Canonization of MOTHER marie eugenie

Letter from Canonization Committee, February 2, 2007

From February 1 - 10, 2007 the Congregation's Canonization Committee is in Rome to make the initial preparations for Blessed Marie Eugenie's being proclaimed a saint later this year. The Committee is composed of Sr. Cristina Maria (former Superior General), Sr. Katrin (General Councilor) and Sr. Maria Paola (Provincial of Italy).

We believe that we will know the date of the canonization by the end of this month. Please stay tuned!

Below is a letter from the Committee addressed to the Sisters which we wish to share with all of you.

Rome, 2 February 2007

Dear Sisters,

Here we are Katrin, Maria Paola and Cristina Maria, in Rome, to begin the preparation for the canonization of Marie Eugénie de Jésus. You can well imagine our emotion and our gratitude in having been sent here and our joy to be able to ‘still’ do something for Marie Eugenie. We hope that the time spent here can help the whole Congregation to move forward with deep interiority towards the proclamation by the Church of the sanctity of her who founded us on Christ.

We recalled a text of Marie Eugenie dated September 1856:

“It seems to me that this retreat should be a total renewal of my life. I am 39 years old – why should I not now walk on the path of sanctity? Death is the completion of the religious profession… The thought of dying is sweet to me; so, why not die today and from now on live only to attach myself to God and begin by being united to the life of heaven… I am called to be a Saint; our Congregation should be in the order of grace… My resolutions can be summarized in three words…: try to be completely dead to everything that is not God, lovingly annihilated in his abiding presence, and of being the faithful image of Jesus Christ, of living only for Him, with Him and of Him.” (NI. 217/01)

Our first task was to become aware of the extent of the task to accomplish and then to program what we could do during our 10 days in Rome before the meeting of the General Council and the Provincials of Europe in Auteuil from the 11th to the 14th of February. We have an appointment with Fr. Duthel [ the postulator for Blessed Marie Eugenie's cause] on Monday the 5th. He will give us the details regarding the persons and Roman Offices to deal with, details that will help us better grasp all that has to be thought out, foreseen and set up in the months to come.

Today, February 2, we have, like all of you, celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the day dedicated to the Consecrated Life inaugurated by John Paul II. We were at St. Peter’s for the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Cardinal Rodé, Prefect of the Congregation for the Consecrated Life. The Basilica was full to overflowing! At the end of the celebration the Pope joined us and delivered a message full of wisdom, depth and simplicity which we send with this letter.

You are all very present in our thoughts and our mission. We count on your prayers.

With our fraternal affection,

Katrin, Maria Paola and Cristina Maria

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How You Can Become A:

Pope Benedict XVI and the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome

Chapel at the Mother House, Paris

Blessed Marie Eugenie's tomb in the chapel of the Mother House, Paris