Constant Jean Baptiste Prodhomme

Constant Jean Baptiste Prodhomme MEP (23 January 1849 – 20 August 1920) was a French Catholic missionary and bishop who served as Vicar Apostolic of Laos from 1913 to 1920.

Biography Prodhomme was born on 23 January 1849 in Gorron, France, the eldest of 13 children. He entered the seminary of the Société des Missions Etrangères on 7 September 1871 and was ordained a priest on 30 May 1874.

Prodhomme, together with fellow missionary Fr François Guégo, is credited with the founding of the Catholic Lao mission which extended across the whole of Isan and modern-day Laos. Formally established on 4 May 1889, the Vicariate Apostolic of Laos was created out of the diocese of Siam, and administered from that date by its first Vicar Apostolic of Laos and titular bishop, Joseph Marie Cuaz.

Around 1908, Bishop Cuaz's health began to fail and Prodhomme was appointed pro-vicar apostolic and took over the administration of the vicariate. In 1913, Bishop Cuaz resigned and on 2 June 1913 Prodhomme succeeded him as Vicar Apostolic of Laos, he was appointed titular Bishop of Geras and consecrated on 14 September 1913 in Saigon.

Prodhomme died on 20 August 1920 in Nong Seng, Laos, aged 71.