A native of the village of Bertry in Northern France, Charles-Joseph Lemaire was the son of an owner of a small weaving factory. Aged twelve, he entered the minor seminary of Cambrai but left two years later and began working in his father's workshop. Shortly thereafter, during the Great War, he found himself out of work and went back to school. In 1917 he and other young men in his area, then occupied by German forces, were made to work for the occupying forces until the war ended in 1918.
Returning to complete his minor seminary studies, Lemaire then entered the major seminary of his diocese in 1922 and finally, in 1925, the Paris Foreign Mission Society. The following year he was sent to Rome to continue his studies and was ordained priest on September 22, 1929. Following a further year of study in Rome, during which he received the degrees of bachelor of canon law and a doctorate in sacred theology, he left for his mission post in Manchuria in the Vicariate Apostolic of Kirin, presently the Diocese of Jilin, on September 8, 1930.
Following language studies, in May 1932 he was appointed assistant and then parish priest of the Cathedral of Kirin, a post which he held until the end of 1936. From January 1937 until December 1939 he was rector of both the major and minor seminaries at Kirin. In 1939 when Msgr. Auguste Gaspais, the local apostolic vicar, was asked to take on extra duties as acting papal representative in Manchukuo and needed an auxiliary, Father Lemaire was chosen and appointed bishop of the titular see of Otrus, received his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Gaspais on November 16, 1939. During the Second World War he carried out the various duties of parish visitations and ceremonies of confirmation which Msgr. Gaspais gave him to do.
Due to the bellic period, the Paris Foreign Mission Society had been unable to hold a general chapter to elect a new superior general according to its constitutions. The serving superior general, Father Robert, wished to resign and so the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith allowed his resignation and on November 16, 1945 appointed Msgr. Lemaire to take his place as superior general of the society until such time as a general chapter could be held. Ultimately, in 1950, the society was able to have a general chapter and Lemaire was elected to a full ten year term as superior general. Thus on the completion of this term, Msgr. Lemaire had spent fifteen years in all as superior of his mission society.
With the election of a new superior general in 1960, Msgr. Lemaire was assigned as superior of Bethany House in Hong Kong, a post that he held another fifteen years until the suppression of the house in 1975. Following that he retired to the house of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Hong Kong and when his health began to fail, to Saint Mary's Home for the Aged run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, near the local seminary, to spend his final years in prayer and reflection. He died there on April 22, 1995 after a long and fruitful life. His funeral service was held on April 26, 1995 at the Kings Hall in St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay at 10.00 am., followed by interment at the Catholic Cemetery in Happy Valley, with Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung of Hong Kong presiding.
Returning to complete his minor seminary studies, Lemaire then entered the major seminary of his diocese in 1922 and finally, in 1925, the Paris Foreign Mission Society. The following year he was sent to Rome to continue his studies and was ordained priest on September 22, 1929. Following a further year of study in Rome, during which he received the degrees of bachelor of canon law and a doctorate in sacred theology, he left for his mission post in Manchuria in the Vicariate Apostolic of Kirin, presently the Diocese of Jilin, on September 8, 1930.
Following language studies, in May 1932 he was appointed assistant and then parish priest of the Cathedral of Kirin, a post which he held until the end of 1936. From January 1937 until December 1939 he was rector of both the major and minor seminaries at Kirin. In 1939 when Msgr. Auguste Gaspais, the local apostolic vicar, was asked to take on extra duties as acting papal representative in Manchukuo and needed an auxiliary, Father Lemaire was chosen and appointed bishop of the titular see of Otrus, received his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Gaspais on November 16, 1939. During the Second World War he carried out the various duties of parish visitations and ceremonies of confirmation which Msgr. Gaspais gave him to do.
Due to the bellic period, the Paris Foreign Mission Society had been unable to hold a general chapter to elect a new superior general according to its constitutions. The serving superior general, Father Robert, wished to resign and so the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith allowed his resignation and on November 16, 1945 appointed Msgr. Lemaire to take his place as superior general of the society until such time as a general chapter could be held. Ultimately, in 1950, the society was able to have a general chapter and Lemaire was elected to a full ten year term as superior general. Thus on the completion of this term, Msgr. Lemaire had spent fifteen years in all as superior of his mission society.
With the election of a new superior general in 1960, Msgr. Lemaire was assigned as superior of Bethany House in Hong Kong, a post that he held another fifteen years until the suppression of the house in 1975. Following that he retired to the house of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Hong Kong and when his health began to fail, to Saint Mary's Home for the Aged run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, near the local seminary, to spend his final years in prayer and reflection. He died there on April 22, 1995 after a long and fruitful life. His funeral service was held on April 26, 1995 at the Kings Hall in St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay at 10.00 am., followed by interment at the Catholic Cemetery in Happy Valley, with Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung of Hong Kong presiding.
A native of the village of Bertry in Northern France, Charles-Joseph Lemaire was the son of an owner of a small weaving factory. Aged twelve, he entered the minor seminary of Cambrai but left two years later and began working in his father's workshop. Shortly thereafter, during the Great War, he found himself out of work and went back to school. In 1917 he and other young men in his area, then occupied by German forces, were made to work for the occupying forces until the war ended in 1918.
Returning to complete his minor seminary studies, Lemaire then entered the major seminary of his diocese in 1922 and finally, in 1925, the Paris Foreign Mission Society. The following year he was sent to Rome to continue his studies and was ordained priest on September 22, 1929. Following a further year of study in Rome, during which he received the degrees of bachelor of canon law and a doctorate in sacred theology, he left for his mission post in Manchuria in the Vicariate Apostolic of Kirin, presently the Diocese of Jilin, on September 8, 1930.
Following language studies, in May 1932 he was appointed assistant and then parish priest of the Cathedral of Kirin, a post which he held until the end of 1936. From January 1937 until December 1939 he was rector of both the major and minor seminaries at Kirin. In 1939 when Msgr. Auguste Gaspais, the local apostolic vicar, was asked to take on extra duties as acting papal representative in Manchukuo and needed an auxiliary, Father Lemaire was chosen and appointed bishop of the titular see of Otrus, received his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Gaspais on November 16, 1939. During the Second World War he carried out the various duties of parish visitations and ceremonies of confirmation which Msgr. Gaspais gave him to do.
Due to the bellic period, the Paris Foreign Mission Society had been unable to hold a general chapter to elect a new superior general according to its constitutions. The serving superior general, Father Robert, wished to resign and so the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith allowed his resignation and on November 16, 1945 appointed Msgr. Lemaire to take his place as superior general of the society until such time as a general chapter could be held. Ultimately, in 1950, the society was able to have a general chapter and Lemaire was elected to a full ten year term as superior general. Thus on the completion of this term, Msgr. Lemaire had spent fifteen years in all as superior of his mission society.
With the election of a new superior general in 1960, Msgr. Lemaire was assigned as superior of Bethany House in Hong Kong, a post that he held another fifteen years until the suppression of the house in 1975. Following that he retired to the house of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Hong Kong and when his health began to fail, to Saint Mary's Home for the Aged run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, near the local seminary, to spend his final years in prayer and reflection. He died there on April 22, 1995 after a long and fruitful life. His funeral service was held on April 26, 1995 at the Kings Hall in St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay at 10.00 am., followed by interment at the Catholic Cemetery in Happy Valley, with Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung of Hong Kong presiding.
Returning to complete his minor seminary studies, Lemaire then entered the major seminary of his diocese in 1922 and finally, in 1925, the Paris Foreign Mission Society. The following year he was sent to Rome to continue his studies and was ordained priest on September 22, 1929. Following a further year of study in Rome, during which he received the degrees of bachelor of canon law and a doctorate in sacred theology, he left for his mission post in Manchuria in the Vicariate Apostolic of Kirin, presently the Diocese of Jilin, on September 8, 1930.
Following language studies, in May 1932 he was appointed assistant and then parish priest of the Cathedral of Kirin, a post which he held until the end of 1936. From January 1937 until December 1939 he was rector of both the major and minor seminaries at Kirin. In 1939 when Msgr. Auguste Gaspais, the local apostolic vicar, was asked to take on extra duties as acting papal representative in Manchukuo and needed an auxiliary, Father Lemaire was chosen and appointed bishop of the titular see of Otrus, received his episcopal consecration from Msgr. Gaspais on November 16, 1939. During the Second World War he carried out the various duties of parish visitations and ceremonies of confirmation which Msgr. Gaspais gave him to do.
Due to the bellic period, the Paris Foreign Mission Society had been unable to hold a general chapter to elect a new superior general according to its constitutions. The serving superior general, Father Robert, wished to resign and so the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith allowed his resignation and on November 16, 1945 appointed Msgr. Lemaire to take his place as superior general of the society until such time as a general chapter could be held. Ultimately, in 1950, the society was able to have a general chapter and Lemaire was elected to a full ten year term as superior general. Thus on the completion of this term, Msgr. Lemaire had spent fifteen years in all as superior of his mission society.
With the election of a new superior general in 1960, Msgr. Lemaire was assigned as superior of Bethany House in Hong Kong, a post that he held another fifteen years until the suppression of the house in 1975. Following that he retired to the house of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Hong Kong and when his health began to fail, to Saint Mary's Home for the Aged run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, near the local seminary, to spend his final years in prayer and reflection. He died there on April 22, 1995 after a long and fruitful life. His funeral service was held on April 26, 1995 at the Kings Hall in St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay at 10.00 am., followed by interment at the Catholic Cemetery in Happy Valley, with Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung of Hong Kong presiding.
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