Pere Jacques: Resplendent in Victory

By Francis J. Murphy (professor of history at Boston College) Exciting new biography and anthology of French Discalced Carmelite friar-priest, educator, son of the working class, prisoner at Mauthausen-who died as a result of his efforts to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis, and who has been honored by the State of Israel and proposed for canonization. Includes index and 13 pages of photos.
Film director Louis Malle's 1987 tribute to his former headmaster in the celebrated autobiographical film, Au revoir les enfants, helped spark a renewed interest in Lucien-Louis Bunel (1900-1945), better known by his religious name of Pere Jacques. Yet the film told only a small part of the story. Pere Jacques is remembered today for his extraordinary ability to bridge the differences of class, ideology, nationality, and religion that often divide the human family. Proud son of devout working-class parents, with a life-long commitment to social justice, he became director of an elite preparatory school for sons of the most prominent families of France. He was a member of the Discalced Carmelites, a religious order dedicated to prayer and solitude, yet spent himself tirelessly in the service of others. A fervent Catholic priest, he was admired and trusted by non-believers and communist fellow-prisoners in the concentration camp of Mauthausen. He was a Christian who died as a result of his efforts to harbor Jewish youth during World War II. Both the State of Israel and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have honored him as a rescuer, one of the 'Righteous among the Nations.'
This exciting new biography by Francis J. Murphy, professor of history at Boston College, retraces the entire career of Pere Jacques from its humble beginnings to its heroic conclusion, carefully situating him within the religious and social context of his times. Also included are previously unpublished excerpts from his writings, 13 pages of photos, and an extensive bibliography. Pere Jacques: Resplendent in Victory offers an informative and compelling introduction to a truly great man, whose cause for canonization was opened in 1990.