Dear sisters:
In 1789 during the French revolution, with her deep faith, Angélique LE SOURD let herself be moved by the new reality around her: the persecution of the juror priests. Within this she discovered that God was calling her to get involved in different ways, even risking her life to do it…. In 1816, when calm returned, she and three of her friends decided to live together (April 25), “in order to be better able to do good around them by putting in common their resources and aptitudes”
204 years later, we are confronted with another reality: the Coronavirus epidemic. The motto is, “stay home” to save lives and make it easier for those who are working on the frontlines to combat the virus (healthcare workers) just like Angélique when during the revolution she facilitated the mission of the priests during the night when they visited the sick and the dying and when they protected the Blessed Sacrament from being profaned… For us in the novitiate, when the virus managed to pass through our doors, in spite of everything, the moto was even more restrictive: “stay in your room!” in order to protect those who were not infected and we did this for two to three weeks. But thanks to “the remnant of Catholic aid”, because that’s what they were called (Marie-Claude, Marie-Antoinette, Cordélia and Célestine), and Sister Anne we were supported and served so that we had everything we needed. Marie-Claude went above and beyond to keep the house going because with Covid-19 even the “Community of Catholic Aid” did not go out for two good weeks. Jean-Pierre, a friend of the Sisters, ran errands to buy what was most essential while Marie-Claude made bread with the help of Cordélia and Célestine. During all these weeks of “isolation” we lived wonderful gestures of fraternity! On Holy Thursday evening we all came back to the community. We celebrated Easter with Anne and Roselys.
We just finished watching live, the mass being celebrated by our parish priest at the Notre-Dame des Otages Oratory. Although Father Stéphane forgot to mention it, the mass was requested by Jean-Pierre and Marie-Claire, friends of the Sisters, in order to celebrate the 204th anniversary of the foundation of our Congregation and you were all included in our prayers. Happy Feast day to all of you. May Angélique and all the Sisters who have gone before us intercede for us so that we can be “sowers of hope” in this suffering world.
Thank you also, each one of you, for your fraternal support and prayers during this time of illness. We really felt the strength of true fraternity at the heart of the Congregation. We are all doing better but more healing is needed… We need to have a bit more patience before we can be restored to full health.
We wish you a wonderful day lived in gratitude and trust in the protection of Angélique and all of our predecessors.
Hugs guaranteed virus free,
The novitiate community