Joseph Gérard

The young Father Joseph Gérard began his ministry among the Zulu people in the province of Natal. Despite his efforts to learn the language and adapt to the local culture, this first attempt at evangelization resulted in great difficulties and few immediate fruits. Faced with this situation, Bishop Allard decided in 1862 to turn the mission's efforts toward the mountainous Kingdom of Lesotho (then called Basutoland). Accompanied by Brother Pierre Bernard, Bishop Allard and Father Gérard arrived in Lesotho in 1862. They were welcomed with kindness by the great chief and founder of the Basotho nation, King Moshoeshoe I. The latter granted them land in the Tloutle valley, about thirty kilometers from his fortress of Thaba Bosiu. It was there that the missionaries founded the first Catholic station in the country, named Motse-oa-Ma-Jesu ("the Village of the Mother of Jesus"), which would later take the name Roma. The work of evangelization proved slow and demanding. Father Gérard spent more than two years praying and preaching before obtaining his first Basotho catechumen. To touch hearts, he immersed himself totally in the local culture: he mastered Sesotho perfectly, wrote a catechism, a biblical history, and translated religious texts into that language. The Basotho, touched by his closeness and his lively way of presenting Christian doctrine, nicknamed him "the one who speaks to the people." Beyond his preaching, Father Gérard distinguished himself by his active charity. He traveled tirelessly through the mountains on foot or on horseback, braving the cold and bad weather, to visit the sick, the elderly, and the poor, bringing them comfort and the sacraments. His horse, accustomed to his charity rounds, knew by heart the paths leading to the huts of the suffering. During the wars between the Basotho and the Orange Free State, Father Gérard chose to remain by the side of the population, thus earning the unwavering respect of King Moshoeshoe I and his people. His peaceful influence and wise counsel contributed to the King requesting British protection, thus preserving the future independence of Lesotho. In 1875, he was sent to found a new mission in the north of the country, at Saint-Monique. He worked there for more than twenty years before returning to Roma in 1898. It was in this historic community that he spent the last years of his life, continuing his ministry to the sick until his final strength. He passed away holily on May 29, 1914, in Roma, at the age of 83.

From the moment of his death, the reputation of holiness of Father Joseph Gérard spread widely in Lesotho and beyond. The Basotho immediately considered him their apostle and a powerful intercessor before God, affectionately calling him "Rame-hiolo" (the father of miracles). Faced with this constant popular fervor, the cause for beatification was officially opened. The diocesan informative process was conducted jointly in Lesotho and in the diocese of Nancy between 1940 and 1941. It was followed by the apostolic process in 1955-1956. On November 13, 1976, Pope Paul VI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thus declaring him Venerable.

The miracle required for his beatification is the scientifically inexplicable healing of a young blind girl, Florina Phakelo. Born in 1922 in Mafefoane, near Roma, Florina contracted a serious eye infection at the age of six (in 1928) characterized by purulent growths, which left her completely blind. After several months of unsuccessful treatments, the local doctor, Dr. Hertig, declared her blind for life. Refusing to lose hope, her mother turned to the intercession of Father Gérard. She placed a small bag containing earth taken from the missionary's grave around the child's neck, while the family began a novena of prayer. On July 7, 1928, Father Pennerath, a priest from the mission, visited the family and applied the stole that had belonged to Father Gérard to Florina's eyes. During the night, the little girl dreamed that an old priest laid his hands on her. The next morning, Sunday, July 8, 1928, Florina had completely recovered her sight. In-depth medical examinations conducted in 1940 and 1955 confirmed the instantaneous, complete, and lasting nature of this healing. Florina Phakelo lived until the age of 60, maintaining perfect vision. This miracle was formally approved by the medical commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on December 3, 1986. On September 15, 1988, during his apostolic journey to Southern Africa, Pope John Paul II celebrated the beatification of Father Joseph Gérard at the Maseru racecourse, the capital of Lesotho, before a vast crowd of the faithful. His liturgical feast is set for May 29, the anniversary of his birth into heaven.

The spirituality of Blessed Joseph Gérard rests on an intimate union with Christ and an absolute filial trust in the Virgin Mary, under whose patronage he had placed his mission. His ministry was guided by the motto of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate: "He has sent me to evangelize the poor" (Evangelizare pauperibus misit me). For him, the poor were all those who had not yet had the chance to know the love of Christ. His legacy in Lesotho is immense. From a small community of a few dozen believers at the end of the 19th century, the Church of Lesotho has become a major spiritual and social force in the country. The Roma mission, which he founded, today houses seminaries, novitiates, schools, a hospital, and the National University of Lesotho, testifying to the fruitfulness of his work. Blessed Joseph Gérard remains a model of missionary perseverance, intercultural dialogue, and pastoral charity for the Church.