Historical Archives: A Bishop Rescues His Lord
Father Roger Charest, SMM
A Bishop Rescues His Lord
T he intriguing composite photo above shows Montfort Missionary, Bishop Frantz Colimon, of the diocese of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, on his knees, in the middle of the night, holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hands and facing the blazing fire that was destroying his episcopal residence, on the eve of Palm Sunday, last spring.
Within minutes, the old wooden structure which served both as his Cathedral Rectory and Chancery 0ffice became such a raging inferno that nothing inside the house, so it seemed, could be salvaged. But the Bishop’s first thought was to rescue Our Lord – a captive in his own private chapel – which he fearlessly and unhesitatingly did! Everything else in the house was destroyed in the fire. Including a translation of the Bible in Creole, the language of the Haitian people. The Bible the Bishop himself had toiled for many years. Yes, in a matter of minutes, it all went up in smoke!
All the while, Bishop Colimon knelt helplessly. Knelt in an attitude of prayerful resignation, as he clung to his Lord with both hands. The Lord Himself was undoubtedly sustaining him in what had to be the most tragic hour of his life.
. . . the Blessed Sacrament became the source of his unwavering strength.
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The Blessed Sacrament Became the Source of His Unwavering Strength
I remember meeting Bishop Frantz Colimon at Lourdes, in France. His deep devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Blessed Mother was obvious to all who knew him. In fact, he had been invited that year, by the Directors of the mammoth annual French Montfort Pilgrimage, to preside over it for the entire week. At one point, I was able to take a snapshot of Bishop Colimon. The photo was with our Superior General, Father Gerard Lemire (not shown in this post).
Looking at the photo of him on his knees, holding the Blessed Sacrament in front of him, in what had to be the darkest night of his entire life. A night illuminated only by the eerie light of a ravaging fire. A fire that was destroying everything he had lived for as a priest and now as a Bishop. One cannot help but marvel at the courage and the faith of this man whom God had selected to shepherd one of the poorest dioceses in one of the poorest countries of the world – Haiti!
No doubt, God sent Our Blessed Mother to be at his side during this entire tragic episode, while the Blessed Sacrament became the source of his unwavering strength. Like our founder, St. Louis de Montfort, Bishop Colimon likes to compose hymns for his people to sing. Here is one of the many hymns that he composed. It honors Our Blessed Mother and her relationship with Jesus:
A Poem to Our Lady
“It is in your heart, Mary, that God came down from heaven to us.
You are the one who have made Him a home for us!
You are the one who have given Him your heart that His Spirit might come down to us.
It is in your heart, Mary
that we are to meet Him.”
I can see now why Bishop Colimon looked so happy and much at home in Lourdes, “Mary’s domain,” as it has been called. Also, I can understand now why he carried the Blessed Sacrament aloft in his two hands. And in an attitude of such profound adoration, during the Afternoon Procession and the Blessing of the Sick, each day at Lourdes.
I can also understand a little better now, how the tragedy that would have devastated anyone of us. However, it left him calm and recollected. Knowing that like Christ, his Master, he too was being stripped of everything. Everything this world would have us cling to; yes everything but his Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with Our Blessed Mother by his side to be his strong support at this most traumatic moment of his priestly life.
We can only pray that from the ashes of that destructive conflagration there will arise new hope and determination. A hope to carry on the work of evangelization in the hearts of Bishop Colimon, his Montfortian confreres and the people of his diocese. As our hearts go out to him and his people, may our contributions, both spiritual and financial, hasten the day when his episcopal residence, as well as Chancery Office, will be rebuilt.
