On Saturday, March 14, the congregation commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Fr. Leo John Dehon in 1843. To give context to the time in which he was born, this was in France, approximately 50 years after the country’s revolution. France struggled to define itself, moving between the desire for a monarchist government and democracy. This was also the time of the invention of the steam engine and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Factory towns, such as Saint-Quentin, the site of Fr. Dehon’s first priestly assignment, were the hub of this new socio-economic revolution. And it is there, seeing the challenges faced by the town’s workers and their families, that Fr. Dehon’s passion for social justice began to take hold.
Click here to view a brief video on the life of the founder.
