«Blessed Antoine Chevrier: Following Jesus in His Poverty»
MONGOLIA
STÉPHAN KIM SEON-HYUN (South Korea 1968 – Mongolia 2023)
Born in 1968, the father Stéphan KIM Seong-hyun He came to know Christ through his Christian community and heeded His call. Ordained a priest in 1998 (Diocese of Daejeon, South Korea), he chose to leave in 2000 to serve as a «fidei donum» missionary priest in Mongolia.
He died on May 26, 2023, at the age of 45, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where he spent nearly his entire life as a priest serving the most disadvantaged.
Take the time to watch the video titled
«The Winds of the Mongolian Steppe 2: “Who Is the Priest?” | Fr. Sung Hyun KIM, a Priest According to the Gospel».
BRAZIL
FELIPE CROMBREKE
«My name is Filip Cromheecke; I am a Fidei Donum priest from the Diocese of Antwerp in Belgium, and I have been living in Brazil since 1991. I felt called to serve the poor in accordance with the Gospel as a missionary disciple, and I decided to go to Brazil. Shortly after my arrival, I met the priests of Prado. I was moved by their simplicity, their brotherhood, and their deep connection with Jesus Christ. Like them, I wanted to follow Jesus more closely in the manger, on the cross, and in the Eucharist, and to be part of their brotherhood.
I began working in the suburbs of Salvador de Bahia, where the Lemos Brito prison complex is located. I saw the prisoners and their families as sheep without a shepherd, and I began visiting prisons. A whole new world opened up to me—one in which reconciliation and forgiveness are essential to starting a new life.
Recognizing the presence of Christ in these inmates, despite the crimes they had committed, was the first step in drawing closer—without judgment—to the cross and the suffering of Jesus Christ. As I accompanied former inmates in their reintegration into society, I witnessed their resurrection on several occasions. I identified with Father Chevrier when he decided to cross the Rhône to remain among the poor and begin a ministry with abandoned and exploited children who did not yet know Jesus Christ.
I am called to be another Christ and to share His love with the little ones. The poor evangelize me, make me more humble, help me see my weaknesses, and inspire me to put the Gospel into practice every day. I thank God, who sustains me and has made me aware of the charism of the Prado that Father Antoine Chevrier passed on to us through his love for Jesus Christ—poor, humble, and devoted to the very end.»
RAIMUNDO SOARES
«My name is Raimundo Soares dos Santos; I am 55 years old… I am a priest in a diocese in the state of Bahia (Jacquié) serving the Diocese of «Conceição do Araguaia» in the state of Pará, in central Brazil.”.
I was ordained a priest with the desire to serve Jesus Christ more closely among the poor, as our Blessed Antoine Chevrier taught us. I feel called as a priest to go where my brothers do not want to go. I have always wanted to go on mission to poor dioceses in need of priests. That is why I went to a diocese where there are few priests, far from my home region.
In our parish, we have the «Works of Mercy» and «Emmaus Paths,» which are services for the poor. For young people, we offer vocational training courses in carpentry and woodworking, and for girls, a beauty salon. After completing the courses, they go to work to earn money and help their families. For children, we offer tutoring and computer classes during the midday breaks.»
COLOMBIA
SERGIO DUQUE, PRIEST FROM MEDELLÍN (1948–2021)
For him, Pradosian spirituality became a way of living and acting. Sergio lived, acted, and thought as «a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ,» and from that foundation, he embraced his life as a priest, scholar, and teacher, but also as a friend and member of the presbyterate, as a parish priest, and as general assistant at the Prado. His approach to studying the Gospel was admirable, as was his knowledge of the Prado’s sources—such as Father Chevrier’s letters, his spiritual writings, and his life.
A Man Faithful to the Spirit. Sergio was convinced that the Spirit of the Risen One is the One who drives the history of believers. That is why he never lost heart in the face of adversity. We cannot take a pessimistic view. God can always breathe life into dry bones.
A peacemaker : In the 1990s, in the midst of a civil war in the neighborhoods of his parish, Sergio helped broker a peace agreement between the opposing groups, whose conflict had claimed the lives of many young people… Because one must never give in to difficulties, and must never grow weary of waiting or hoping.
A Man of Gospel Transparency. With a humble demeanor, a shy smile, but a heart as clear as glass, he always lived a simple life. He lived and died as a poor man. He leaves us as his legacy his humanity, the sincerity of his faith, his unconditional devotion to Jesus Christ, his loyalty to the Church and to the poor, and his unwavering commitment to the Prado.
«Our family of disciples and apostles, who strive to follow Jesus more closely in his mercy, according to the grace received through Antoine Chevrier, is a gift to the world’s poor—just as they are a gift to us—a gift for which we thank God and which we wish to nurture with the tenderness of the Father and of Jesus!»
Be sure to also visit the « HASTA LUEGO, SERGIO – Testimonials »from the Prado in Mexico to read and listen to the farewell messages to Father Sergio from Father Robert Daviaud (former General Director, priest of the Diocese of Luçon, France), Armando Pasqualotto (Former General Director, Priest of the Diocese of Treviso, Italy), Xosé Xulio Rodríguez (Priest of the Diocese of Ourense, Spain) or Héctor Villa (Priest of the Diocese of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico).
To listen to Fr.'s testimony,. Fredy Ruiz (Coordinator of the Prado in Colombia), Click here.
FRANCE
JOSEPH FOLLIET, a prominent figure in Lyon and throughout France, influenced by the Prado
Joseph Folliet was born in Lyon in 1903. A journalist by profession and a sociologist, he authored 65 books in a variety of fields: spirituality, history, sociology, poetry, and theater. He succeeded Marius Gonin as editor-in-chief of *La Chronique sociale*, a journal and movement dedicated to Catholic thought and social action. Beginning in 1937, he became deeply involved in the *Semaines Sociales* and contributed to their postwar revival.
A man of thought and action, he threw himself into the struggles of his time: as a member of the Resistance, he took part in the Christian Witness Journal alongside Pierre Chaillet. He was also involved in the decolonization movement and the Algerian War.
Driven by a deep faith in the Church and in Christ, and steeped in Franciscan spirituality, he co-founded the Companions of St. Francis in 1927 with René Beaugey. At the age of 65, he became a priest at the Prado after having aspired to the priesthood his entire life. He died at the Prado house in Limonest in 1972.
Stay tuned for more...
Priests Engaged in Interfaith Dialogue in France and Elsewhere, by Father Christian Delorme. As well as other figures such as:
- Pierre Marmilloud, in the Diocese of Annecy, Bolivia, where he works with the miners at the Potosí mine.
- Emile Granger, Diocese of Saint-Étienne, theologian and educator of young people in the juvenile justice system.
- Bishop Jacques Despierre, Bishop Emeritus of Carcassonne. What a wonderful man!
PRADO WOMEN'S INSTITUTE (IFP)
MARIA JESUS HEREZA CUELLAR (LEGANÉS, SPAIN 1918–1986)
María Jesús was the founder of the IFP in Spain. She discovered the Prado thanks to some French priests who were visiting Madrid, at a time when the Prado had not yet established a presence in Spain.
At the age of 13, she felt the Lord’s call to religious life—and more specifically, to a missionary vocation. However, since World War II had already begun, she put off her desire to take her vows and began studying medicine, which seemed to her to be the best way to fulfill her desire to serve.
She was then sent to Cameroon but had to return to Spain for health reasons. She died on October 24, 1986, shortly after returning from Father Chevrier’s beatification, following a fall in Limonest and surgery in Madrid.
She had set up practice as a doctor in Leganés, a suburb of Madrid. Her concern for the poor and those in need led her to pursue ongoing training so she could provide quality care to those who lacked it.
Her home was open to everyone, regardless of their opinions or beliefs. In particular, she took in unmarried pregnant women who had been abandoned by their partners, who wanted to keep their children but were rejected by their families. She offered them support, shelter, material resources, and sometimes even a job.
Despite a heart condition she had suffered from her entire life, she devoted herself entirely to serving others, even going so far as to donate her body to science. In her neighborhood, she was known as «the doctor of the city’s most working-class neighborhood» or «the saint of our neighborhood.».
After her death, the residents asked the municipal authorities to name the neighborhood’s new health center after her, a request that was granted. Even today, in Leganés, she is remembered for a life entirely devoted to medicine and to the poor.
MARCELLE SEMIN (METZ, FRANCE 1920–2016)
Marcelle watched as the buildings in her Borny neighborhood in Metz sprang up on the land where her father worked as a farm laborer. Remaining true to her rural roots through her involvement with the CMR, Marcelle, a social and family economics counselor, was deeply involved in the social, community, and church life of her working-class neighborhood. Among other things, she had set up a community grocery store and cooking workshops there with women in precarious situations. One cause was particularly close to her heart: « Act not for, but with, the poor. This «with» can be achieved through our participation in collective actions. Let them speak for themselves, even if their words are clumsy, and let’s not speak for them. ». She was captivated by Jesus Christ, and he was the driving force behind her actions! She tirelessly sought to deepen her knowledge of Jesus, to grow in her intimacy with him, and to acquire a keen understanding of her faith, participating in numerous training programs (professional, CMR, diocesan, and Prado).
She said, « The goal is to approach the texts of Scripture with respect, to place them in their context, and at the same time to seek a language of faith for people today. »Having served four terms as General Director of the IFP, she left a lasting mark on her institute. She was a woman of strong character and high standards; she knew how to challenge each person to bring out their best so they could fully live out their vocation. Together with her Council, she invigorated the teams and organized inspiring retreats led by priests from Prado. She was deeply involved in drafting the constitutions, which were approved by the Diocese of Lyon in March 1992. She successfully engaged everyone in the discussion and drafting process.
MARY ISHAC SEDRAK (CAIRO, EGYPT, 1973– )
Born in Cairo in 1973, she is a social worker. She made her perpetual vows in the IFP in 2017. Through her work, she has contributed to the education of illiterate adults in Egypt. Today, drawing on her previous experience in adult literacy and working with deaf people, Mary is dedicated to the education of deaf children and is developing a new method to teach them to read and write (rather than merely understanding sign language), involving deaf teachers and the children’s mothers in the process.
