Born: Saint-Mars-la-Brière (Sarthe) September 8, 1827.
Priestly ordination: La Mans, June 5, 1852.
Took the habit: N.-D. de l’Osier, January 12, 1856.
Vows: N.-D. de l’Osier, January 13, 1857 (No. 431).
Died: Jaffna, November 29, 1901.
François Gouret was born in Saint-Mars-la-Brière, diocese of Le Mans, France, on September 8, 1827. He studied in the college and then in the major seminary of Le Mans and was ordained priest on June 5, 1852. He wished to become a religious but family conditions prevented him from doing so. He began his novitiate on January 12, 1856, in Notre-Dame de l’Osier and there he made his vows on January 13, 1857. The general council had admitted him to religious profession on the previous December 30, quoting a report made by the novice master, Father Vandenberghe: “In the novitiate he was a model of regularity and of piety. Since he had a natural love for obedience and the Rule, community life was not too difficult for him. Robust in health and energetic in character, he is ready for anything. His desire for the foreign missions is very obvious but he is nevertheless calm and ready for whatever awaits him. He is a good Brother, charitable and easy to please, externally kind and agreeable. His weakness is a tendency to speak instinctively about himself and things that concern him.”
He received his obedience for Ceylon and he departed for the mission on March 2, 1857 with Bishop Étienne Semeria who had come for the general chapter of 1856 and had been ordained bishop by Bishop de Mazenod. There are not many details about his life in Ceylon. He worked in many of the missions in the diocese of Jaffna but it is not possible to follow all his movements precisely. An item in the Catholic Guardian, Vol. XXVI, N. 48, December 7, 1901 says that he worked in Mantotte from 1861 to 1867 and he was Superior of Puttalan district and administrator of the shrine of Saint Anne in 1868-1875. He was in Kayts in 1875, in Jaffna in 1876, then Superior of the Mannar-Mantotte district and administrator of the Madhu shrine in 1878-1886. He was sent to Trincomalee in 1886, to North Mantotte in 1890, to Puttalan 1891-1895. He was resting in Jaffna in 1895 then put in charge of the Ilavalai mission from 1896 until his death, which took place in Jaffna on November 29, 1901.
The author of this note concludes with the words: “It was in 1896 that that Father Gouret, with the maturity of his age and missionary experience, was chosen as a member of the bishop’s council, a position which he held until his regretted and unexpected death. We had hoped to have the satisfaction of seeing him live to celebrate his Golden Jubilee of priesthood, but that was not to happen. It would have needed only a little longer for that happy event but he died in the 74th year of his age and the 49th of his ministry, leaving behind him a brilliant example of having done well all that he had done. Kindness and urbanity, in total contrast to his height and his resonant voice, were the qualities characteristic of this holy missionary who never willingly caused suffering to anyone.”
Yvon Beaudoin, o.m.i.
