“The Five Priests” tells the heroic true story of the Shreveport Martyrs | National Catholic Registry

Docudrama scenes and animations illustrate the heroic deeds of the priest quintet.

The five priestsA feature-length documentary about five French-born priests known as the “Shreveport Martyrs” who gave their lives to help the sick during the devastating 1873 yellow fever epidemic in Shreveport, Louisiana, will premiere October 8 on EWTN.

Through details in the extensive records and letters from this time, the film uses the priests and locals’ own words and descriptions.

Fathers Isidore Quémerais, Jean Pierre, Jean-Marie Biler, Louis Gergaud and François Le Vézouët are all “servants of God” as their canonization process continues. The Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome granted that the five priests be considered together as one shrine. They have always been known in the diocese as the “Shreveport Martyrs” and are referred to collectively as such. The epidemic that demonstrated their sacrifice lasted from late August to mid-November 1873. The five priests died between September 15 and October 8.

The five priestsa multiple award-winning national and international film festival, including the Cannes World Film Festival, is based on the book Shreveport Martyrs of 1873: The Surest Way to Heavenco-authored by Father Peter Mangum, W. Ryan Smith and Cheryl White. This trio of authors appear as on-screen commentators and tell the inspiring story, while various docudrama scenes and animations illustrate the heroic deeds of the priest quintet.

The true story lays the foundation with extensive details about Shreveport’s growth as a river city and how this relates to what were initially viewed as possible causes of the yellow fever epidemic. The narrators take turns talking about the physical conditions of a city of 4,500 people, densely populated in the riverside business district, combined with unsanitary living conditions. The animation begins in these early scenes and continues throughout the entire film. It is simple and stylized. The filmmaking technique evokes what is being described, subtly reminding the viewer that it is a true story.

To serve the local population, Bishop Auguste Marie Martin traveled to Brittany, France, to recruit priests. He returned with a total of eight priests and seminarians. “They had nothing to lose. They had already given up everything,” said Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States.

As the story progresses, the documentary captures this mood, supported by the authors’ narration and reinforced by the narrators’ passion and zeal for the physical and spiritual drama. Each person builds a new detail and offers a new insight. With the help of animations, every part of the story is colorfully “designed”.

Of the five priests, two who were already serving in Shreveport continued to care for the sick, while the other three willingly came to the rescue and answered the call for help. Everyone left their safe place knowing that they too would most likely contract and die from yellow fever. They would not abandon the people of Shreveport – many of them poor immigrants and African Americans who could not leave – as the wealthy did to move to a safer environment.

Small but meaningful supplements, including pages from the local newspaper The, further underline the drama of the story – and support the heroic deeds of these five martyrs of charity Shreveport Timeslists the names and ages of people who succumbed to the devastating fever.

“They were there for everyone, whoever they were, it didn’t matter,” White emphasized of the priest-martyrs.

Due to insufficient knowledge about disease transmission, they did not take special precautions for their safety. When the priests entered a hospital, they did not think about holding a hand or touching a face. Being there physically for someone who is suffering in this way speaks to our hearts, not only of what we are called to do as human beings, but also in following Christ. To provide a few more insights into these five priests and their work, this main trio of commentators are joined by Cardinal Pierre, Shreveport Bishop Francis Malone, and Mayor Adrian Perkins.

Supported by the dynamic narrative of Father Peter Mangum, rector of St. John Berchmans Cathedral and episcopal delegate to the cause of beatification and canonization, author Smith and historian White, both members of the diocesan historical commission for the cause Beatification and canonization, the sacrifices of these five priests come across in a dramatic way. Of what the priests did, Father Mangum says, “It represents a sacrifice…the charity of Jesus Christ, who gave himself for others.” And they do it with joy. They do it with hope. They do it with a great sense of it – so I will glorify God and obtain eternal life with him forever in heaven.”

White draws a moving conclusion: “These five priests represented comfort and hope and were a response to basic human dignity at a time when many people chose to flee.” I think this reminds us all that we always have a choice when faced with a difficult situation. And these men, all five of them, made the decision to freely and voluntarily sacrifice their lives.”

REGARD
The five priests airs October 8th at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on EWTN.