Blessed John Du Lau

Blessed John Du Lau was the Archbishop of Arles in France. In 1790 a war known as the French Revolution broke out. The French government passed a law that gave the government control over the Catholic Church and removed the Pope as the leader of the Church. The government asked Blessed John, many other priests, and other religious to make a promise to this new law and to deny their faith. If they refused, they were put in jail. The government turned many monasteries and churches into prisons where they kept these people who would not make this promise. Eventually, they killed all the priests and religious who would not give up their faith. Blessed John Du Lau and 191 of his companions are remembered as the September Martyrs for refusing to give up their faith and dying for their belief in Jesus.