Servant of God Joseph Verbis Lafleur: Difference between revisions

Joseph Verbis Lafleur was born on January 24, 1912, in [[Ville Platte]], [[Louisiana]], to Agatha Dupre and Valentine Lafleur, the fourth of seven children in a devout Roman Catholic Cajun family.<ref name="frverbislafleur">{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.frverbislafleur.com/biography |publisher=Fr. Verbis Lafleur Official Website |access-date=July 14, 2025}}</ref> Raised in a rural, French-speaking community, young Joseph, known as “Joe,” expressed a desire to become a [[priest]] at age seven, serving as an altar boy at Sacred Heart Church in the [[Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana|Diocese]].<ref name="catholic365">{{Cite web |title=Joseph Verbis LaFleur: The Priest Who Laid Down His Life For His Friends |url=https://www.catholic365.com/article/2607/joseph-verbis-lafleur-the-priest-who-laid-down-his-life-for-his-friends.html |publisher=Catholic365 |access-date=July 14, 2025}}</ref> His early life was marked by hardship after his father abandoned the family, leaving Agatha to support her children through odd jobs and gardening.<ref name="wikipedia">{{Cite web |title=Joseph Verbis Lafleur |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Verbis_Lafleur |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=July 14, 2025}}</ref>

The family’s move to [[Opelousas, Louisiana|Opelousas]], [[Louisiana]], in the early 1920s exposed Joseph to a vibrant [[Parish]] community at St. Landry Catholic Church, where [[Pastor]] A.B. Colliard recognized his potential and encouraged his vocation.<ref name="dailyworld">{{Cite web |title=Opelousas, Louisiana, history: Who was Joseph Verbis Lafleur? |url=https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/local/2020/01/31/opelousas-louisiana-history-who-was-joseph-verbis-lafleur/4616728002/ |publisher=Daily World |date=2020-01-31 |access-date=July 14, 2025}}</ref> Growing up during World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic, Lafleur’s faith was shaped by themes of sacrifice and resilience, reinforced by the cultural and spiritual richness of Cajun [[Louisiana]].<ref name="homeofheroes">{{Cite web |title=Joseph Verbis Lafleur |url=https://homeofheroes.com/heroes-stories/world-war-ii/joseph-verbis-lafleur/ |publisher=Home of Heroes |date=2021-10-07 |access-date=July 14, 2025}}</ref>