The devotion of the Gerards to Mary of Nazareth
ON MARCH 12, 1831, in the French village of Bouxieres-aux-Chenes, a little boy was born to a farming couple, the Gerards. At his baptism in the parish church on the following day, he was given the names Joseph Jean Charles.
Back at the farm, his proud mother opened out her arms to receive him back from his godmother and held him close to her heart, covering his soft little head with butterfly kisses. "Little Joseph," she whispered softly into his ear, "your soul is as white as snow today. May it never be sullied in sin." Her eyes must have misted as she pondered on her child's future the way all mothers of newly-baptised infants do.
No doubt she prayed that he might never yield to the many tempatations that would assail him throughout life. Little could she have guessed that this same helpless baby would grow up to become the Apostle of Lesotho, a tiny mountain kingdom situated six thousand miles away from Bouxieres and that he would become known by the Sotho name of Ramehlolo, which means Father of Miracles, on account of the many miracles God would work through his ministry.
Prayer and Meditation
From early youth, Joseph showed a love for prayer and meditation. Like all the other boys in the village, he became a shepherd for his father, herding cattle and horses; the perfect preparation for one whose mode of travel would always be on horseback in a country where cattle signifies the extent of a man's wealth. Taking care of his father's livestock, Joseph learned to regard solitude as a blessing and a privilege: an opportunity from God for prayer and meditation. In the fields Joseph had long conversations with God for he had become constantly aware of the Lord's presence everywhere. He also had an extrordinary devotion to the Blessed Virgin which lasted all his life.
The Gerards only left their village for an occasional pilgrimage to the shrine of our Lady of Good Help at Nancy, or to Our Lady's Shrine in Sion, which was cared for by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. These Oblates belonged to a young society of missionaries founded in 1816 by Father Eugene de Mazenod, a priest from Aix-en-Provence.
Joseph attended the village parish school run by Sisters, and was prepared for his first Holy Communion. Joseph eventually trained as a missionary at Notre Dame de l'Osier near Grenoble. After his training, he set out in May 1853 from the French coast for Africa on the frigate La Bell Poule, in the company of Father Barret and Brother Bernard.
They had a hair-raising journey. When they had left the Mediterranean Sea, the elements took over.
Instead of allowing them to sail south along the African coast as their itinerary dictated, the wind blew the unresisting frigate clear across the Atlantic, all the way to Rio de Janeiro in South America. Under sail once more forSouth Africa, they actually passed the Cape of Good Hope and wound up on the Isle of Mauritius in the Indian Ocena.
At Mauritius the three men were delayed for a number of weeks due to their inability to make more immediate transport arrangements. During this period Joseph met Father Laval, a great missionary in Mauritius. He offered his services as a deacon, and these were accepted by Laval.
Laval had organised baptised Christians of Mauritius into small groups of twenty to thirty. They were offered catechetical training, and in turn started leading groups. Natural leaders among them were identified by Laval. They began teaching Christians at various houses of prayer in the community. Laval visited these houses often. A number of the leaders became councillors who cared for the poor, sick and those who required spiritual assistance. They informed Laval of the most urgent needs and assisted him in the distribution of alms made up of church collections. The church of Port Louis, capital of Mauritius, which was spacious enough to hold 2 000 persons, was filled three times on Sundays. Father Laval had also built fifty chapels on the island.
This methodical approach to spiritual care impressed Joseph greatly, and made a lasting impression on his own future life as spiritual shepherd. When it was time for him and his companions to embark and leave for Africa, he said goodbye to Laval and departed.
On January 21, 1854, eight months after leaving France in La Belle Poule, the three companions arrived at Port Natal, Durban. Joseph's first great sea journey was also to be his last, though he was only twenty-three years old. Three weeks later, Bishop Allard ordained him a priest in Pietermaritzburg and Father Joseph Gerard was ready to begin his priestly ministry which would last until his death on 29 May 1914.
*Artwork by Catherine Nicolette - please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose
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