The youngest member of the family, Joseph Barbedette was born on November 26, 1860. Unlike Eugene, he was lively, restless, fond of play and movement. There was nothing hidden in him; on the contrary, the spontaneity and frankness of his answers always struck his interlocutors. When a priest said to him, “You are too mean, I cannot believe that you have seen the Holy Virgin,” he briskly replied, “Well, you are like Saint Thomas.” – “What’s wrong with that?” continued the priest. “Saint Thomas was a great saint!” – “Yes, but not when he did not believe!” A few weeks after the Apparition, Joseph entered the minor seminary. Feeling that he was called to the religious life, he entered theOblates of Mary Immaculate, who were in charge of the Pontmain pilgrimage. At the request of his superior, he wrote “Le Récit d’un voyant” in which he recounts the event of January 17, 1871. He was often called upon to give the same account from the pulpits of famous people. The humble privileged man of Mary always did so with a piety and a conviction that impressed his audience. When his health began to decline, he returned to theOblate house in Pontmain, where he died on November 3, 1930, shortly before his 70th birthday. Born on November 4, 1858, Eugene Barbedette was twelve years old when the Virgin appeared. He was a calm, intelligent, docile, well-behaved child. His honest look and unpretentious manners revealed his loyal soul. Since the mobilization of his older brother, Eugene worked generously to help his parents. Every day, with his brother Joseph, he faithfully recited the rosary, made the Way of the Cross, served the Mass and attended public prayers. Our young visionary soon heard the call to the priestly life. He became a secular priest in the diocese of Laval. In his various obediences, he always gave the example of a great fidelity to his duty and of a deep humility. He never spoke of the Apparition, except out of obedience; the mere memory of that heavenly favor brought him to tears. He died as pastor of Châtillon-sur-Colmont on May 2, 1927, at the age of 68. The Seers of Our Lady A few days after the Apparition, the Sisters in Pontmain brought the visionaries to the mother house of their Congregation in Rillé, so that they could be questioned by the Superior General, who said to them, “The Blessed Virgin knows French. She could not begin a sentence with this word mais.” Little Jeanne-Marie judiciously replied, “Sister Vitaline knows French well, and yet when she is tired of seeing that we’re not working, she gives a big kick on the platform and says, “Mais étudiez donc, mais étudiez donc!” – “But study, but study!”
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