt plonger dans une situation de crise.
Le P. Biler, prêt à donner sa vie pour son prochain et pour les habitants de Shreveport, répondit aussitôt à l’appel du P. Pierre, curé de Shreveport. Celui-ci avait contracté le virus et était entré en quarantaine avec les malades et les mourants. Le P. Biler donna les derniers sacrements au P. Quémerais et au P. Pierre et bénit leurs sépultures.
Il célébrait la messe à Shreveport et au couvent et bien qu’il fût le seul prêtre, il se dévoua totalement auprès de plus de 900 personnes malades ou mourantes. Il ne prit pas soin simplement de leurs corps mais répondit également à leurs besoins spirituels. En éloignant les âmes des affres de la mort, il les conduisait avec confiance vers la vie éternelle. Par son engagement charitable et désintéressé, il contracta lui-même cette maladie mortelle.
Au plus fort de la crise, parce qu’il prévoyait sa mort et les besoins des habitants, le P.Biler supplia le P. Gergaud à Monroe et le P. Le Vézouët à Natchitoches de lui envoyer de l’aide. Le P.Le Vézouët administra les derniers sacrements au .P Biler qui sur son lit de mort prononça ces mots en anglais, français et Breton :
I am going to Heaven!
Je vais au Ciel!
Chan d’or Baradoz!
Il mourut le 26 septembre 1873 à l’âge de 33 ans. Il est enterré avec les Filles de la Croix au mausolée du cimetière de Forest Park à Shreveport.
Prière pour la béatification du Serviteur de Dieu Jean-Marie Biler
Dieu tout-puissant et miséricordieux, tu as donné au P. Jean-Marie Biler la grâce de s’abandonner à ta sainte volonté. Inspiré et animé par la charité, sachant que cela le conduirait à une mort prématurée, il entra en quarantaine pour donner les sacrements et prodiguer des soins aux habitants, à l’exemple du Christ. Il aida son prochain sans distinction de croyance, de race ou de condition au cours d’une virulente épidémie en lui offrant l’espérance de la vie éternelle.
Accorde-moi la grâce d’aimer mon prochain d’un amour ardent et de faire pleinement confiance à ta divine providence comme le fit ce martyr de la charité. Si telle est ta volonté, Seigneur, glorifie notre bien-aimé Serviteur de Dieu P. Jean-Marie en m’accordant la grâce que je te demande aujourd’hui (préciser votre intention) de telle sorte qu’à notre prière et par son intercession, tous puissent connaître ses vertus héroïques et sa sainteté et puissent imiter son amour pour toi et ton Église. Par Jésus-Christ Notre-Seigneur. Amen. (Notre Père – Je vous salue Marie – Gloire à Dieu).
In 2023, the city of Shreveport will mark the 150th anniversary of the third-worst epidemic of Yellow Fever in United States history. The human toll was staggering: over one-quarter of the population died from the illness within a matter of weeks. The human suffering wrought in 1873 remains unparalleled to this day. Yet amid this tragedy emerged heroic virtue, exemplified in the lives of five priests who voluntarily and freely offered their life for others and persevered with this determination unto death.
Official bio sent to the Congregation
for the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican
Fr. Jean-Marie Biler was the third priest to succumb to Yellow Fever in Shreveport. A native of Plourivo, Brittany, France, he was born on November 18, 1839 to Joseph and Anne Biler. Sacramental records of that village attest to his baptism two days later. He attended the Seminary at St. Brieuc, and was ordained a priest on December 17, 1864. He came to Louisiana in January of 1871 with Bishop Auguste Martin following the First Vatican Council, during which time Bishop Martin made another recruitment effort through his native Brittany. Fr. Biler was a cousin of Mother Mary Hyacinth of the Daughters of the Cross Fairfield Convent. Her correspondence speaks to a dramatic conversion of his heart and mind in his newfound mission field of Louisiana, including his initial displeasure at being in Louisiana, his difficulty in learning the English language and, ultimately, his decision to commit himself fully to the call of his ministry and to respond selflessly to the needs of the community in crisis.
Fr. Biler answered the call of Fr. Pierre to attend the sick and dying in Shreveport from his residence three miles away at the Fairfield convent, and it was Fr. Biler who was present to provide the final Sacraments to both Fr. Quémerais (died September 15) and Fr. Pierre (died September 16). Fr. Biler contracted the same deadly illness shortly afterward, and initially, appeared to be recovering, during which time he was able to continue offering Mass for the convent. At this point, he was the sole Catholic priest, and one of the very few healthy-enough religious of any stripe, to minister to more than 900 sick and dying persons. Yet, it is documented that he remained intently devoted to ministering to the sick and rested only when he had collapsed, working often until past the midnight hour of each day.
He also sent a plea for more assistance to two priests of the diocese in areas yet unaffected by the epidemic: to Fr. Louis Gergaud at St. Matthew’s in Monroe, approximately 100 miles to the east, and Fr. Francois LeVezouet, a priest of Natchitoches, approximately 80 miles to the south. Upon receipt of the message, Fr. Gergaud in Monroe immediately, albeit briefly, responded by wire to Fr. Biler: “am leaving by stage coach this evening.” Fr. Gergaud arrived in Shreveport on September 20 and assumed the role of caregiver and priest. Soon after, Fr. LeVezouet also arrived from Natchitoches, and was the one to administer the final Sacraments to Fr. Jean-Marie Biler who died on September 26.
Of Fr. Biler, Bishop Martin wrote to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith:
“This excellent priest, 35 years old, from the diocese of St. Brieuc, had been in our mission only two-and-half years. He had given up everything in Brittany, through the entreaties of Rev. Mother Le Conniat, his relative, to dedicate himself to this establishment to which it was impossible for me to provide a priest. At the first news of the illness of his confreres, he went to them, appointed himself their guardian, assisted them in their final moments and blessed their tombs. Left alone at the height of the plague, he called upon the charity of Messrs. Gergaud and Le Vezouet. The first arrived only a few days later to see him fall in his turn, and to provide him with the consolations which he had given to the others at the expense of his own precious life.”