Guy de Fontgalland (November 30, 1913 – January 24, 1925), Servant of God, was regarded in the inter-war period as the youngest potential Catholic saint who was not a martyr. His beatification process was opened on November 15, 1941, and suspended on November 18, 1947.[1]
Life
Guy de Fontgalland was the son of count Pierre Heurard de Fontgalland (1884-1972), a lawyer, and Marie Renée Mathevon (1880-1956). She had intended to become a Carmelite and he was a militant Catholic. Bishop de Gibergues, Bishop of Valence (Drôme) and friend of the family, introduced them and united them in marriage. He baptized their son as Guy Pierre Emmanuel on December 7, 1913.
Pierre Heurard de Fontgalland, father of Guy.
Guy had the qualities and defects of an ordinary child. He proved to be wanton with his mother and angry with his brother Marc, born in 1916, but also sensitive and affectionate. He was especially frank and loyal, confessing to his faults at the risk of being punished. He died with the reputation of having never told a single lie. He reflected a very childlike faith inspired by Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face. In January 1917 he visited her tomb at Lisieux, where he accompanied his mother on pilgrimage. Although very young, he tried to imitate Jesus in everything. He “chatted with him” in the privacy of his room and, subsequently, during Holy Communion. He offered every day small sacrifices to try to “please Jesus”. He was only five years old when he manifested his desire to make his First Holy Communion and, the following year his wish to become a priest. He learned to read and write in two months and was enrolled in the parish Catechism classes.
Marie Renée Mathevon, Mother of Guy.
On May 22, 1921, he took advantage of the provisions of Pope St Pius X [2] in favor of early communion, and he soon became an apostle within the ‘Eucharistic Crusade’ sodality. On that day after a month of preparation, punctuated by “one hundred eighteen sacrifices” which he diligently recorded, he made his First Communion in the Church of St-Honoré d’Eylau. He was given a revelation of his approaching death but kept it secret so as not to sadden his relatives.
In October 1921, he entered the Collège Saint Louis de Gonzague, where he was a poor student, slothful and lazy in his studies despite his intelligence and curiosity. He was corrected and improved his character. He did not draw attention to himself but was noted for his charity and his easy companionship. He protected the weaker students but did not defend himself when attacked, forgave his opponents and did not keep grudges or hard feelings, was never sulking and refused to denounce others or to cause trouble.
In July 1924, the family went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. In front of the grotto, he had a confirmation of his earlier revelation that he would die soon, on a Saturday, the day of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
