IFTTT Autopost 
Auguste Robert Pelafigue was born in Beauçens, France, about 12 miles from Lourdes, the fourth child in a family of five children. His parents were devout Catholic Christians and often took the children to visit Lourdes, site of a reported Marian apparition.
At the end of November, 1889, the family sailed from France to New York to begin a new life. They settled in the French-speaking town of Arnaudville, Louisiana. There, the fifth and final child of the family, Emilie, was born. Because Auguste was only a year old when he came to the United States, that was the only country he would ever know. By the time he died, Auguste was more commonly known as “Nonco,” coming from the Cajun word for “uncle.”
In 1920, when the mother of the family died, Mr. Pelafigue left his children to the care of relatives in Louisiana and returned to France.
At the age of twenty, Nonco moved to Natchitoches to attend the State Normal School to become a teacher. When he was finished, he came back to Arnaudville to make his home, a very humble place. He loved animals and had guineas, pigeons, bantam roosters, ducks, dogs, cats, and even a peacock. He loved to show his students his “zoo.”
Nonco also furthered his education during summer vacations in Lafayette at Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
After teaching for many years in public schools, Nonco began teaching at Little Flower Catholic School in Arnaudville at the invitation of the pastor. It was there that he demonstrated his creativity in teaching, using all his gifts to serve others. For example, he wrote plays and pageants for his students, and they learned important concepts through acting out the Bible stories and lives of the saints that Nonco wanted them to know.
Nonco is also famous for his great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, mother of Jesus. This devotion was similar to another famous American, Servant of God Julia Greeley of Colorado. Nonco’s devotion to the Sacred Heart was so great, that he founded the League of the Sacred Heart with 1,200 members.
Nonco was a home missionary who made house calls to fallen-away Catholics and persons who were ill. When making his rounds to visit others, he would frequently be offered a ride by passing cars. He always refused the rides, even on rainy days, for he wanted his walking to be a sacrifice that he offered for the “poor souls in purgatory” and other intentions.
He also served as a catechist to Catholic students who attended public schools, and he attended Mass every day. Nonco served his parish in any way he could.
Nonco died on June 6, 1977. In 2020, Nonco became one of three Cajun Americans to begin the sainthood process by being proclaimed Servant of God. The two others recommended to be known as Servant of God are Fr. Joseph Verbis LaFleur and 12-year-old Charlene Richard.
