10/04/2017 - France

The Planting of Two Pear Trees 

Teri O’Brien writes:

To commemorate the event of these 200 years, the Sisters in Belley planted two pear trees. You need two for pollination and you need at least two women to begin a community. One tree is planted at the Jeanne-Marie Chavoin Historical Centre while the other is beside the new Maison Marie Jotillon. Both trees were planted with care, in rich soil and were carefully watered.

Why a pear tree you might ask… there is a significant historical answer.

Teri then refers to the story handed down to us from the middle-aged Mother St Joseph as related to the young Mother Ambrose, who later became our 2^nd Superior General (See RMJ 163, 3). It was the pear tree in the back yard of the Chavoin home in Coutouvre that sheltered the then Jeanne-Marie Chavoin and her companion, Marie Jotillon, as they had a conversation which was life-changing… That conversation was the beginning of a deep spiritual partnership between the two women leading to their decision some 11 years later to set out for Cerdon “to begin the Society of the Blessed Virgin”.

47 visits

See other videos

Our images