Georges Bellanger

After his ordination, Father Georges Bellanger taught at the minor seminary of Arras (1884-1887) and directed the Saints-Anges school (1887-1890). In 1886, he discovered his vocation among the soldiers of the Arras garrison. Having become a military chaplain, he transformed the Military Work of Arras, attracting many soldiers there through his hospitality, prayer, and the sacraments. Drawn to religious life, he entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Brothers of Saint Vincent de Paul in 1896 and pronounced his first vows on July 2, 1898, at La Salette du Haut-Vaugirard. He continued his apostolate among the military and became master of novices in 1900. At the end of 1901, due to anti-clerical laws, he went into exile with his novices to Tournai, in Belgium.

Afflicted with pulmonary tuberculosis, Father Bellanger's health deteriorated severely at the beginning of 1902. Forced to rest, he left Tournai in April 1902 to return to his family in Moulle. He spent his final months there in total abandonment to the divine will and in intense prayer. He passed away peacefully on August 16, 1902, in Moulle, at the age of 41, and was buried in the Moulle cemetery under a simple cross bearing the inscription "Ave Maria".

The reputation for holiness of Georges Bellanger spread rapidly after his death, making his grave in Moulle a place of pilgrimage. His cause for beatification was officially introduced in Rome on June 22, 1972. On December 21, 1998, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby declaring him "Venerable." The cause is still ongoing, awaiting the recognition of a miracle.

The spirituality of the Venerable Georges Bellanger is deeply Marian and Eucharistic. Nicknamed the "chaplain of the Ave Maria," his motto was: "Tuus sum ego, Virgo Maria" (I am all yours, O Virgin Mary). The Rosary was the heart of his interior life and his apostolate. He united this devotion with a profound love for the Eucharist, spending long hours in adoration. His spiritual legacy remains alive within the Congregation of the Religious of Saint Vincent de Paul, and an annual commemoration takes place in Moulle every August 16.