WASHINGTON, D.C. – His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, issued the following statement today on Thursday’s decision by the U.S. Catholic bishops giving the Diocese of Lafayette, LA, the go-ahead to pursue the Cause for Canonization of World War II hero and Army Air Corps chaplain Father Lieutenant Joseph Verbis Lafleur.
Archbishop Broglio said:
“I am delighted that the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana has begun the Cause for the Canonization of Father J. Verbis Lafleur. In addition to being a chaplain who led and cared for his fellow prisoners of war, he was a priest who exemplified priestly virtue from the moment of his ordination. Being ordained in the depression, he willingly pawned his watch to buy baseball equipment for the youth to play.
“He is a model of a shepherd with ‘the smell of his sheep’. Even though he died more than 75 years ago, he is an excellent example for priests today. I hope that the process will go quickly and we will see him raised to the dignity of the altars soon.”
