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Reverend Father Denis ( André Handfield ) son of Hormisdas Handfield and of Joséphine Chicoine was born in St-Marc-sur-Richelieu on February 14, 1901. Following his first studies in his birthplace, he entered the Collège Séraphique (Franciscan school) of Trois-Rivières in September 1915. He joined the Order on September 17, 1922 and became a deacon on June 29, 1927. He was ordained into the priesthood on June 29, 1929. He tought in Sorel in 1929-1930 and preached at St-Joseph convent in Montréal in 1930. Becoming a missionary, he left Canada on January 21, 1931, to arrive in Japan on February 16, 1931. He held several positions until 1937 when he became Superior in Denenchofu and Guardian at the regular convent of Tokyo. He was also Confessor in several religious communities in 1940 when Japan started its war with the US and Great-Britain. Together with several colleagues, he was sent to a concentration camp. For several months, Father Denis had a sour throat that was looked after by his colleagues: Father Garnier Desbiens and Brother Fernand Filion. Getting increasingly worse, the Japanese authorities transferred him in November 1942 to the hospital for foreigners in Yokohama where a German surgeon operated on him but without success. He passed away on December 31, 1942. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of the convent of Tokyo where he was the Superior during several years. |