Religious Brother, Educator, and Missionary (1797-1867)
His life
+ Jean Bernard Rousseau was born in Annay la-Côte, France. A pious young man, he served as a catechist in his village before entering the De La Salle Christian Brothers in 1822. He was known in religious life as Brother Scubilion.
+ After serving as an elementary school teacher for ten years, he was sent to teach and serve slaves on Reunion Island; he spent 34 years in that ministry.
+ Brother Scubilion modified his lessons to serve the needs of the indigenous peoples and the slaves and started offering classes at night, working with local priests, to serve as many people as possible.
+ Through is ministry, many came to accept the Christian faith. One year before his death, he traveled to Madagascar and opened a school and house for his religious community there.
+ Blessed Scubilion Rousseau died on April 13, 1867, on Reunion Island and was beatified in 1989.
Spiritual bonus
Saint Scubilion, the patron saint of Brother Scubilion, was a monk of the abbey of Marnes, France. A companion of Saint Paternus of Avranches, Saint Scubilion died in the sixth century.
Quote
“Do your part to help build up the Kingdom of God in the hearts of your students.”—Saint John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers
Prayer
O God, who raised up blessed Scubilion in your Church to show others the way of salvation, grant us, by his example, so to follow Christ the master, that we may come with our neighbor into your presence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Holy Men and Women—For an Educator)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...