In memory of the death of Mother Marie-Salomé on 18 October 1930, in Algiers
The cross on the coffin on Mother Marie-Salome From the book by Colonel de l’Éprevier On the morning of the 18th, she received Holy Communion; she now felt that she was leaving. The good Lord will come for me soon,” she said to the nuns who surrounded her. “I feel weary, I can hardly pray anymore.” As they could not hold back their tears, she said to them, “Do not cry, my dear Sisters, I forbid you. Just pray for me.” From her room, she could hear the singing in the chapel. “It is the Sisters praying for you,” they told her. “Oh yes, pray well for me,” she replied, “I need it, so that the good Lord will forgive me and welcome me into his paradise. ” Then they said to her, Venerable Mother, you must also pray for the Congregation. When you are with…
Jubilee of consecrated life – 8th and 9th October 2025
On the occasion of the Jubilee of consecrated life, which will be celebrated on the 8th and 9th October, we wish to remember the thoughts of our Venerable Mother Marie-Salome, who worked incessantly and with unwavering faith to strengthen our congregation. United in prayer to be religious after God’s own heart
Birthday of Mother Marie Salomé
In this day of her birthday in 1847, we remember Mother Marie-Salomé in the words of some Missionaries of Africa and in the Chronicles. From the booklet “Centenary of Reverend Mother Marie-Salomé 1847-1947 – Lectures given at the Mother House by Rev. J. Joseph Maze, White Father” The direct action of God is clearly manifested in the humble only, for the humble are holy. Was Reverend Mother Marie Salome holy? She had asked for that grace when she made her First Communion. “What did you ask Jesus for?” somebody had asked. At eleven years of age she had answered: “I asked God to make me a saint by doing whatever He wills.” A simple enough answer, but admirable in the mouth of a child. If we study all the treatises of the Spiritual Life, if we read the advice and maxims of their authors, we find that the…
I was born in Plouguerneau
Anna Bernard lives at the St Charles retirement home in Verrières le Buisson. During her African missionary life, it was Kabylia that welcomed her and she has wonderful memories. She also spent many years in France, always to render the humble service of cook there. With great kindness, she responded to our little interview. Anna, are you from the family of Mother Marie Salomé? She was a relative from afar, but I knew her family well. In Plouguerneau where I was born, I was close to one of her nieces. We were five children, I had two older brothers and two younger brothers. Only the youngest remains, my godson, whom I telephone. In what language do you speak to him? In Breton, of course! I even pray in Breton. When I arrived in Kabylie, I was told that it was a very difficult language to learn. I learned it with…
To do what God wants
Mother Salomé spoke very little of herself, wrote even less, and shortly before her death most of her writings were destroyed at her request. On the day of her First Communion, young Marie-Renée prayed “to be a great saint by doing what God wants.” Even at the end of her life, it was still the same desire. Her nurse told her, “I think the good Lord is coming to get you.” And Mother Salomé repeated her favorite saying: “When He wants … I am not afraid.” During the day, she often repeated this request to the holy Virgin: “Through your example, may the constant cry of my heart be that of Jesus: ‘Father, may your will and not mine be done.‘ ” From this comes her devotion to daily duty, to ordinary actions. She writes: “We must work without ceasing for our sanctification. However, we cannot do it by extraordinary…
Mother Marie-Salomé and Breton Spirituality
Over the centuries, Breton Spirituality has venerated Breton personalities known for their exemplary life from a Christian point of view. Few of them have been recognized as saints by the Church’s canonization procedure, but they have been honoured by the people, their very existence not always being historically attested. From 2021 another statuette has been added to this demonstration of ancient popular spirituality, that of our Venerable Mother Marie Salomé, who was carried on the pilgrimage by Danielle Burthier and 3 lay people from the Lavigerie family. An article by Danielle will follow on Sharing Trenta Aprile with details of this experience. According to a late literary and hagiographic construction forged from the eleventh century, the seven founding saints are traditionally reputed to have founded the seven bishoprics that existed in the late Middle Ages. Because of their precedence to any canonical procedure, these saints have not been officially recognized by…
Refreshment in Mother Marie Salome’s country
On April 6 and 7, 2019, seventeen Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa went on a pilgrimage to Plouguerneau, in Brittany, France, where our first superior general Mother Marie Salomé (Renée Roudaut) grew up.