Léon Clergue was a 19th-century French Capuchin priest who served as a dedicated missionary throughout southern France. Born in Lavaur in 1825, he became widely known as the "Apostle of the South" for conducting approximately 700 itinerant missions. He played a significant role in the growth of pilgrimages to Lourdes, where he earned the nickname "Stretcher Bearer of Souls" for his service to pilgrims. A staunch defender of traditional values, he remained in his Toulouse convent during the anti-clerical expulsions of 1880 due to his immense popularity with the local community.