Born: Mouvaux (Nord), January 16, 1832.
Took the habit: N.-D. de l’Osier, September 18, 1854.
Vows: N.-D. de l’Osier, September 19, 1855 (N. 397).
Priestly ordination: Marseille, June 27, 1858.
Died: Montreal, Canada, November 28, 1878.
François Lepers was born on January 26, 1832, in Mouvaux, diocese of Cambrai, France. His parents were Joseph Lepers, a farmer, and Christine Dillies. He studied at the college of Tombe-lez-Tournai (1846-1851) and did one year of philosophy in the major seminary of Cambrai (1851-1852). He then taught for a while at the college of Tombe-lez-Tournai before beginning his novitiate in Notre-Dame de l’Osier on September 18, 1854 and it was there he took vows on September 19, 1855. During his novitiate, Father Vandenberghe, the novice master, could only see good qualities and virtues in him “without any notable faults”. In September 1855, before sending him to Marseille, he wrote: “Lepers continues to be a beautiful soul and an ardent soul. Solid piety, an energetic character, upright mentality, quite a lot of tact…” The candidate studied theology at Montolivet from 1855 to 1858 and was ordained priest by Bishop de Mazenod on June 27, 1858. In his reports, Father Antoine Mouchette, moderator of scholastics, continued to find him “a very good religious… quite original, but his originality is not hurtful”, “always excellent, very generous etc.”
His first assignment was as socius to the novice master in Notre-Dame de l’Osier (1858-1861). Then he was a missionary in Autun (1861-1862), moderator in the scholasticate of Montolivet (1862) and director of the juniorate in Notre-Dame de Lumières (1862-1865). He was then sent to Canada and he ministered in Saint-Pierre-Apôtre, Montreal (1865-1867 before becoming pastor in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec (1867). He gave missions in the lumber camps (1865-1867) and was appointed director of the major seminary and scholasticate in Ottawa (1868-1873), while, at the same time, he was chaplain to the Mother House of the Grey Nuns of Ottawa (1869-1873). Because of illness he had to rest (1873-1876) in the houses of Buffalo, Plattsburgh and Notre-Dame in Hull. He then resumed his functions in the seminary and scholasticate in Ottawa (1876-1888).
Father Michel Froc, in his necrology note on Father Lepers, says that he was “unshakeably solid, inflexibly faithful to his duties… but, in spite of all his virtues and goodness, he was unable to make himself gracious and amiable”. On the other hand, “in the matter of the practice of the religious virtues, humility, obedience, charity, let it be said that, in all circumstances and everywhere he was always a model and gave the example of these virtues with admirable constancy. Everybody who knew him was struck by his regularity, his love of work, his prudence and his discretion, and his perfect abnegation”.
He became ill in 1878 and was sent to Saint-Pierre-Apôtre, Montreal, where he died of tuberculosis on November 28, 1878. He is buried in the Oblate cemetery in Richelieu.
Yvon Beaudoin
and Gaston Carrière, o.m.i.
