Father Jacques Hamel: life, influence, legacy, prayers
Father Jacques Hamel, was a French Catholic priest, born in 1930 in Darnétal, and martyred in July 2016 in his church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. In April 2017, a beatification process was opened by Mgr Dominique Lebrun. In this article, discover the life of Father Jacques Hamel and his posterity. At the end of this reading, discoverother figures of sanctity.
Biography of Father Jacques Hamel
Jacques Hamel was born on November 30, 1930 in Darnétal, a commune in the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy. He was baptized at Saint-Ouen de Longpaon church. His father was a railway agent. As for his mother, she was a very pious woman. Immersed in a religious environment, he became an altar boy at the age of six at Saint-Paul church in Rouen. At the age of 23, he did eighteen months' military service in Algeria. Roselyne Hamel, his sister, explained that her brother had given up the rank of officer so as not to have to order his men to kill other men. That's why he remained a private soldier. He would also share with his sister his questioning of the fact that he was the only survivor during a shoot-out in an oasis.
On June 30, 1958, at the age of 27, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Rouen (now the Diocese of Rouen) by Mgr Joseph-Marie Martin. His ministry spanned more than 50 years, first as a curate, then as a parish priest, and finally as an auxiliary priest when he retired. In 2008, he celebrated 50 years of priesthood, his golden jubilee of priestly ordination. He continued to give of himself despite his advanced age.
Following the January 2015 attacks in France, Father Hamel joined an interfaith committee alongside the regional council of the Muslim faith.
On July 26, 2016, two terrorists entered the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, while he was celebrating morning mass, in front of a couple and three nuns. The terrorists attacked Father Jacques Hamel, ordered him to kneel, then assaulted him. "Go away Satan", said Jacques Hamel to his assailants, and Father Hamel died from eighteen stab wounds. A faithful member of the congregation, Guy, was also stabbed, but escaped. A few minutes later, the two terrorists were shot dead by police.
Father Jacques Hamel, aged 85, died while celebrating mass.
Three other members of the two terrorists' group were tried for "malevolent terrorist association". They were Yassine Sebaihia, Farid Khelil and Jean-Philippe Steven Jean-Louis, who received prison sentences of eight, ten and thirteen years respectively.
The body of Jacques Hamel now lies in the Bonsecours cemetery in Rouen.
Father Jacques Hamel's main ministries
Following his ordination to the priesthood, Father Jacques Hamel's main ministries were as follows:
1958: Vicar at Saint-Antoine de Petit-Quevilly
1967: Vicar at Notre-Dame de Lourdes, Sotteville-lès-Rouen
1975: Parish priest of Saint-Pierre lès Elbeuf
1988: Parish priest of Cléon
2000: Parish priest "in solidum" of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
2005: Auxiliary priest at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray
Funeral of Father Jacques Hamel
Presided over by Mgr Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, the funeral of Father Jacques Hamel, took place on August 2, 2016 at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Rouen. More than 3,000 people attended, half of whom had to remain on the forecourt. Numerous political figures were present, including the President of the Republic and the Minister of the Interior. Representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities were also present.
Tributes to Father Jacques Hamel
France paid tribute to Father Jacques Hamel on numerous occasions.
One year to the day after his murder, a mass was celebrated in the presence of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and other dignitaries. On the same day, the Muslim community also paid homage to Father Hamel by visiting his tomb.
Pope Francis has paid tribute to Father Hamel on several occasions. In his homily at Chapelle Sainte-Marthe on September 14, 2016, he said: "Father Jacques Hamel's throat was slit on the Cross, precisely while he was celebrating the sacrifice of the Cross of Christ. A good, gentle, brotherly man, who always sought to make peace, was murdered as if he were a criminal. This is the satanic thread of persecution. But there is one thing, in this man who accepted his martyrdom, with Christ's martyrdom, at the altar, there is one thing that makes me think a lot: in the midst of the difficult moment he was living through, in the midst also of this tragedy that he, himself, saw coming, a gentle man, a good man, a man who was into fraternity, didn't lose the lucidity to accuse and clearly say the name of the murderer, and he said clearly: "go away, Satan!"
Will Father Jacques Hamel be beatified soon?
Mgr Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, announced the opening of the process for Father Hamel's beatification at the Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday 2017. Father Paul Vigouroux has been appointed as postulator. Father Jacques Hamel's dossier was submitted in April 2019 to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is responsible for making a decision.
There seems to be no doubt that Father Hamel's martyrdom will be recognized. "When will Father Hamel be beatified?" "When the time is right, it will come out," replies Father Vigouroux.
Father Jacques Hamel today
Friends of Father Jacques Hamel
Since the tragic event of Father Hamel's death, more and more pilgrims have come to pay their respects in the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray every year. As a result, a committee has been set up, "Les Amis du Père Jacques HAMEL".
This committee has several projects underway: the creation of a "Père Jacques HAMEL space" to welcome pilgrims in a more modern setting, as well as an educational video on the life and spirituality of Father Hamel.
The Father Jacques Hamel International Prize
Created in 2017 by the Fédération des Médias Catholiques, the Père Jacques Hamel International Award recognizes journalistic work aimed at promoting peace and interfaith dialogue.
Streets and promenades named after Jacques Hamel
In tribute to Father Jacques Hamel, several streets and squares have been named after him, including :
- Rue Jacques-Hamel in Darnétal
- Rue Jacques Hamel in Saint-Pierre-lès-Elbeuf
- Promenade Jacques Hamel in Béziers
- And in many other towns
Intercessory prayer to Father Jacques Hamel
Discover the intercessory prayer to Father Jacques Hamel, written by Mgr Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen.
"Father Jacques Hamel, please present our prayer to God,
You consecrated your life to Him:
May God help us to fulfill his will, simply and faithfully, every day. You offered him bread and wine:
may God help us to offer our lives for His Glory and the salvation of the world. You unmasked Satan, the divider:
may God help us to repel his temptations by welcoming the Spirit of love and forgiveness. You died as a priest: may God help us to bear witness to Jesus and his Gospel, to the very end. Can you also present to God
this special intention: ...Finally, present to God the insistent request
of the Diocese of Rouen for young people to consecrate their lives to Him. Father Jacques Hamel, pray for us!"
Let us pray for the martyrs of the faith!
With Hozana, let us remember Jacques Hamel and all the martyrs of the faith. Let us unite our prayers with Christ. Hozana offers you numerous prayer communities, such as, , these , and many others.
