Jean-Rémy Bessieux (24 December 1803 – 30 April 1876), also seen as Jean-Rémi or Jean René, was the founder of the Roman Catholic mission in

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

and the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

to serve there. Born in

Vélieux Vélieux (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hérault department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună o ...

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, France, Bessieux had been a parish priest and seminary teacher when he entered the Holy Heart of Mary Congregation in August 1842. (The group had been founded to evangelize the black races, and would merge with the

Holy Ghost Fathers The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (officially the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary; ) is a religious congregation for men in the Catholic Church. Members are often known as Holy ...

in 1848.) Travelling with Brother Grégoire Say, Bessieux arrived in Gabon September 1844, and settled at

Okolo Okolo is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bartho Okolo, Nigerian biologist * Courtney Okolo (born 1994), American sprinter *Jude Thaddeus Okolo Jude Thaddeus Okolo KC*HS (born 18 December 1956) is a prelate of the Catholi ...

, a village in the Agekaza-Quaben clan's area, not far from the French fort. Bessieux learned Mpongwe, and published a

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

of it in 1847. He also established a school for boys, a church, and arranged the 1849 arrival of the Immaculate Conception Sisters of Castres. Elevated to bishop in December 1848, his efforts in the 1850s to establish additional outposts in the

Gabon Estuary The Gabon River or Gabon Estuary is a short wide estuary in the western Gabon. The capital Libreville has a large port on the north bank of the estuary which collects water from the Komo River and River Ebe. The estuary empties into the Gulf o ...

were not successful. Even so, he continued in Gabon until his death in 1876, sometimes without official support, and with only occasional brief visits to Europe to recover his health. Gardinier observes that Bessieux's determination to stay in Gabon probably influenced the French government's decision to maintain their base. Bessieux was remembered on the 100th anniversary of his death by a

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...

of Gabon.

References

* David E. Gardinier, ''Historical Dictionary of Gabon'', 2nd ed. (The Scarecrow Press, 1994) p. 61 * R. P. Roques, ''Le Pionnier du Gabon Jean-Rémy Bessieux'' (Paris, 1957)

External links

catholic-hierarchy.org page on Bessieux

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bessieux, Jean-Remy 1803 births 1876 deaths French Roman Catholic bishops in Africa Gabonese Roman Catholic bishops French Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in Gabon French expatriates in Gabon Roman Catholic bishops of Libreville