Jean-Rémy Bessieux

Born in Vélieux in Montpellier, France, Bessieux had been a parish priest and seminary teacher when he entered the Holy Heart of Mary Congregation in August 1842.

Travelling with Brother Grégoire Say, Bessieux arrived in Gabon September 1844, and settled at Okolo, a village in the Agekaza-Quaben clan's area, not far from the French fort.

He also established a school for boys, a church, and arranged the 1849 arrival of the Immaculate Conception Sisters of Castres.

Even so, he continued in Gabon until his death in 1876, sometimes without official support, and with only occasional brief visits to Europe to recover his health.

Gardinier observes that Bessieux's determination to stay in Gabon probably influenced the French government's decision to maintain their base.