PHILIBERT VRAU — Born in Lille on 19 November 1829, died there on 16 May 1905.
He returned to the faith he had lost by cultivating a particular devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist, and to spread this devotion he promoted the practice of nocturnal adoration in northern France, built new churches, organized regional Eucharistic congresses, and was one of the founders of the international Eucharistic congresses, the first of which was held in Lille at his initiative.
A great industrialist, he worked to improve both the moral and material conditions of his workers and, together with his brother-in-law Camille Feron-Vrau (q.v.), founded the Catholic Institute of Arts and Crafts. He promoted Catholic Committees and Congresses in the north, thereby creating a true model of Catholic Action. Pius XI opened his cause of beatification on 17 June 1930. His heart was placed in the chapel of the Catholic University of Lille, alongside that of his brother-in-law.