Jean-Bernard Rousseau
French teacher (1797–1867)
Feast: 13 April (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Jean-Bernard Rousseau was born at Annay-la-Côte, Burgundy, on 22 March 1797, eldest son of a stonecutter. He joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools, taking the name Brother Scubilion in 1822.
In 1833 he went to the island of Réunion, where many of the people were slaves on the plantations. For 34 years he devoted himself especially to them, opening schools and teaching the faith. He died at Sainte-Marie on 13 April 1867.
The miracles
The Dicastery's biography does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A teaching brother who brought schooling and hope to the slaves of Réunion.
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: Scubilion Rousseau
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - beatification of 2 May 1989
- Wikidata Q2328676 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Jean-Bernard Rousseau (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.