Father Jacques Albert was born on 7 March 1936 in Mazamet (Tarn), France. He was the son of Paul Albert and Flavina, and the eldest of six children: Jacques, Jean, André, Françoise, Thérèse, and Pierre. Baptized the day after his birth, he grew up in a deeply Christian family in the family home on Rue du Curé Pous, in the heart of Mazamet. A lively and joyful child, curious about everything and eager to learn, he was a source of great happiness to his parents and those around him. A diligent student at Saint John’s School, he was appreciated by both his classmates and his teachers. The proximity of the Church of Holy Savior naturally led him to serve as an altar boy, and he also joined the Scouts of the Joan of Arc troop. Very early on, his priestly vocation became evident; even as a child, he enjoyed imitating liturgical ceremonies at home with his brothers and sisters.
On the advice of Father Dominique, a family friend, he entered the apostolic school of the Franciscan friary of the Third Order Regular in Ambialet on 28 September 1946, at the age of eleven, where he continued his studies until completing his baccalaureate. Determined to follow the Lord’s call, he entered the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, receiving the religious habit at the shrine of Our Lady of La Drèche on 7 October 1956 and professing his vows on 8 October 1957. He then continued his philosophical studies with the Franciscans in Béziers. After three years of deferment, he was called up for military service and served from 1960 to 1961 in the transport regiment at Montlhéry, before being sent to Algeria, to the Beni-Messous camp near Algiers. Appreciated for his kindness and his sense of fraternal leadership, he attained the rank of Maréchal des Logis. Returning to France in the autumn of 1961, he resumed his formation at the major seminary of Albi and was ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia in Albi on 4 September 1964.
His life as a Franciscan friar led him to several communities, including Ambialet and Fontenay-aux-Roses, before returning again to Ambialet. He also served on mission in Brazil in 1967–1968, an experience that profoundly shaped his pastoral outlook, and he contributed to the missionary review Mato Grosso. In the following years, he continued his pastoral service between Fontenay-aux-Roses, Ambialet, and the shrine of Our Lady of La Drèche, where in 1983 he was appointed rector, a mission he carried out for many years before later serving as assistant priest of the shrine until the end of his life. On 1 October 1989, he celebrated the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination at La Drèche.
Deeply attached to the youth, he gladly devoted his free time to leading holiday camps and youth gatherings as an instructor or chaplain, accompanying many young people on their journey of faith. He also took part in several pilgrimages and journeys, notably to Greece, Norway, and the Holy Land, and he cherished the joy of having brought his parents to Rome for a papal audience. A simple, fraternal, and joyful man, Father Jacques deeply loved family life and moments of sharing around a good meal with those close to him. This same love of family naturally extended into his religious fraternity, where he was always present, joyful, and welcoming—a truly fraternal brother who loved the Church and the liturgy deeply, and who possessed an extraordinary knowledge of Church history as well as of the wider world. Brother Jacques left behind a witness of simplicity, humility, and service to the Church, remaining at the shrine of Our Lady of La Drèche until the end of his life.
On 29 June 2025, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, he passed away peacefully at La Drèche after more than sixty years in priesthood, leaving behind the lasting memory of a good and faithful Franciscan brother, strong in character and above all deeply devoted to the service of God and of humanity.