The martyrdom of Father Pinot: The martyr priest Noel Pinot executed in the guillotine for being a priest refractory to the revolution. He went up to the scaffold carrying the sacred ornaments, since he had been caught in a hidden celebration of the Mass for the faithful Catholics ... His climb to the scaffold was to continue and consummate the Mass:
Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam…
The last of 16 children, who was born in the home of pious father in Angers (West France) on December 19, 1747, on Christmas Eve, received a name at baptism that should remember Christmas: "Noël" (In Latin it would be "Natalis" and in Italian "Natale"). This child brought not only Christmas joy to his large family, but also to the Church the honor of a new martyr of the Holy Eucharist. With the Oratorians in Angers the boy received a good education. In December 1770 the priestly ordination made him a devout and kind diocesan priest who developed a precious work in his place. The first 10 years he worked as a chaplain in Bousse (Sarthe) and in Corze. In June 1781 he returned to the bishopric city of Angers to finish his theology studies, which would culminate with an academic degree. During this period, Noel was a chaplain at the Hospital of the incurable in Angers. On February 6, 1788 he received the title of
Magister Artium. Shortly after he was appointed pastor of Saint-Aubin in Lauroux-Béconnais, a relatively large parish, which had 3,000 souls. Here he worked as a good shepherd but only for two years, for he soon entered the storm of the French Revolution that barely broke out.
On July 12, 1791 the Civil Constitution was agreed in Paris. Father Pinot refused, with other brave priests, to take an oath to this anticlerical constitution. In his sermon on February 27, 1791 he criticized it strongly and was immediately denounced to the authorities. On March 5 he was taken prisoner and taken to Angers, where seven days later he was banned from practicing his profession as a priest. Under these circumstances he had no choice but to hide. First at the Hospital of the incurable in Angers. After looking for him there, he took the life of a persecuted priest for two years, free as a bird and fleeing from one place to another. Although always prepared to flee, he kept secretly offering Holy Mass and administering the sacraments. When the Catholics of the Vendée rose for a short time successfully against the terror regime, Father Pinot was able to return to his parish; but only for a short time could he enjoy his freedom, since the uprising of Catholics was demolished from Paris. The father had to hide again, and not only this: a sum of money was offered to whom would deliver him - dead or alive - to the tyrants of the Revolution. On the night of February 9, 1794, Father Pinot was preparing in a distant
hacienda named Milanderie to celebrate Holy Mass. All preparations were already made and the father was going to put the alb on when the guard broke in and prepared himself to make a thorough review of the place. Father Pinot hid as quickly as possible in a box, still in his alb. There he was discovered and taken prisoner. His priestly vocation, together with the fact of having celebrated Holy Mass, was enough to dictate the death penalty and his execution on the same day. The torture would be like the celebration of his last Mass, his final offering.
Thus Father Pinot went up to the gallows, dressed in alb and chasuble. Moments before his decapitation he had to take off the chasuble, but the faithful later put the vestment on after the consummation of the sacrifice. On October 21, 1926, Pope Pius XI beatified this brave priest by saying:
"Noel Pinot testified, taking until the moment of his execution the chasuble, demonstrating that the primary, most important and most sacred task of the priest is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist according to the order of the Lord."