Shreveport Martyr Father François Le Vézouët

The quiet heroism of a missionary priest whose final journey became a testament of faith and sacrificial love. Born in rural Brittany and formed in the Catholic revival of nineteenth-century France, Father François Le Vézouët crossed the Atlantic in 1854 and found his mission fields among the dusty roads and river paths of frontier Louisiana. In 1873, as yellow fever ravaged Shreveport, he chose fidelity to his mission over safety. Traveling from Natchitoches into the infected city, he joined four fellow priests—they came to be known as the Shreveport Martyrs. Each of the others succumbed to the illness before Father Le Vézouët. But he chose what they had chosen: to comfort the dying, administer the sacraments, and bury the dead. There, he gave his life in charity to strangers.Authors Father Peter B. Mangum and Cheryl H. White share the unforgettable story and courageous sacrifice of Father Le Vézouët.