Alain de Boismenu

Alain Marie Guynot de Boismenu (27 December 1870 – 5 November 1953) was a French Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Vicar Apostolic of Papua from 1908 until his retirement in 1945; he was a professed member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and the founder of the Handmaids of the Lord. He studied under the De La Salle Brothers before beginning his religious formation in Belgium where he did his studies for the priesthood. His stewardship of the apostolic vicariate saw the number of missions and catechists increase and his tenure also saw the establishment of new schools and a training center for catechists.

The beatification process for de Bousmeu launched in 1984 and he became titled as a Servant of God. He later became titled as venerable in 2014 after Pope Francis confirmed he lived a life of heroic virtue.

Missionaries flocked to his bedside when it became known that Boismenu was close to death in 1953. He greeted them and spoke with them before giving them a long look and said to them in a loud voice: "Stand firm". Boismenu died some moments after this on 5 November 1953 at 3 pm just as Christ's death was being read to him. His remains were interred close to those of Noblet and later his niece in Kubuna mission. It was that afternoon on 15 April that Pope Francis confirmed Boismenu to be venerable on the account of his life of heroic virtue. The postulator for this cause is the Jean-Louis Chassem SSCC.

Notes and references