Gagelin, François-Istidore, Blessed

GAGELIN, FRANÇOIS-ISTIDORE, blessed. - Of the Paris Foreign Missions, martyred in Cochinchina on 17 Oct. 1833. Born on 17 May 1799 at Montperreux (Besançon), on 7 Nov. 1820, not yet a priest, he left for Cochinchina, where he arrived in Sept. 1821. A professor at the College of Phoung Ru, he was ordained there on 28 Sept. 1822. In 1825, after intense activity in the provinces of Baria and Saigon, he was imprisoned at the court of Minh Manh; released in 1828 and appointed pro-vicar, he continued his work until the beginning of the persecutions of 1833. Given refuge, in order to spare his flock vexations he voluntarily surrendered himself to the executioner and was strangled at Huu. The relics were transferred in 1846 to Paris, to the Seminary of the Foreign Missions. He was beatified by Leo XIII, on 27 May 1900, together with other martyrs of Annam (v. ANNAMITI, MARTIRI).