Blessed Jean-Bernard Rousseau (22 March 1797 – 13 April 1867) was a French Roman Catholic professed religious of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools – or the De La Salle Brothers. He assumed the religious name of “Scubilion” upon his profession and was dubbed the “Catechist of Slaves” due to his extensive decades-spanning work on Réunion Island.
He was beatified in 1989 during the visit of Pope John Paul II to the island.
Jean-Bernard Rousseau was born in Yonne on 22 March 1797 as the eldest of four children to Bernard Rousseau and Regina Pelletier. His parents aided and hid priests during the French Revolution in which anti-religious sentiment was at an all-time high. He was baptized hours after his birth at the home of his grandparents and would receive both his First Communion and Confirmation around the age of ten in 1807.
The parish priest oversaw his education but this stopped with the death of the priest on 19 April 1811. A new pastor oversaw the rest of his education from October 4, 1818 onwards. Rousseau decided to devote his life to serving others and so desired to become part of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools – or De La Salle Brothers – in an attempt to follow the example of Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. He arrived in Paris on 9 November 1822 and commenced his novitiate with the De La Salle Brothers on 24 December 1822. He assumed the religious name of “Scubilion”. On 4 November 1823 he was sent to Alençon and was put in charge of the De La Salle house’s kitchen and garden. His triennial vows were made on 15 September 1825. He made his perpetual vows on 27 September 1827 after a period of teaching and of studies. He obtained his teaching degree in 1826.
In April 1833 he accepted an invitation to go to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean to teach and evangelize. He and two other companions left on 20 April 1833 and arrived in Saint-Denis on 15 July 1833 on the ship “La Commerce”. In the period of 1833 to 1843 he began to teach to poor children and at this time became a vocal advocate of slaves. He also fought against the mistreatment and abuse that female slaves suffered. On 17 November 1843 he was sent to Saint-Leu and began teaching there while also preparing slaves for baptism and their First Communion. He arrived in Sainte-Marie on 14 December 1856 to continue his work. Rousseau made a brief visit to Madagascar in 1866 to open a school. He modified all his lessons to suit the natives and also started night classes. He also collaborated in his initiatives with the local priests.
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