Every year we have shared the role of various Visitation Monasteries in Europe during the 19th century that took trafficked girls into their communities and boarding schools.
This year we share the story of a young girl from Central Africa who eventually became a Novice in the Visitation Monastery of Valence, France.
Her name was Selomicie and her father was tribal chief; very respected. But the family life was broken up when slave traders pillaged the village, her mother killed and Selomicie taken away to serve the kidnappers and traders.
After much pain and torture, she was rescued by Father Blaise Verri who worked in this field and eventually he brought her to the Visitation Monastery in Valence, where she grew up. At this time she was known as Victoire, accepting this name during her captured days.
At Valence Visitation
Sister Marie-Clémence Claveaux, designated by obedience to be her directress, immediately took office. Victoire quickly understood French to take advantage of the lessons she received. She was fond of prayer .
Aske about what she had said to God for the whole half hour,her invariable answer was: I asked for baptism. Little Victoire had been in the house for eight months, her preparation seemed to be
almost sufficient, and she knew from catechism all that was necessary to know to finally obtain the
grace so impatiently awaited. Sister Marie-Clémence only thought of means to fulfill the wishes of her dear child. But the moment was hardly favorable to have at the Monastery a ceremony of this kind, which necessarily had to be a a subject of joy for the Community and to become a celebration for it. The revered Mother Marie Angele
was on her deathbed, and the evil increasing visibly, absorbed exclusively the thought of the hearts of the community Sisters. Providence took over the interests of the poor Victoire, and smoothed out all obstacles. One day, Monsignor the worthy Bishop having come to visit the beloved sick, Victoire stood in his way to be blessed. He addressed her several questions with special kindness, and did not fail to inquire if she was baptized.
BAPTISM
Her directress eagerly took the opportunity to represent her and the wishes of the child, and the difficulties of the occasion.” Send her to me at the Cathedral on Holy Saturday at ten o’clock in the morning, and I will take charge myself of the ceremony.” said the Bishop. The little girl’s face became radiant and they immediately took care of
preparations required. The Doctor and one of his nieces, then a student of their boarding school,
were willing to serve as her godfather and godmother. She was baptized as an adult, and answered all of the questions without ever making a mistake.
To her name of Victoire , those of Marie-Joséphine Marguerite were added.
She came back to the Monastery in her white clothes, her tall candle in her hand, so moved that she couldn’t find a word to explain her happiness.
It must also be said; good Victoire, unlike other children, who do everything to the eye of the master or mistress, needed a certain freedom of action by means of which she did much better and more promptly than what was required of her. She willingly helped the sisters in the household, and she was very keen to take part in their
occupations.
Victoire had to learn to read and then write; but studying the twenty-four letters of the alphabet
became in her eyes a wonderful job.
FIRST COMMUNION
After the grace of regeneration which had fulfilled the first wishes of the dear child, it there remained another to satisfy, which was neither less ardent, nor less profound. The first Communion was her sweetest dream, her constant thought; but she must be reasonable, she understood the importance of such an action, and therefore, all her conduct had to speak in her favor. There was indeed a visible change in it, and the good God gave her the strength to defeat herself and to make real sacrifices.
The poor little one, in memory of her sad past, indelibly engraved in her memory, had much to forgive. The moment
had come to perform a generous and infinitely meritorious act, and the good little sister
frankly granted this pardon; without ever retracting it.
.
It was on ’27 May 1869, that she was admitted to the banquet of angels for the first time , with five students.
The grace of the sacrament did not remain sterile.
MONASTIC LIFE IN NOVITIATE
The virtuous sister Marie-Clémence left this world, carrying in eternity the secret of the vocation of her beloved child.
Victoire had no other directress in particular. but she remained under special surveillance from the most honored sister the Bursar. She was no longer a child, and a marked improvement in her conduct and a striking advancement in the path of wisdom and reason was evident. She worked in the kitchen, then in boarding school and in the infirmary, she did her little service everywhere with great attention, and extreme care.
During a retreat from very-honored sister Madeleine-Henriette, Victoire outdid herself in charity, in devotion to
several of the sisters who were then quite suffering, who could not praise enough the delicate and diligent care of their dear little nurse. She had heart, common sense, tact, finesse in the mind, and accuracy in its assessments.
At fifteen she was a charming and pretty .
She thus grew under the gaze of the divine Master by a multitude of small practices which were the incessant exercise of her love and loyalty. But her health did not get stronger. She usually suffered, sometimes from head, stomach, bowels, etc. The caning she had received in her childhood, had left pain in the kidneys, which she always felt.
The dear girl seemed to be recovering quite well, that is to say that she resumed her ordinary occupations,
without feeling very sorry for herself,
She was starting then to turn her most vehement aspirations towards the Novitiate. Little did it matter to her to
die young, provided she had the good fortune to irrevocably bond with Jesus, and to become his Spouse
before hearing his supreme and last call.
At Christmas celebrations 1873, the pain reappeared with a more threatening character than ever, which did not prevent the much-honored Mother, to grant her the grace to finally prepare to enter the community
The little sister was able to follow for seven months the exercises of the Novitiate with sufficient accuracy and sustained fervor. She was a whole souled visitandine, who understood very well the price and the excellence of this holy vocation, who devoted herself sincerely to the acquisition of religious virtues, and who was trained without difficulty in the practice of inner life.
Accepted for taking the habit soon after; this joyful news brought back to her heart a hope of healing.
The ceremony was fixed for September 29th, and the time for her preparatory retreat passed almost
entirely in bed. It was Monseigneur the Bishop who gave the veil to sister Marie-Victoire.
INTO ETERNITY
But she became sicker. She lost both speech and knowledge, all the questions that were addressed to her were lost and remain unanswered. Everything was finished in a few moments for the beloved sister; she
died after extreme suffering. It was in the presence of the very honored Mother, the nursing sisters and a few others that she went into eternity. The community was at Matins.
The chaplain immediately was warned of the danger, but he arrived too late and could only pray for the eternal rest of this dear little soul he knew well.
This deprivation of the last sacraments was nevertheless the subject of bitter regret but all, but by worshiping the purposes of God without understanding them, the Sisters hoped that He received the dear deceased in mercy, taking into account all that she would have done for his love, if time had not failed her.
The suddenness of evil having prevented her from pronouncing her Holy Vows, that she had
humbly requested several times during her illness, she was buried with the black veil, and she didn’t have
fewer prayers after her death than a fully Professed Sister.
Source: Annals and archives of Visitation
Note: The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General has designated February 8 as an annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. February 8 is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita.
