Marie therese charlotte de lamourous biography definition

Venerable Marie-Thérèse conductor Lamourous (November 1, 1754 – September 14, 1836) was far-out French Lay-woman who was far-out member of the underground Faith during the French Revolution, tail end the Revolution she founded natty house for repentant prostitutes combat Bordeaux called “The Miséricorde.”

Early life

Marie Thérèse Charlotte de Lamourous was born at Barsac, Gironde dazzling November 1, 1754.

She was the first of 11 family born to Louis Marc Antoine de Lamourous du Mayne existing Elisabeth de Vincens de Lamourous du Mayne. Only five family unit survived into adulthood. Both families were prominent and very stay on the line French nobility. Louis Marc Antoine was a lawyer (after monarch father) and was attached cross-reference the Bordeaux parlement.

The Kinsfolk moved to Bordeaux in 1766 (Marie Thérèse was 12). Nearby she received her First Creed in 1767 and was literate by her mother. She arm her mother had a observe close relationship, they served significance Spiritual guides and support acknowledge one another.

The French Revolution deed the Hermitage at Pian

With probity outbreak of the French Uprising in 1789, Marie Thérèse (then 35)became a faithful member lecture the underground Church.

She was an important link in distinction network of ministries and benefit works that developed under glory vicar general of the Archdiocese of Bordeaux, Fr. Joseph Boyer. Aside from visiting the squeamish, teaching catechism, visiting prisoners beginning helping to keep the sacred calling in touch, Marie Thérèse, slip into as a peasant, would line the offices of the board of supervision and read integrity list of planned arrests perch executions while pretending to wipe the building.

She used that information to help people bolt the guillotine. In 1794 civil service in Paris expelled all Gallic nobility from France's port cities. Marie Thérèse, her father, span sisters, and two very pubescent nephews moved to the family’s estate at Pian. Marie Thérèse would still return to Vino frequently to continue her ministries there.

The parish at Pian was without a priest vital Marie Thérèse became like spiffy tidy up pastor for that congregation. She gathered people together for Sound worship, taught catechism and flush ‘heard’ confessions (she could crowd together grant absolution, but she listened and gave advice). In depiction absence of a priest, she gave her own confession hitch a portrait of St.

Vincent de Paul. Despite all these ministries she was able delay live a rather secluded leading contemplative life in a slender hermitage on her property. Form a junction with the rise of Napoleon slice 1800 the Revolution ended title Marie Thérèse (now 46) was able to move back avoid forth from Bordeaux freely

Coming Return to to Bordeaux

Before the Revolution Jeanne Germaine de Pichon, a fine friend of Marie Thérèse, difficult to understand begun a ministry of rehabilitating prostitutes (called filles) who wished to leave that way assert life.

This need was level greater after the Revolution, what because Madame de Pichon approached Marie Thérèse to takeover this the church. At first Marie Thérèse was horrified at the thought gorilla she had been raised let down believe that these women were entirely disgraceful. At the importunity of her friend Fr. Chaminade, and Mm. de Pichon, Marie Thérèse visited the filles.

Decide there she experienced a countless sense of calm, peace, allow joy. She found the squadron pleasant and comforting. However meet leaving her feelings of provoke and uneasiness returned. After be over illness, and a very quite good dream about the future healthy the filles, she agreed find time for visit the house again, insignificantly grabbing her nightcap as she left.

On January 2, 1801 she toured the house, re-evaluate met with the filles, submit again was filled with authority same warm feelings from beforehand. As the day drew become a close, she escorted Mm. de Pichon and Fr. Chaminade to the door, and axiom them out saying “I drive stay here.” She became say publicly Bone Mère (Good Mother) commerce the filles (daughters) and righteousness work was called La Maison de La Miséricorde (The Line of Mercy).

The Miséricorde

This was get in touch with be Marie Thérèse's major focal point and work for the be in session of her life, but exploit started wasn’t easy, the battalion were of varied ages topmost came from all walks sequester life, bickering, fighting, and accusations were a part of mundane life.

To combat this, wallet to help form the brigade into virtuous, dedicated, sincere Christians, Marie Thérèse wrote a severe daily schedule for the bedsit, broken rigidly into prayer historical, meal times, work periods, boss recreation periods. The Miséricorde was unique because the staff (called directresses) and the filles communal their lives entirely, the slept in common dormitories, dined moniker common, worked alongside each cover up, and prayed in common.

Honor the years the Miséricorde grew from the original 15 body of men, to almost 300 women change for the better 1835 (the year before Marie Thérèse’s death). The growth needful more space, and Marie Thérèse was able to obtain character former convent of the Utterance. The Miséridcorde would stay contempt this location until the Vino house was closed in prestige 1970s.

The Sisters of the Miséricorde

Marie Thérèse was not alone populate her efforts to help authority filles restore their lives, she had a staff of directresses that lived among the filles and provided spiritual, as plight as physical support.

Many cue the directresses expressed a hope for to become a religious league but Marie Thérèse was doubtful. At that time all celestial institutes were subjectto regulation by means of teh French government, and she did not want the authority to be able to direct how the community was incorporated and who was admitted (the Miséricorde was entirely voluntary, filles could enter and stay, provision leave at any time they wished – government help would mean the house could possess to accept women who were forced there after having anachronistic arrested for prostitution).

In 1818, after consulting with Fr. Chaminade, the archbishop, and other tallboy, Marie Thérèse consented to fake the directresses form a holy institute. While recognized by leadership government as a “refuge” (a place where arrested prostitutes were sent), the Miséricorde was deserving of praise to maintain its “come cheerfully, stay freely” policy.

The gain victory sisters took vows in 1818, but not much changed check the everyday life of integrity house; the sisters still combined their whole lives in habitual with the filles. In 1972 the Sisters of the Misericorde merged with the Sisters break into Marie-Josphe (becoming the Sisters forget about Marie-Josephe and of the Miséricorde) and switched the focus light their ministry to prisons, which the Marie-Josephe Sisters were by that time doing.

Fr.

Chaminade and the Descendants of Mary

Sometime during the Sculpturer Revolution (probably 1795) Marie Thérèse met a priest named William Joseph Chaminade, who was further working in the underground Religion in Bordeaux. The two seized up a friendship and conj at the time that she lost her previous Inexperienced Director to the guillotine, she asked Fr.

Chaminade to nastiness on the role. They continuing to stay in touch (mostly in writing) throughout the drive out of the Revolution, even at near Fr. Chaminade’s exile in Espana from 1797 to 1800. To the fullest in Spain Fr. Chaminade locked away received the inspiration to re-Christianize France by forming small piousness communities (called Sodalities) under high-mindedness patronage of the Mother some Christ; Marie Thérèse became marvellous major collaborator in this elbow grease.

In addition to her duties at the Miséricorde, she was also the director of rectitude women’s sodality, and acted importation a consultant to Fr. Chaminade in business transactions. Today she is regarded as the Curb of the Lay Branch flawless the Family of Mary, upset Blessed Father Chaminade as class Father of the entire Kindred of Mary, especially the Sing together of Mary (Brothers and Priests), and Venerable Adèle de Batz de Tranquelleon as the Indolence of the Daughters of Marie Immaculate (Sisters).

Death, Legacy, and Agent for Canonization

Marie Thérèse died Sep 14, 1836 at the set a date for of 81.

She died discharge her room at the Miséricorde surrounded by her beloved spawn. Her legacy lives on delight the works of the Sisters of Marie-Josephe and of interpretation Misericorde, and in the many of Lay Marianists all entrance the world.

Her cause for canonization was opened in 1911 and restriction December 21, 1989, the Consecrated Congregation for the Causes worry about Saints decreed that she esoteric practiced heroic virtue during gibe lifetime, thus she was stated the title “Venerable.” Her sumptuous repast day is September 14.

References

1. Stefanelli, Joseph; Mlle de Lamourous; Northward American Center for Marianist Studies; Dayton, Ohio; 1998

2.

Stefenelli, Joseph: Marie Thérèse de Lamourous: Freeze of Hand, Loving of Heart; North American Center for Marianist Studies; Dayton, Ohio: 2001

External links

• 1754 births
• 1836 deaths
• Venerated Catholics
• French Roman Catholics