The resurrection of Jérôme Genin

Drowned in the local river Fier, the young Jérôme Genin was not fished out of the water until eight hours later. He was resurrected the following day, 2 May 1623, after making a vow to Saint Francis de Sales, who had died four months earlier.

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Reasons to believe:

The event took place in public, in front of dozens of witnesses, and was immediately disclosed without being contested by anyone.

The site of the drowning (near the present-day "Onnex bridge", built in 1937) is well known, as is the site of the miracle (commemorated by a plaque at 220 route des Aulnes, Onnex).

A methodical investigation took sworn testimony from ten witnesses, including Genin himself.

Death was unmistakable, as the body had remained at the bottom of the river for eight hours after drowning. The best swimmer in the region had to be called in to bring it up.

What's more, the next day, the smell of putrefaction made the good people who came to pray near the corpse shrink away.

Genin, who had followed the religious instructions of Saint Francis de Sales, expressly invoked him as he fell into the water, and declared that he then clearly saw him, with his own eyes, blessing him as he came to.

Two days after the resurrection, the miracle was completed in Annecy, at the tomb of the holy bishop Saint Francis de Sales, where Genin had gone on pilgrimage: the wounds, scratches, haematomas and other traces of the accident disappeared in an instant.

Summary:

"I saw a miracle that is, I believe, the greatest of all ", Marin Raphin, a direct witness to the resurrection, told the commission of enquiry. Louise de Ronzier, who had kept vigil over the deceased, then helped to place him in the shroud, and fainted when she saw him suddenly stand up again, added that it was "the greatest miracle one can ever see" .

Monday 1 May 1623: drowning in the waters of the River Fier

It all began on Monday 1 May 1623, at around 7.30am, when Jérôme Genin (aged fifteen) and his brother François (aged fourteen) saw the river Fier "exceptionally swollen from the snow that had fallen in abundance a few days earlier". There was no bridge to cross, just "three rafters that were not attached to each other ", said François - " three planks of wood that were quite weak and barely went from one end of the river to the other ", his brother confirmed.

7.45am: a vow to Francis de Sales

Before crossing the river, the two boys invoked Francis de Sales, whose catechism classes they had attended the previous year. Since the holy bishop's death, they had heard about the miracles that had been taking place at his tomb. "We vowed that if, by his protection, we could cross the said river, we would visit his tomb."

8 am: drowning

Jérôme felt dizzy as he stepped onto the rickety planks. At first, he clung to the planks, but ended up falling into the water, not withoutinvoking Francis de Salesagain. "Then I fell into the river and I don't remember anything more. His brother, who tried in vain to help him, could see "only his hat floating in the water".

8:30 am: a call for help in Onnex

François ran to the nearby village of Onnex for help.At about half past eight in the morning," a local resident testified, "my father and I came out of our house and saw a young boy crying[...]. He asked us to go to the riverbank to try and find the body.

9 am to 4 pm: seven hours of searching

From 9 am, the people of Onnex searched the banks of the Fier river. They were joined at "around half past noon" by the region's top diver, Alexandre Raphin. But the latter didn't discover the body trapped in the water, until around 4pm, much lower downstream.

4:30 pm: obvious death

The body was then laid on the shore in front of dozens of witnesses. "Everyone looked at him with pity [...]he was so deformed, with a livid face and horribly swollen eyes, and full of water up to his throat ", said Martin Curlet. François Genin confirmed: "He was as cold as marble and everyone thought he was so dead that if they had been near the church, they would have said they had to bury him right away." But he had to be carried to Onnex, where the cemetery was. They found him "very heavy for his age, due to the amount of water he had swallowed".

5pm: the priest postpones the funeral until the following day

The local priest arrived at around 5pm. After examining and feeling the body, he confirmed the death and had the grave dug. But burial was postponed until the following day. In the meantime, the body lay in a barn (now 220, route des Aulnes, Onnex).

6pm: the canon's vow

Canon Claude Puthod, with whom the two Genin brothers were boarders, arrived at around 6pm. He in turn made a vow in honour of Francis de Sales: nine masses before his tomb "if it pleased the divine goodness, for the glory of his servant, to give life to this body".

Night of 1st to 2nd May: funeral vigil

Throughout the night, local people took turns praying over the body, which was now in the process of decomposing. When he returned at dawn, François found it "even more hideous and deformed ".

Tuesday morning, 2 May: the smell of death

In the morning, "the body began to smell very bad, and we found it difficult to stay near it" said one witness. Others spoke of "stench" or "infection". The smell made the clergy, who arrived at around 11am for the funeral, stand back. "Having entered the barn, several people told us that it was no longer possible to stay there, so bad did he smell" (Canon Puthod).

11 am: the dead man gets up

An inhabitant of Onnex testified: "Unable to bear the stench, [the priests] went out to give us time to wrap him in the shroud that my cousin Antonie brought. And as she wanted to put him in it, assisted by the aforementioned Louise de Ronzier, we were quite surprised to see him raise an arm and make a complaint and say at the same time: "O blessed François de Sales!" This frightened Louise de Ronzier so much that she fell down in a swoon, and my father came out shouting: "Miracle, miracle! He has risen from the dead!". Between thirty and forty people witnessed the scene. On reaching the barn, the priests saw "all these people assembled, some on their knees and others raising their arms to heaven, and most of them crying out as they spoke to us: 'Gentlemen, come quickly! This dead man has risen!"

Appearance of Francis de Sales

Jérôme Genin, who had sat up, immediately spoke of Francis de Sales. He claimed to have seen him "distinctly" before him, "with a radiant face and looking at me with a gentle and affectionate gaze" as he gave his blessing. He certified that it was not a dream, but "a real apparition".

No water spilt

Although the risen youth rinsed out his mouth and ears, which were still stained with mud, the witnesses noted that he did not spill out a single drop of water since he had been taken from the river.

Thursday 4 May 1623: complete recovery at the tomb of Francis de Sales

Jérôme's legs and arms were still bruised. But all his pain stopped on 4 May 1623, when he lay on the tomb of Francis de Sales. All the wounds that had been clearly visible just a few hours earlier suddenly disappeared. This was the second part of the miracle.

Brother Aymon-Marie, o.p.

Beyond reasons to believe:

Francis de Sales, who served as Bishop of Geneva was noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his diocese resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He was one of the main leaders of the Catholic Reformation, following the Council of Trent. He had managed to overcome his violent temper to the point of being known as "the gentle Francis de Sales".

Going further:

The most detailed study on the resurrection of Jérôme Genin, with a methodical discussion of the testimonies, appeared in the magazine Le Sel de la terre no. 122 (autumn 2022): "La résurrection de Jérôme Genin, enquête sur un miracle bien attesté mais mal daté". It is followed by reproductions of the testimonies of Jérôme Genin, his brother François, Canon Puthod and the diver Alexandre Raphin.

More information:

On the life of Saint François de Sales: Mgr Trochu, Saint François de Sales, Paris, Vitte, 1941.
On his many miracles: Pouvoir de saint François de Sales, ou miracles et guérisons opérés par le saint évêque, Annecy, Charles Burdet, 1865, taken from the canonisation process of the saint, republished several times and available online at Gallica.