The Five Priests of the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic

Holy Trinity Catholic Church is honored to have been served by the priests who gave their lives in service to the sick, during the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Shreevport. By God's grace, they have now been declared "Servants of God (the first of four steps in the saintly canonization process!).  Their story is important and needs to be told!  That's why a new book is in the works entitled, "The Surest Path to Heaven," and a new feature-length documentary on their lives is set for a Fall 2021 release. For more information about the five priests and their history at Holy Trinity, continue readng below, and review the "Parish History" page of this website.
 

Father Jean Pierre (above)
Click the portrait to view Father Jean Pierre's holy card.
First Catholic pastor of Shreveport, who ministered in the Parishes of Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Webster & Claiborne.


Father Isidore A. Quémerais, Servant of God (above)
Click the portrait to view Father Isidore A. Quémerais' holy card.
First assistant priest of Shreveport, who also served in Rapides & Avoyelles parishes. Click (here) for a newly discovered photo of Father Isidore A. Quémerais, taken in 1872. Thanks to the Crchives of the Diocese of Alexandria Fr. Chad Partain for sharing this with us in April 2022.


Father Jean-Marie Biler, Servant of God (above)
Click the portrait to view Father Jean-Marie Biler's holy card.
Chaplain of the Convent & Novitiate of St. Vincent’s on Fairfield.


Father Louis Gergaud, Servant of God (above)
Click the portrait to view Father Louis Gergaud's holy card.
First pastor of St. Matthew’s in Monroe, who also ministered in the Parishes of Ouachita, Morehouse, Union, Webster, Claiborne, Caldwell & Franklin.


Father François LeVézouët, Servant of God (above)
Click the portrait to view Father François LeVézouët's holy card.
Founding pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Many, who ministered throughout Sabine and Natchitoches parishes.

Documentary Production: The Heroic Lives of the Five Priests

A new documentary is being produced about the five Servants of God who gave their lives during the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Shreveport. Holy Trinity is proud to contribute $11,000 to help fund this important work. Heartfelt thank-you to our generous donors, especially Stephen and Mona Wright.  All five of these virtuous priests served in sacramental ministry right here at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Click the photo gallery below for behind-the-scenes insights.

The Path to Canonization

On December 8, 2020, the Diocese of Shreveport received wonderful news from the Vatican... a declatation "nihil obstat" for each of the five priests. This means, literally, "nothing in the way," or "no impediment" to the opening of a cause for canonization. It was by Bishop Malone's act on December 8 in the ceremony at Holy Trinity that they became Servants of God, the first of four steps in the saintly canonization process! 

Click here to view the Press Conference on Facebook, which features Bishop Francis Malone, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins, Holy Trinity Pastor Fr. Duane Trombetta, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Rector Fr. Peter Mangum, Professor and Author Dr. Cheryl White, and Distinguished Author Mr. Ryan Smith.

In addition, click here to read the Press Release from the Diocese of Shreveport. This document lists the five priests, describes their history and service to the people of the diocese, and explains the next steps along the path to canonization.

Article in 318 Forum Magazine

Click the image above to read the wonderful article published in 318 Forum Magazine. It gives information about the Five Servant of God Priests who gave their lives serving the sick during the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Shreveport. Beloved figures in the history of Holy Trinity Catholic Church! 

Prayers and Intercession

The Catholic Church professes that the witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom - especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints - share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives. This is why saintly intercession is so important and efficacious. The people of the Diocese of Shreveport are encouraged to ask the five priests of the Yellow Fever Epidemic to intercede for us and for the whole world.  Fr. Peter Mangum wrote an excellent article about how to pray through the intercession of a Servant of God - the article will be linked here, once it is made available online in the Catholic Connection publication.

Shreveport Martyrs Web Page

A new Internet site entitled "Shreveport Martyrs" has been established to provide information about the five priests. Click (here) or the image above to visit the site and learn about each priest's history, to review press releases, to request Holy Cards, and more.