Imbert, Joseph, Bl.
IMBERT, JOSEPH, BL.
Martyr, Jesuit priest, apostolic vicar for the Diocese of Moulins; b. ca. 1720; Marseille, France; d. June 9, 1794 on the Deux–Associés. Imbert entered the Jesuits at Avignon (1748), took his first vows (1750), and was ordained (1754). Thereafter he was a teacher at Châlons–sur–Saône, Besançon, and Grenoble until the Society of Jesus was suppressed (1762). He then placed himself under the authority of the bishop of Moulins and accepted parochial responsibilities. Instead of fleeing the country during the persecution, he continued to minister covertly until his bishop was expelled and Imbert appointed apostolic vicar for the diocese. He was arrested (1793) and imprisoned locally until his deportation in early 1794 with 24 diocesan priests. During their several–month journey to the prison ship at Rochefort to await deportation, Father Imbert wrote The Priests'; Marseillaise, uplifting words to the national anthem of the French Revolution. He was beatified by John Paul II, Oct. 1, 1995, together with other martyrs of La Rochelle.
Feast: Jan. 19 (Jesuits).
See Also: rochefort ships, martyrs of, bb.
Bibliography: i. gobry, Les martyrs de la Révolution française (Paris 1989). j. n. tylenda, Jesuit Saints & Martyrs, 2d ed. (Chicago 1998): 165–167. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1995): 923–926. L'Osservatore Romano, no. 40 (1995): 3–5; Documentation Catholique 19 (1995): 923–26.
[k. i. rabenstein]