The Provincial Assembly of France is currently taking place in Thiais, at the Annonciades Monastery in the diocese of Créteil from 1-4 July. (The Monastery is close to the new Thiais initial formation community). 25 brothers are taking part. We are happy to welcome our brother Eric Hernout back from Chile, as he makes his way on to Rome as a new archivist.
On Wednesday, 3rd July we made a small pilgrimage in the footsteps of Madeleine DELBRÊL. Born in 1904 and died in 1964, Madeleine marked the diocese of Créteil with her life as a Christian in a communist milieu. She was a social worker and her ability to reach the poor touched even the hearts of the communist activists who ran the city. She entered into relations with everyone in the working population "having lost all Christian memory". At present, her cause for beatification is being studied.
We also visited the parish where she used to pray and her house, where she welcomed the needy as her traveling companions. A beautiful figure of holiness who developed a "mystique of the street”.
The day ended with the Eucharist presided over by Bishop Michel Santier, Bishop of Créteil, accompanied by Father Jean-Pierre Gay who chairs the association of Madeleine Delbrêl's friends. https://www.madeleine-delbrel.net/
During these three days the presence of the Superior General, Alberto Toutin, allowed us to take up and share between us two of the themes of the last general chapter: "The inner life" and "pastoral and missionary conversion: new paths of Emmaus”.
07/04/2019