Jean-Claude Boulanger

By the grace of God and of the Apostolic See

Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux

DECREE

Having read the Supplex Libellus submitted on January 15, 2015 by the Reverend Father Antonio of the Mother of God (Antonio Sangalli), a Discalced Carmelite friar who is legitimately named Postulator, and by Mother Marie-Christine Cottard, Superior of the Monastery of the Visitation at Caen and “Acteur” of the Cause, in which they asked us to introduce the Cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God, Sister Françoise-Thérèse, born Marie-Léonie Martin (Alençon 1863-Caen 1941), professed nun of the Order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, in following Christ, poor, chaste, and obedient, with humility and the evangelical spirit of authentic charity, did not through fear, bury the one talent he had received in a hole in the ground, but instead she was able to make this small inheritance fruitful (cf. Mt. 25, 24-27.  “I am happy to be only a poor little nothingness and that Jesus is my only treasure.” (Father Piat, Léonie, a sister of Saint Thérèse at the Visitation, Office Central de Lisieux, 1966, p. 198).

It is with confidence that I grant this request, and make the necessary and appropriate investigations, convinced of its solid foundation and of the absence of obstacles to the cause and after my brothers in the episcopate of the Ecclesiastical Province of Normandy, assembled in session on January 22, 2015, issued a positive opinion about its desirability, and after having requested the Nihil obstat from the Holy See, today, according to the Normae servandae n. 11/b, and the instruction Sanctorum Mater art. 43 §3, I have the joy of announcing to the priests, to the religious, and to the laity of our diocesan community, by this

DECREE

that we have the intention of setting up an ecclesiastical tribunal for the opening of the

CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION AND CANONIZATION
OF THE SERVANT OF GOD
SR FRANÇOISE-THÉRÈSE. (MARIE-LÉONIE MARTIN)

Taking into account the serious responsibilities which this decision entails,

WE INVITE

formally all those who are aware of some obstacle, which perhaps conflicts with the reputation for sanctity of the Servant of God, to give their opinions to me or to the Postulator.

Anyone who has documents or objects relating to the Servant of God Sister Françoise-Thérèse (letters, unpublished material, notes, photos, objects) is invited to send them to the Postulation (Monastère de la Visitation – 3 rue de l’Abbatiale – 14000 Caen –
Tel. 02.31.86.19.40 – http://www.la-visitation.org/les-monasteres/caen – monasterevisitation.caen@laposte.net), which will make certified and conformed copies.

The present decree shall be read at the end of the celebration of each Holy Mass on Sunday, June 28, 2015 and shall remain affixed to the notice board of our episcopal Curia of Bayeux and Lisieux and of all the parishes, the churches, the monasteries, the convents, and the institutes of consecrated life in the diocese.  It shall also be published in the diocesan journal Église de Bayeux et Lisieux, the Internet site of the diocese (http://www.bayeuxlisieux.catholique.fr/), the local journals, and the daily issues of La Croix.

We have ordered our chancellor secretary to inform the Postulator of the Cause, the Reverend Father Antonio of the Mother of God (Antonio Sangalli), of our decision and also to announce that

THE SOLEMN OPENING
OF THE CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION AND CANONIZATION
OF SR FRANÇOISE-THÉRÈSE. (MARIE-LÉONIE MARTIN)
WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE CHAPEL OF THE VISITATION AT CAEN
ON JULY 2, 2015 AT 9:30 A.M.

Permission is granted to reproduce this decree in its entirety.
Please include the language: “English translation by Maureen O’Riordan for http://leoniemartin.org“

We thank the Monastery of the Visitation at Caen for furnishing the Decree.