On Saturday, December 13, 2025, 50 priests, religious, seminarians and lay faithful who died in 1944 and 1945 in hatred of the faith were beatified at Notre-Dame de Paris.
On June 20, 2025, Pope Leo XIV recognized as martyrs 50 Frenchmen executed in 1944 and 1945 by the Nazi regime "out of hatred for the faith." Their beatification was celebrated on December 13, 2025, at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. These men—priests, seminarians, religious, members of Catholic Action, and scouts—belonged to the Mission of Saint Paul, an initiative launched by Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard and Father Jean Rodhain to provide spiritual support to young French men forcibly sent to Germany as part of the Compulsory Work Service (STO).
During the Second World War, prisoners of war were theoretically protected by the Geneva Convention, which guaranteed them the right to chaplains. But among the French, approximately 300,000 young men found themselves in a unique situation: they were sent to Germany as laborers, through the complicity of the Vichy regime and the Nazis. Under the Compulsory Work Service (STO), these young men, aged between 19 and 25, were contracted for at least two years to contribute to the war effort, particularly in the metalworking industry. They received a symbolic wage and two weeks of vacation per year. However, providing them with spiritual support was out of the question, as they were not protected by the Geneva Convention.
French bishops, notably Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard (1874-1949), Archbishop of Paris, and Father Jean Rodhain, founder of Secours Catholique (Catholic Relief Services), were deeply concerned about these young people. They established what they called the “Saint Paul Mission,” which involved sending priests, seminarians, religious, members of Catholic Action, and scouts to carry out apostolic work among the deported young workers. These volunteers knew before leaving that they were going without any protection, for a clandestine mission.
Things took a turn for the worse on December 3, 1943, with the publication of the Kaltenbrunner Ordinance , which was nothing less than a decree of persecution. This ordinance called for the elimination of all those who carried out religious activities among young French civilian workers. From that moment on, everything these missionaries did was punishable by death. Their activities were considered anti-German—when in fact they were simply helping these workers in various ways, administering the sacraments, encouraging some, supporting others. This is why it is referred to as the “martyrdom of the apostolate. ”
Listed here according to the concentration camp where they were forced to end their lives:
Group I: Cologne-Rhineland
Franciscan Order of Friars Minor:
1) Gérard Cendrier ; born in Paris ( Diocese of Paris ) on 16/06/1920, entered the Franciscan novitiate in 1939, ordained a priest, died in Buchenwald on 25/01/1945;
2) Paul Le Ber ; born in Landivisiau (Finistère – Diocese of Quimper and Léon ) on 1/04/1920, ordained a priest, died in Buchenwald on 13/04/1945;
3) Joseph Paraire ; born in Vincennes (Val-de-Marne – Diocese of Créteil ) on 2/12/1919, ordained a priest, interned in Buchenwald and died on a “death train” on 26/04/1945;
4) André Boucher ; born in Cheniménil (Vosges – Diocese of Saint-Dié ) on 3/08/1920, ordained priest, died in Buchenwald on 15/03/1945;
Diocesan priests:
5) Raimond Cayré ; born in Puylaurens (Tarn – Diocese of Albi ) on 23/12/1915, ordained a priest for the diocese of Albi in 1940, died at the Buchenwald concentration camp on 22 or 24 October 1944;
6) Jules Grand ; born in Saint-Julien-Chapteuil (Haute-Loire – Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay ) on 4/11/1905, ordained a priest for the diocese of Le Puy , died at the Buchenwald concentration camp on 16/01/1945;
7) Maurice Rondeau ; born in Neuvy (Marne – Diocese of Châlons-en-Champagne ) on 25/08/1911, ordained priest for the diocese of Meaux , interned in Buchenwald, died in the Bavarian hospital of Cham on 3/05/1945;
8) Antoine Charmet ; born in Saint-Martin-de-la-Plaine (Loire – Diocese of Saint-Étienne ) on 29/12/1906, ordained priest for the diocese of Lyon , died in the Buchenwald concentration camp at the end of March or the beginning of April 1945;
Scouts of France:
9) Louis Didion ; born in Dunkirk (Nord – Diocese of Lille ) on 2/05/1917, died in Buchenwald on 16/02/1945;
10) Robert Saumont ; born in Oissel (Seine-Maritime – Diocese of Rouen ) on 18/01/1919, died of exhaustion in Buchenwald during the evacuation of the camp on 9/04/1945;
11) Bernard Morizot ; born in Avallon (Yonne – Diocese of Sens ) on 2/04/1924, interned in Buchenwald and executed on 20/04/1945;
12) Jean Bernier ; born in Haironville (Meuse – Diocese of Verdun ) on 24/01/1920, died of exhaustion at the Emmendingen hospital on 16/06/1945 after the evacuation of the camp;
13) René Boitier ; born in Faremoutiers (Seine-et-Marne – Diocese of Meaux ) on 8/03/1917, married on 25 March 1940, died of exhaustion at Dachau two days after the evacuation of the camp on 29/04/1945;
14) Robert Défossez ; born in Cambrai (Nord – Diocese of Cambrai ) on 3/06/1920, interned at Buchenwald, died on 17/01/1945;
15) Jean Préhu ; born in Laval (Mayenne – Diocese of Laval ) on 27/03/1920, died in Dachau on 27/04/1945;
16) Maurice-Philippe Bouchard ; born in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique – Diocese of Nantes ) on 7/03/1916, interned in Buchenwald, died on 12/04/1944 in a “death train”;
17) Raymond Louveaux ; born in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis – Diocese of Saint-Denis ) on 12/04/1913, married in 1936, interned in Buchenwald, died on 18/04/1944 in a “death train”;
18) Gaston Raoult ; born in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime – Diocese of Le Havre ) on 9/12/1921, died of exhaustion at the Bad Salzungen potash mine on 16/01/1945;
Young Christian Workers:
19) Jean Lépicier ; born in Feneu (Maine-et-Loire – Diocese of Angers ) on 23/04/1921, died in Buchenwald on 20/03/1945;
20) Bernard Lemaire ; born in Gonneville-la-Mallet (Seine-Maritime – Diocese of Le Havre ) on 27/07/1920, died in Buchenwald on 11/10/1944;
21) Maurice Grandet ; born in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime – Diocese of Le Havre ) on 3/04/1920, died in Buchenwald on 12/10/1944;
22) René Ponsin ; born in Cœuvres-et-Valsery (Aisne – Diocese of Soissons ) on 30/09/1923, executed in Buchenwald on 4/04/1945;
Society of Jesus:
23) Victor Dillard ; born in Blois (Loir-et-Cher – Diocese of Blois ) on 24/12/1897, ordained priest, died at the Dachau concentration camp on 12/01/1945;
Group II: Saxony and Anhalt
Diocesan priests:
24) Louis Doumain ; born in Morainville (Canada – Diocese of Edmonton, Canada ) on 7/02/1920, ordained priest for the diocese of Viviers , died at the Zöschen concentration camp on 20/12/1944;
25) Pascal Vergez ; born in Aucun (Hautes-Pyrénées – Diocese of Tarbes ) on 17/03/1910, ordained priest for the diocese of Tarbes , died at the Zöschen concentration camp on 12/12/1944;
26) Pierre de Porcaro ; born in Dinan (Côtes-d'Armor – Diocese of Saint-Brieuc ) on 10/08/1904, ordained priest for the diocese of Versailles , died at the Dachau concentration camp on 12/03/1945;
Young Christian Workers:
27) Claude-Colbert Lebeau ; born in Paizay-le-Sec (Vienne – Diocese of Poitiers ) on 23/10/1922, died in Zöschen on 3/01/1945;
28) Jean Chavet ; born in Saint-Étienne (Loire – Diocese of Saint-Étienne ) on 10/08/1922, died of typhus in Mauthausen on 24/04/1945;
29) André Parsy ; born in Roubaix (Nord – Diocese of Lille ) on 24/12/1922, died in Trebitz on 26/12/1944;
Scouts of France:
30) Bernard Perrin ; born in Lyon (Rhône – Diocese of Lyon ) on 20/02/1921, interned at Mauthausen, died in Gusen on 22/04/1945;
31) Eugène Lemoine ; born in Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d'Armor – Diocese of Saint-Brieuc ) on 6/01/1920, died in Zöschen on 8/02/1945;
Group III: Thuringia
Seminarians:
32) Roger Vallée ; born in Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne – Diocese of Séez ) on 13/12/1920, seminarian of the diocese of Séez , died in Mauthausen on 29/10/1944;
33) Jean Tinturier ; born in Vierzon (Cher – Diocese of Bourges ) on 20/02/1921, seminarian of the diocese of Bourges , died in Mauthausen on 16/03/1945;
Young Christian Workers:
34) André Vallée ; born in Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne – Diocese of Séez ) on 9/11/1919, died at the Flossenbürg concentration camp on 15/02/1945;
35) Henri Marrannes ; born in Ferrières-la-Verrerie (Orne – Diocese of Séez ) on 27/06/1923, died in Zwickau on 4/04/1945;
36) Louis Pourtois ; born in Besançon (Doubs – Diocese of Besançon ) on 25/05/1919, died in Mauthausen on 20/04/1945;
37) Camille Millet ; born in Vertus (Marne – Diocese of Châlons-en-Champagne ) on 20/02/1922, died in Flossenbürg on 15/04/1945;
38) Marcel Carrier ; born in Paris ( Diocese of Paris ) on 29/04/1922, married in August 1940, died in Neustadt-sur-Tachau on 6/05/1945 during the “death march”;
Group IV: Berlin
Diocesan priest:
39) René Giraudet ; born in Luçon (Vendée – Diocese of Luçon ) on 4/12/1907, ordained priest for the diocese of Luçon , interned in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Suffering from typhus, he died in Paris on 12/06/1945;
Young Christian Workers:
40) Alfredo Dall'Oglio ; born in Borgo Valsugana (Italy – Diocese of Trento in Italy ) on 6/07/1921, died in Berlin-Wühleide on 31/10/1944;
41) Marcel Touquet ; born in Péret-Bel-Air (Corrèze – Diocese of Tulle ) on 10/10/1914, married in October 1942, interned at the Ravensbrück camp and died on 24/02/1945 during a "death convoy";
42) Lucien Croci ; born in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis – Diocese of Saint-Denis ) on 15/11/1919, died in Barth on 27/03/1945;
Scouts of France:
43) Robert Beauvais ; born in Paris ( Diocese of Paris ) on 5/10/1922 and died in Neuengamme on 10/01/1945;
Group V: Brunswick Region
Seminarian:
44) Jean Duthu ; born in Bordeaux (Gironde – Diocese of Bordeaux ) on 11/08/1921, seminarian of the diocese of Clermont , died at the Flossenbürg concentration camp on 13/05/1945;
Young Christian Workers:
45) Jean Mestre ; born in Paris ( Diocese of Paris ) on 14/07/1924, died in Brunswick on 5/05/1944;
Group VI: Silesia
Young Christian Workers:
46) Jean Perriolat ; born in Romans (Drôme – Diocese of Valence ) on 12/06/1920, died in Mauthausen on 14/04/1945;
47) René Rouzé ; born in Bombon-Mormant (Seine-et-Marne – Diocese of Meaux ) on 11/01/1922, died at the Dora-Mittelbau concentration camp on 18/02/1945;
Group VII: Baden-Württemberg
Young Christian Workers:
48) Henri Euzenat ; born in Blesme (Marne – Diocese of Châlons-en-Champagne ) on 6/09/1920, died at the Dachau concentration camp on 25/04/1945;
Group VIII: Sudetenland
Scouts of France:
49) Joël Anglès d'Auriac ; born in Toulon (Var – Diocese of Toulon ) on 25/07/1922, arrested on 10/03/1944 and beheaded in Dresden;
Group IX: Austria
Diocesan priest:
50) Jean Batiffol ; born in Paris ( Diocese of Paris ) on 10/04/1907, ordained priest for the diocese of Paris in 1938, died at the Mauthausen concentration camp on 8/05/1945.
Sources: based on https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/cayre-cendrier-vallee-mestre-e-46-compagni.html . The names of the departments have been modernized.
https://eglise.catholique.fr/approfondir-sa-foi/temoigner/figures-de-saintete/568026-beatification-de-raymond-cayre-martyrs-de-1945-46/
https://dioceseparis.fr/-beatification-de-raymond-cayre-.html
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