Jacques Fesch
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Execution by guillotine |
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Jacques Fesch (April 6, 1930 – October 1, 1957) was a French convicted criminal who murdered a French police officer in 1954. He later became such a devout Catholic while in prison awaiting execution that he has since been proposed for as a candidate for sainthood.
Early life
Fesch's father was a wealthy banker of
Crime
On 24 February 1954, to fund the purchase of a boat, he went to rob Alexandre Silberstein, a
Religious conversion
At first Fesch was indifferent to his plight and mocked his lawyer's Catholic faith whom he nicknamed : "the panther of God". However, after a year in prison, he experienced a profound religious conversion, became very pious, and bitterly regretted his crime. He corresponded regularly with his family, notably his brother and stepmother, and kept a spiritual
Legacy
After his death his wife and daughter honoured his memory as an example of
On September 21, 1987 the
His writings have often been quoted in Catholic publications.[3] His personal journal and letters to his mother and brother are often about mystical or theological matters.
Theatrical plays about Fesch
The story of Jacques Fesch remains relatively unknown in France. However, inspired by the true events of this "murderer turned Christian," the students of Ss Cyril and Method High School in Nitra, Slovakia, under the direction of Maria Marthe Galová, wrote and performed a theatrical play, "Spomeň si na mňa" (Remember Me), which is based on the life and conversion of Jacques.The play premiered on March 11, 2018, in the Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Luxmoore, Jonathan. "Strange tale of France's saintly killer', OSV Newsweekly, June 15, 2008
- ^ "An unlikely saint: Jacques Fesch was a murderer; now he's up for beatification". Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ [Vol. 22, No.12, February 2021, p.253-254, Magnificat Yonkers, NY. "The Powerful Leaven of Grace"]
- ^ [email protected], DATASUN s.r.o. | Tvorba www stránok, internetový obchod [www.datasun.sk]; e-mail. "Spomeň si na mňa - Gymnázium sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Nitre". www.gcm.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2018-04-02.
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Books about Fesch
- (In Spanish): El reflejo de lo oscuro. By ISBN 978-968-16-5112-1
- (In French) Gilbert Collard «Assasaint : Jacques Fesch, l'histoire du bon larron moderne » (Editions Presses de la Renaissance)
Bibliography
- Translation: Light over the Scaffold and Cell 18: The Prison Letters of Jacques Fesch. Alba House, 1996.
- Fesch, Jacques; preface Père Daniel-Ange (1998). Dans 5 heures je verrai Jésus!: Journal de prison (in French) (3rd ed.). Fayard - Le Sarment. ISBN 978-2-86679-168-1.
- Translation: In five hours I will see Jesus (spiritual diary) of Jacques Fesch.
Association
- Association "Les Amis de Jacques Fesch". Website in French : https://web.archive.org/web/20130113034221/http://amisdejacquesfesch.fr/
General references
- Craughwell, Thomas J. (October 27, 2006). "Saints Misbehavin'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-04-03. republished on Catholic Education Resource Center
- "A Saint who killed:Jacques Fesch was executed for murder in 1957. Now the Church is considering his beatification". Retrieved 2007-04-04. by Fr. Oliviero Bruno, Catholic Chaplain in Poggioreale Jail in Naples
