Twenty YCW, YCS and Scout leaders, chaplains and seminarians were beatified at a special mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris on Saturday 13 December 2025.
Papal legate Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who is himself a former YCW and YCS chaplain, presided over the ceremony. Recalling the heroic sacrifices of the French martyrs, Cardinal Hollerich said “faith is never private; it must find expression in the concrete service of our sisters and brothers”.
“Let me make an appeal to the young people of France,” he continued. “You who call yourselves young Catholics, you are devoted to the adoration of Our Lord, and that is as it should be: may this love of Christ impel you to become missionary apostles.
“And all of you young people, perhaps not attending church, from France and Europe, you who no longer see meaning in your lives, you are searching for an identity that gives you purpose, look to Christ, Prince of Peace, Prince of love and not of hate, learn from him as your elder brothers, martyrs, beatified today, learn from him to commit yourselves to the good of your brothers and sisters! Your life can be so beautiful, and you will see this beauty in your life by following Christ.”
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Cardinal Hollerich’s homily (English)
Homélie du Cardinal Hollerich (Français)
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The martyrs
Here is a list of YCW and YCS leaders, chaplains and seminarians to be beatified today with links to their biographies (some not yet complete).
YCW leaders
Jean Lépicier (1921-1945), died at Buchenwald;
Bernard Lemaire (1920-1944), died of typhus at Buchenwald;
Maurice Grandet (1920-1944), died of typhus at Buchenwald;
René Ponsin (1923-1945), died at Buchenwald;
Claude-Colbert Lebeau (1922-1945), died at Zöschen;
Jean Chavet (1922-1945), died of typhus at Mauthausen;
André Parsy (1922-1944), interned at Zöschen, died at Trebitz;
André Vallée (1919-1945), died at Flossenbürg;
Henri Marrannes (1923-1945), died in Zwickau;
Louis Pourtois (1919-1945), died in Mauthausen; Camille Millet (1922-1945), died in Flossenbürg;
Marcel Carrier (1922-1945), died in Neustadt during the “death march”;
Alfredo Dall’Oglio (1921-1944), Italian naturalised French, died in Wuhlheide;
Marcel Touquet (1914-1945), died in Ravensbrück;
Lucien Croci (1919-1945), died in Barth;
Jean Mestre (1924-1944), died shortly after his arrest;
Jean Perriolat (1920-1945), died in Mauthausen;
René Rouzé (1922-1945), died in Dora-Mittelbau;
Henri Euzenat (1920-1945), who died at Dachau;
Eugène Lemoine (1920-1945) (also a Scout), died at Zöschen;
Bernard Morizot (1924-1945) (also a Scout), interned at Buchenwald and shot.
YCS leaders
Jean Préhu (1920-1945), YCS lay leader (and Scout), died at Dachau.
So too did YCS leader, Jean Chavet, who was also a YCW leader (see above)
Priests
René Giraudet (1907-1945), interned at Bergen-Belsen, sick with typhus, died in Paris;
Victor Dillard (1897-1945), who died at the Dachau concentration camp;
Louis Doumain (1920-1944), died at the Zöschen concentration camp;
Pierre de Porcaro (1904-1945), who died at the Dachau concentration camp.
Jocist seminarians
Roger Vallée (1920-1944), who died at Mauthausen;
Jean Tinturier (1921-1945), who died at Mauthausen.
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Martyrs of the YCW and YCS (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)