Jean-Baptiste Souzy and 63 companions

The work of Jean-Baptiste Souzy is intertwined with the tragic and heroic destiny of the group of Martyrs of the Rochefort prison ships. Under the Reign of Terror, the decree of October 21, 1793, ordered the deportation of refractory priests to French Guiana. Between the end of 1793 and the summer of 1794, 829 priests and religious from various dioceses of France were transported to Rochefort. They were crammed aboard two former slave ships converted into floating prisons: Les Deux-Associés and Le Washington, anchored in the roadstead of the Île d'Aix. Due to the maritime blockade imposed by the British fleet, these ships never set sail. They became true floating death traps. The prisoners endured inhumane conditions of hygiene and detention: extreme overcrowding, spoiled and insufficient food, an absolute prohibition on praying or speaking Latin, and systematic brutality from the crews. The commander of the ship Les Deux-Associés, Jean-Baptiste Laly, followed a strict instruction: 'These men were struck from the book of the Republic; I was told to let them die without a sound...' Faced with this treatment, Jean-Baptiste Souzy, empowered by his title of vicar general, strove to organize a clandestine community life. He encouraged silent prayer, mutual confession, and support for the sickest. In ten months, epidemics of typhus and scurvy ravaged the crews and the captives. In total, 547 priests and religious died of exhaustion and disease. The survivors were only released after the fall of Robespierre, in 1795.

The memory of the sacrifice of the deported priests has remained deeply alive in Charente-Maritime and throughout France. From the end of the Revolution, the burial sites on Île Madame and Île d'Aix became places of discreet reflection.

In 1910, a solemn annual pilgrimage was established on Île Madame to commemorate their martyrdom. The faithful perpetuate there the memory of their heroic fidelity to the Church.

The beatification process was officially opened by the Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes. The rigorous historical research conducted by the postulation made it possible to isolate a group of 64 victims (including Jean-Baptiste Souzy, diocesan priests, Capuchins, Benedictines, Cistercians, and Brothers of the Christian Schools) for whom the historical evidence of martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith) and their Christian acceptance of death were irrefutable. The Positio demonstrating their martyrdom was officially validated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the early 1990s.

On October 1, 1995, Pope John Paul II celebrated the solemn beatification of Jean-Baptiste Souzy and his 63 companions in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. In his homily, the Holy Father highlighted the spiritual significance of their sacrifice: "They even endured a long ordeal for having remained faithful to their faith and to the Church. If they died, it is for having insisted until the end on affirming their close communion with Pope Pius VI." Their collective liturgical feast is set for August 18, the anniversary of the death of the group's first martyr, Father Antoine Bannassat. Jean-Baptiste Souzy is commemorated individually on August 27, the day of his birth into Heaven.

The spirituality of the martyrs of the Rochefort prison ships is characterized by an unwavering fidelity to the Apostolic See and a heroic spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness. Despite the physical and psychological tortures inflicted by their guards, the testimonies of survivors confirm that the priests never manifested hatred or revolt. They strove to actively forgive their executioners and to pray for the peace and unity of their homeland. Jean-Baptiste Souzy himself, two days before expiring, still expressed the ardent wish to see France rediscover the path of the Catholic faith. Today, their spiritual legacy is celebrated each year at the end of August during the great pilgrimage of Île Madame. Pilgrims cross the 'Passe aux Bœufs' on foot at low tide to go and place a pebble on the large cross drawn on the ground, marking the location of the mass graves where the martyrs rest. The Diocese of La Rochelle has also placed several institutions under their patronage, notably the Jean-Baptiste Souzy Diocesan Cultural Center in La Rochelle.