BERNEUX, SIMÉON-FRANÇOIS

BERNEUX, SIMÉON-FRANÇOIS. - B. on 14 May 1814 at Château-du-Loir (France), ordained priest in 1837, he entered the Paris Foreign Missions in 1839 and departed (1840) for Western Tonkin. Captured almost immediately, taken to the capital, imprisoned, tortured, and condemned to death, he was released in 1843 with his four companions through the intervention of Commander Favin-Lévêque, who wished to take them back to France. From Bourbon Island he obtained permission to go to Macao, whence he left for Manchuria (1844): there he became pro-vicar of the mission, which he subsequently governed during the journey to France of his bishop, mons. Verrolles (v.). Elected coadjutor of mons. Ferréol, apostolic vicar of Korea, and consecrated bishop (1854), he reached the capital, Seoul, secretly because of the persecution, in 1856, devoting himself to the study of the language and then immediately to the apostolate. In 1866, when circumstances seemed favourable, persecution instead broke out. B. was arrested in February, imprisoned, and tortured several times; then, with three of his missionaries, he was beheaded on 8 March of that same year. His cause of beatification was introduced on 13 Nov. 1918.