Hebert honored during commemorative mass
Fr. Eugene John Hebert (shown at right) was honored during a commemorative mass held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Jennings by Fr. Jude Fernando.
On Sunday, July 8, 2018, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Jennings, a commemorative mass was held in honor of the memory of Fr. Eugene John Hebert by Fr. Jude Fernando. The Hebert family donated a statue of St. Joseph holding the infant Jesus to the church in his honor. Hebert was a native of Jennings and spent most of his ordained ministry as a Jesuit missionary in Sri Lanka. He along with his Tamil driver Betram Francis disappeared on Aug. 15, 1990, as the Sri Lankan civil war was raging. He went missing on his way to the eastern city of Batticaloa from a nearby town of Valaichchenai. He was known for his human rights activity on behalf of the local civilians. The Jesuits believe that he was killed along with his driver. The details of his life is as follows: 1923 - Eugene John Hebert was born in Jennings, Louisiana, Oct. 9, 1923. 1941 - He joined the Jesuits on Aug. 14, 1941, at the age of 17. 1948 - He was accepted and arrived in September 1948. 1954 - He was ordained priest on March 24, 1954. 1956 - After returning to Ceylon in April 1956, he was assigned to St. Joseph’s College in Trincomalee as a teacher and sports coach. 1990 - Eugene John Hebert died in 1990 in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.