Bicentenary of the Marist Sisters

List News

02/10/2017 - France

Marist Sisters' Bicentenary!

On 3rd October in Coutouvre, a village north-west of Lyon in France, the townsfolk will gather with visiting Marist Sisters to mark an event of great significance to them and will unveil a memorial plaque in the parish church.

200 years ago two young women, born and bred there, set out for the unfamiliar territory of Cerdon, on the other side of Lyon with its foreign dialect and customs. Jeanne-Marie Chavoin and Marie Jotillon had known for 11 years that they were called by God. However, the details of God's purpose only became evident when they were introduced to the Marist Project being promoted by one Fr Jean-Claude Colin and some other newly-ordained priests. Suddenly all became clear and, as Jeanne-Marie put it years later, "we left home and family to begin the Society of the Blessed Virgin".

We don't have an exact date, but it would have been some time in October 1817. As relatively few Sisters are able to be present in Coutouvre, our Congregational Leader, Sr Grace Ellul, has published a video message for our Sisters in their different languages - Setting Out, En route, In Uscita, Em Saida, Ponerse en el camino

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