Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval

Jacques-Désiré Laval (18 September 1803 – 9 September 1864) was a French Roman Catholic priest who served in the missions in Mauritius; he was a professed member from the Spiritans. He is known as the "Apostle of Mauritius" due to his tireless work in aiding the poor and ill. Laval also educated the flock he was assigned to for those people were uneducated and were former slaves for the most part. His skills in medicine made him a distinguished figure in the region since his expertise allowed him to tend to those who suffered illness that manifested more so during times of an epidemic. On 29 April 1979 he became the first beatified member of his religious order. Jacques-Désiré Laval was born on 18 September 1803 in Croth, the son of Jacques Laval, successful farmer. His parents had three daughters before him and hoped for a boy. He grew up in a pious household. His mother died when he was seven. His uncle Nicolas was a priest and oversaw his religious instruction. Laval was educated at Évreux and at the Collège Stanislas de Paris where he studied humanities. He was uncertain whether to pursue ecclesial studies for the priesthood or pursue the practice of medicine and he received his medical doctorate on 21 August 1830 before setting up a practice in Saint-André and Ivry-la-Bataille. His thesis that secured his doctorate was on rheumatoid arthritis. But he became more vain and was ignoring the spiritual things in life as he served in medicine from September 1830 to April 1834. He reexamined his choice after a near-fatal riding accident. Feeling he was called to the priesthood he closed his practice a few months later in 1834 and began his studies for the priesthood in Saint-Sulpice on 15 June 1835; he received his ordination on 22 December 1838 (from the Archbishop of Paris Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen) and worked as a parish priest until 1840. During his ecclesial studies he befriended François Libermann (the two later collaborated in the missions).