French Revolution Timeline | Introduction to Jean-Louis

Introduction to Jean-Louis

Posted on March 25, 1784
Filed Under French Revolution |

Remis

Dear Journal;
My name is Jean-Louis de la Rocque.  I am the priest of a small parish in a little town called Remis, which is located just about a day from Paris.  I am not married, just to my work, I do although have 3 children.  No of course I have not committed this terrible sin.  They are all orphans.  The oldest, Thibaut, is 8 and a rugged boy for his age, he is bigger than all the other children.  His father left his mother during the pregnancy, and his mother died during the birth and has been with me ever since.  The wages of is death.   His younger “brother”, Marc, is just 6 and is the joy of everyone around him.  He is an extremely energetic little boy, and never seems to stop going around in circles.  His parents both passed away about 1 ½ years ago due to the poor living conditions here, especially the lack of grain.  And the youngest child is Olivie.  She is 4 years, although she would tell you 4 ½.  Her parents are quite a mystery, she was left at my doorstep when she was just 2.

My father was a farmer, as was my mother.  A noble, in exchange for a large portion of the harvest every year lent them the land.  I grew up poor, working the land.  At 16 I left home in order to join the priest hood, but it has led me back to a village not unlike the one I grew up in.  I help the people as much as I can, taking just enough money form tithe for the children and I to live off of, and I give the rest back to those in greater need than us.

The children and I share a small house with just one bedroom for us all, a kitchen, and a poor excuse for a living room, but we don’t complain.  God has called for us to make sacrifices for the good of others, a fact that seems to be overlooked quite often these days by many bishops in the church.  Many grow hungry these days, our bellies are empty, and morale is low, but we will press on. French Revolution

I do not understand how so many men get by with all the taxes; I have a hard enough time without any.

The Lord is with us forever and always.  May he bless all of us.

Jean

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