Born at Saint Maurice (Meurthe), 22 October 1826.
Taking of the habit at Notre-Dame de l’Osier, November 20, 1849.
Oblation at Notre-Dame de l’Osier, November 21, 1850. (no. 292)
Ordination to the priesthood at Marseilles, June 27, 1852.
Dispensed from his vows, January 29, 1857.

Jean-Baptiste Humbert was born at Saint Maurice in the diocese of Nancy on October 22, 1826. He began his novitiate at Notre-Dame de l’Osier on November 20, 1849 and made his oblation there on November 21, 1850. He was unanimously admitted to vows at the General Council session of October 20, 1850. In the session’s report, we read: “Adequate in terms of talent; good health; sensible enough; not very open. This young man has made a lot of progress in the four last months of his novitiate.”

After two years of theology at the major seminary of Marseilles, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop de Mazenod on June 27, 1852. Subsequently, he lived at Le Calvaire in 1852-1853, at Nancy in 1853-1855, at Vico in 1855-1856 and at Notre-Dame de Sion in 1856-1857. When he was being sent to Nancy, in September 1853, the Founder wrote to Father Dorey, the superior: “This man is just as he appears to be, good, but very flighty.” (Oblate Writings I, vol. 11, no. 1176, p. 165)

At the beginning of the month of January, 1857, Father Humbert asked to be dispensed from his vows. The reasons he gave were summarized in this manner by the General Council: He is asking to be dispensed from his vows “because of his conduct, which he admits has not been without reproach and which,” he alleges, “has raised against him an overall coldness and mistrust which is daily becoming more difficult to endure and will end up making him very unhappy. He adduces one more reason based on the state of want in which his old mother finds herself…” At the January 29, 1857 meeting, the General Council took the decision of dispensing him from his vows for the reasons given and because this priest has never had a strong prayer life and is lacking in regular observance, that he seeks to develop relationships with “people of the opposite sex” and that he does not mend his ways.

Yvon Beaudoin, o.m.i.