The 49th death anniversary of a French Jesuit missionary was celebrated in Tamil Nadu, south India, on March 21.
Bishop Stephen Antony Pillai, the apostolic administrator of the Sivagangai Diocese, officiated the Holy Mass in honour of Jesuit Father Maria Louis Leveil (1884-1973), a Servant of God, with priests and Catholics at Sacred Heart Church at Sarugani, Tamil Nadu.
On March 21, every year, people of different faiths gather at the church to celebrate the life of the “people’s priest.”
Bishop Stephen said Leveil encouraged young men and women to be priests and nuns during his missionary life in India.
“Through his life of service and teaching, the priest inspired people and he taught them to have faith in Christ,” the prelate said.
Leveil educated many poor children and showed his concern for the poor and needy.
The prelate released a book called "Ippadiku Leveil-II" (yours Leveil) written by Jesuit Father Yagoo Y.S, the administrator at Loyola Technical Institution, in Tamil Nadu.
The 84-page-book brings out Leveil’s 17 French letters (1912-1916) written to his kith and kin as a Jesuit scholastic who was doing regency at St. Xavier's High School, Sacred Heart Hostel, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu.
Jesuit Father Henry Jerome, the rector of St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai received the first copy and Jesuit Father Thomas Alex, the principal of St. Xavier's College of Education introduced the book.
“Leveil elucidated God's providence, love, and care for the people with his prayerfulness. He spent his entire life developing the spiritual and intellectual development of people,” said Father James C.A, parish priest in Sarugani.
Father James Anthuvan Dass, postulator, Cause of Léveil, Sivagangai Diocese stated that the canonization process of Léveil was initiated by Bishop Jebalamai Susaimanickam of Sivagangai in 2016.
Church confers the title "Servant of God" on a candidate whose cause is officially started.
The initial phase of this process happens after a person’s heroic virtues are declared, followed by beatification, by which the candidate is declared as “Blessed.” The third step is canonization. At least one miracle each is needed for beatification and canonization steps.
The inaugural session of the diocesan inquiry was held on October 2, 2016, at Sacred Hearts’ Church, Sarugani where the mortal remains of the Servant of God Léveil are preserved.
During the diocesan inquiry, documents were gathered on the life and ministry of Léveil. The eyewitnesses to his life of virtues were interviewed and their depositions were recorded.
On June 30, 2019 closing session of the diocesan inquiry was conducted at Sarugani and the documents were submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints through the Apostolic Nunciature in India on July 9, 2019.
The Roman phase of the beatification process was started with the opening of the boxes in Rome on November 1, 2019, at the Vatican office.
The Congregation having verified the documents issued a certificate of validity for the diocesan process on October 30, 2020.
Then the relator and external collaborator were appointed by the Congregation on February 10, 2021, to prepare the positio (summary of the documents).
After the Roman phase, the Pope will declare Léveil ‘venerable’, the second phase of four-layered declaring one as a saint.
Irudhya Raj A, a parishioner from Sarugani stated that “after my marriage, I suffered without a job and home.
"I had a strong faith in Father Leveil, and I prayed continuously with my family members. After a few years, I obtained my job and I got out of the government scheme for home as well," said Irudhya Raj.
Leveil was born on April 6, 1884, at Laille in the Archdiocese of Rennes, France.
His father Joseph Leveil and his mother Julianeer Labine raised him with love, as he was the youngest of ten children.
He left France for Marseille, a port city, in September 1908.
He moved to Kurseong in North India, on the slopes of the Himalayas, after completing his regency at Palayamkottah to study theology and prepare for priestly ordination.
He was ordained a priest in Kurseong (now in Darjeeling diocese of West Bengal, North India) on January 13, 1920. He spent one year on probation at Ranchi and Nagpur before returning to Madurai in Tamil Nadu in 1921.
From this time onwards, he was destined to spend his entire priestly life and ministry in the vast, drought-affected, backward Ramnad district (previously ruled by the Marava Kingdom).
Many people educated by him have won best teacher awards at the state and federal levels.
Father Leveil used to write the prayer, “Oh Jesus, King of Love, I put my trust in thy loving mercy,’ in Latin on palm leaves, which were planted on agricultural fields with a cross.
He had been in India for 62 years and had never seen any of his kith and kin nor visited France, not even once.
He died on March 21, 1973.
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