Meet Fr. Hervé Bougeard, M.S.

Fr. Hervé Bougeard, M.S., when he was rector of the Holy Mountain

Even though you have worked nearly thirteen years on the Holy Mountain, please give us an overview of your life…

 

I am now sixty-seven years old and was born in Brittany, in northwestern France. My home town is Iffendic, near Montfort-sur-Meu, the area where the renowned Louis Grignon de Montfort spent his childhood. I could have become a Montfort priest but there were Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette in the area who attracted me to our community.

 

 

As a child, I went to parish school of Saint-Péran. The priest was very close to the La Salette Missionaries who were serving in Cucé. They came regularly to assist him in celebrating Mass on major holydays. Since I was an altar boy, the La Salettes visited my parents and spoke with me about becoming a La Salette. As the son of a farmer, I was interested both in manual and intellectual pursuits! Yet in 1956, I had started my four years of college in Cucé, then I went to Voiteur in the Jura area of France, and finally I spent two years in Brittany in formation as a “belated vocation.”

 

 

In 1939, a La Salette school was based in Cucé, near Rennes.

Father Poulain spoke often with me. Also a number of La Salette Missionaries often went to Brittany. Some La Salette seminarians also had permission to spend their military service in our area. In fact, until the sixties, Brittany was a rich breeding-ground for religious and priestly vocations. Many Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette are native to this region. Recruited very young, they were greeted in our apostolic school in the "distant" Isère. In 1939, a La Salette school was based in Cucé, near Rennes, which welcomed these young men from Brittany. These youngsters were then sent to the school at Voiteur to pursue their education.

 

 

It was my connection with the La Salettes, who were quite likeable and

Fr. Hervé’s parish church in Iffendic, France, where he was baptized and ordained.

convivial. At Voiteur, in the central east coast of France, me and some other friends of mine formed a group who wanted to explore religious life with the Missionaries of La Salette. Eventually, in 1963, I found myself with them at Corps, in our novitiate year. Only three of us persevered, but we all remained united and passionate about our connection with La Salette.

 

 

After six years of study, which I completed by May, 1968, and interrupted by my military service as a medic, I was ordained in 1971 in my parish church in Iffendic, where I was baptized. The church dates back to 1122AD. Having been assigned to our community in Grenoble, in addition to my ministry, I was host to the MJC district (House of Youth and Culture). 

 

In 1979, I was assigned to the La Salette community in Echirolles whose members, in addition to their ministry, were teachers, garbage collectors, animators of APF (Association of Paralyzed People of France), maintenance workers, and cleaned buildings.

 

Fr. Hervé’s Novitiate class (he is third from right)

In 1989 I was appointed rector of the La Salette Shrine, the Holy Mountain, and I spent ten years there! What I liked most about that ministry was that I was close to the pilgrims from their arrival, at meals with them, and as they were leaving. In 1999, I came back again to our community on La Rue Chanrion in Grenoble to work as Shrine Representative. Then in 2008, I was asked to become Shrine Rector for three years.

 

 

I was not expecting it, but juggling physical work and pastoral ministry suits me just fine. This is probably the reason I am now working in our community at La Tronche near Grenoble in Development and caring for our senior members and welcoming visitors….. 

 

 

Like so many, I was very influenced by the Beautiful Lady who sheds mother’s tears. In 1954 when I was 10 year old, my older

Fr. Hervé hitching a ride

brother, just 20 years old, was killed in a car accident. I remember well my mother’s tears of deep sadness. When I first heard about the La Salette Apparition, I immediately understood the meaning of the tears of Mary on the Mountain of La Salette. La Salette, for me, shows that God too is altogether interested in people's lives, the lives of these farmers like my family. My father was a farmer and agricultural work filled my life as a child and insured our survival as a family. 

 

Mary was worried about her children, about their livelihood. She wanted to share her concern with Melanie and Maximin. Their mission was successful because nearly a thousand La Salette Missionaries are spread across the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of new "Melanies" and "Maximins" approach her to receive the mission to bring her good news to all her people.

 

 

 

 

The sight of the La Salette Apparition (foreground) surmounted by the Basilica and Shrine complex