A recent interview with Bishop Ellul, author of the book about about the Visitandine of Marseilles, Ven. Anne Madeleine Remuzat, is very enlightening and interesting about the way the Lord has led him in the process for her beatification.
This blogger excerpted and translated the interview from the above website. The interview was conducted by Constantin Lianos.
Bishop Ellul tells the story: “Appointed rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, in September 2000, Canon Pierre Duménil, one of my predecessors, gave me some archives, from the Visitation of Marseille and various indications of research needs and persons to contact if the beatification of the Servant of God Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat was resumed. I had just discovered the life and spiritual message of the Servant of God Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat.
A Priest since 1969 for the diocese of Marseille, after being high school chaplain and parish priest in the outer area of the diocese, I was appointed in 1981, pastor of St. Victor for 19 years.
I also found in the library of the Sacred Heart rectory, pictures, booklets, old postcards on the few articles published recently, an explanatory text on the Litany of the Sacred Heart that she had written and proposed for the diocese of Marseilles and which became those of the Universal Church …
I had just discovered in fact the first elements that would allow me to enter into a long process of biographical and bibliographical research, study the life of one who, in the eighteenth century, was the propagandist of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus .
The circumstances were that from the first year of my appointment, during the celebration of the feast of the Sacred Heart in 2001, I was handed the box containing her mummified heart.
Reading a life that a Sister had written in the late nineteenth century for the introduction of her case allowed me to go further in the knowledge of her message. Canon Albanian, historian of the diocese, had been in charge to accompany her canonization and beatification in Rome. The discovery of this friend of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially since the book was a very well-documented chronicle of the life of a young Visitation, emphasizing the mystical experience of the one that was destined to suffer and love was helpful. It called sinners to Christ, to be reconciled with God, enjoying His love and mercy.
It was Sister Rémuzat, who proposed to Bishop Belsunce in 1720 during the great plague, to dedicate the diocese and the city of Marseille to his Sacred Heart, which he did.
I began to search for all documentation regarding this period, but also biographical elements, because I wanted to deepen her life and her message. The book served as my guide and thread, reading however was not easy because of the nineteenth century style, but I got used to it.
I then received a parishioner, Renée Laville, who took pictures of the stained glass windows and the Stations of the Cross of the basilica, who presented to me this work. During our exchange, I had the idea to propose to go further, in the history of the church’s construction. In fact, we had to edit a scrapbook, for the anniversary of the 60th anniversary of its consecration.
His research on Bishop de Belsunce, of Marseille led to the three libraries and the departmental and municipal archives, to complete the documentation. Meanwhile, I began to read again, Sr. Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat’s life. It seemed obvious to me to communicate to the Marseillais her experiences and what they owed her; I thought that from year to year, her memory had faded, but I made a mistake because she was always present in the heart, the mind and the memory of the oldest of our contemporaries. In the years 1980-1981, a recovery of the cause of beatification was decided by Convent of the Visitation , and the religious offered a series of conferences to publicize the message.
I then, began a long process of research, investigation, exchanges and correspondence. The Internet allowed us significant and speedy responses.
We had to contact Visitandines of Marseille. I had met them at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the Mass of the vow of Aldermen. I went to the Visitation of Accates, the only monastery of the Visitation in Marseille, that of the otherbeing closed in 1986 and the nuns dispersed in Tarascon, Paris or Voiron.
I wanted to discover the original black and white portrait which was in the sacristy of the Sacred Heart, and the table that was used to edit images and post cards. I met Mother Superior and the sisters were “delighted” that the beatification and resumption of trial was mentioned. Two years later, they handed me some documents and begged me to get a great picture, painted by Arnaud, dated 1721, depicting the Visitation in prayer, thanking the Lord for the preservation of the plague, which was in one of the hallways of the convent. A work that I discovered with great interest, and was beautifully restored by Claire Brochu and including Professor Régis Bertrand. It is now in the Sacred Heart Basilica.
One of the nuns gave me a wooden frame on which three three old tiles were laid. It was part of the paving elements of the convent Large-Maries, the first Visitation monastery where Sr. Anne-Madeleine lived.
What were the convents of the Visitation in the region? It was in Tarascon first where I was going to meet one of the nuns who had been doorkeeper in Marseille. During the interview with the Mother Superior, speaking of archives and books, I asked her if she had the opportunity to give me some documents on our “venerable”; she asked me to wait, and returned with a small volume. I opened it. It was the life by Father Jacques in 1760,which I was looking for in vain for several months. “I entrust it, she said. “This was the first life, written in the eighteenth century. The documents that the nuns gave him in 1730, just after Sr Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat, returned to God were reported, more than 30 years later, as Jansenism was virulent in Marseille and Provence, and already in his time, Father Jacques was worried. Talking about revelations and mystical states of Sister Rémuzat? Prudent, he advised not to put in all hands, the life of a mystic, because it would be self-critical. He was concerned because the Jansenists, in “The New Ecclesiastical” would not fail to make a scathing critique. That’s what they did. A flood of hatred and bitterness poured in Marseille, to stigmatize and ridicule those who had lived this mystical experience and she who had received the stigmata. Was she not hysterical or under the influence of the devil? In the city, the reactions were numerous: many had known approached, and dialogued with Sister Rémuzat; they already called her “holy.”
I had the joy of working two days with Sister Mary Christopher, head of the archives of the Visitation of Voiron, who put at my disposal, those concerning Sr Anne Magdaleine. I also met two nuns who had lived in Marseille. The Whole convent then prayed for the cause of beatification to resume.
I discovered, in addition to well-kept old archives, all correspondence of Visitandines of Marseille, referring to a recent period, the resumption of the case.
So could we follow the meanderings through which this postulation had passed! Sr Anne Madeleine case was also suspended in the years 1920-1922 because the diocese did not reply to a question by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. One of them asked what were the relations between SR Rémuzat and the maid Catherine Cadiere Toulon during the trial of Father Girard.
A recovery trial in 1981 under the leadership of the convent with the agreement in principle of Cardinal Roger Etchagaray was attempted. The proposals were numerous, with a lecture October 16, 1981, by Father Bertrand de Margerie, SJ.
Three centuries after the birth of Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat, he made an outline of her life relative to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, her penances, her visions and significance of Christ’s message of mercy. Father Bernard, OP also proposed, in one of his letters, that for more details, we turn to Rome to make contact with the person in charge of the archives, registered in Via Galla Placidia, which I made. Later I made the visit and brought only duplicates of archives we already had in Marseille.
A friend handed me the text of a lecture of Dr. Florence Allard, given in 1994, which conclluded proposing the resumption of the case. Having learned of the resumption of trials, the team of volunteers around me, suggested I talk to our archbishop.
On Sunday, February 15, 2009, the anniversary of the return to God of Sr. Anne-Madeleine, while I was preaching about her life and her message, at the end of the 8 am Mass, I sent an email to Bishop Georges Pontier, Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille, in which I suggested the resumption of the case, mentioning the work done for many years, and proposing the possible appointment of a postulator to lead and coordinate the historical and spiritual work.
A few weeks later, while I was in the monastery of Servianne to participate in the profession of a religious, the Archbishop beckoned me, and said: “! That is yes,” To my astonishment, and before my questioning look, he said again, “This is so, for the cause of Anne Magdalene. I appoint you postulator! “At the end of the celebration, a parishioner of Auriol, who had had a revelation ‘, just a few months before and wanted to resume the cause without properly knowing the procedure , had begun to send a petition around to be signed asking for the beatification of Anne Madaleine. The archbishop made me a sign and said, “I present Ms. Daziano,of Auriol … See; these signatures sheet were circulated to request the resumption of the cause! “.
Father Bernard Montagnes, who had worked for several years on the life and message of “our venerable” when he was at the convent of Marseille, recommended me to get closer to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and set me on Wholesale folder containing its various notes. All I had patiently collated personally was there, confirming that my research was well conducted.
Then, Father Bernard Ardura, President of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences at the Vatican, with his usual kindness, allowed me to meet Father Daniel Ols the OP responsible for the French cause in the Vatican, with whom I can talk. We had to start all over again! These various approaches and these contacts enabled me to have a broader view of the long work to do.
Holy Thursday, April 9, 2009, Bishop Georges Pontier officially called me postulator of the cause. We created the “Anne-Madeleine Rémuzat Association”, to provide financial support for expenses. It was written to all the monasteries in the world. Of the answers, many were enthusiastic.
The resumption of the case was initiated … Especially because Archbishop Pontier filed a formal letter of request, including the response that has just reached us asking us to wait for the Nihil Obstat, which will be given in a few months after the Roman Diacastères gives their approval.