Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Saint André-Hubert Fournet
On this propitious 13th day of May, we should also commemorate Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a feast propagated by the saint of the Blessed Sacrament, Peter Julian Eymard. In a vision on February 2nd, 1851 – the Presentation of the Lord and Purification of Our Lady – the Blessed Virgin appeared to the saint, and said: “All the mysteries of my Son have a religious order to honour them. The Eucharist alone has none..’. Thus began the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament, under Our Lady’s patronage. The title we honour today was given in May, 1868 by Saint Peter Julian, and an indulgence given by the Pope Saint Pius X for those who invoke Our Lady under this title, and this was further cemented by Pope Saint John XXIII during the Second Vatican Council, in 1962, with the following prayer, compose by Saint Peter Julian Eymard:
Virgin Immaculate, perfect lover of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we ask you to obtain for us the graces we need to become true adorers of our Eucharistic God. Grant us, we beg of you, to know Him better, to love Him more, and to centre our lives around the Eucharist, that is, to make our whole life a constant prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Amen.
V. Pray for us, O Virgin Immaculate, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
R. That the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ may come among us!
In some connection with this devotion, we should also recall Saint André-Hubert Fournet (1752 – 1834), a priest who live, and survived through, the French Revolution. As a youth, he was utterly bored with religion, the Mass, and all the trappings, giving his pious mother great grief, who thought he did have a vocation to the priesthood – with which many pious mothers may commiserate. He began his studies, but ran off to join the military, but the example of a holy uncle drew him back to the Faith, and so convinced was the young André that he decided to follow his path, become a priest himself. The rest of his life was dedicated to his priestly office, in a quiet, unassuming, and unwavering manner. He refused to take the evil constitutional oath, and so was arrested on Good Friday, April 6, 1792, at the height of the ‘Terror’, but managed to escape, and avoided capture at one point by playing dead. Fleeing to Spain, he returned to his homeland in 1797, just before the Napoleonic era, when the Faith would be re-established in France. Father Fournet founded the Sister of the Cross with Joan Elizabeth Lucy Bichier des Âges, to care for and educate poor, rural children, neglected in that aristocratic age. Father died on May 13th, 1834, and was canonized by Pope Pius XI on June 4th, 1933, after the requisite two miracles. May the good priest perform many more miracles for France, not least her conversion to the fullness of the Faith. He could the patron saint of those who say they ‘get nothing out of the Mass’. Well, we get out what we put in, and we have to see behind the ‘veil’, the signification of sacrament, to the reality.
Like the seers of Fatima, once that is seen – with the eyes of Faith – it can never be unseen, and one’s whole life is changed, all for the good, and ultimately for the best.
On that note, a final note: One of my former students is working in France, and wrote to me the other day saying that the Faith is indeed growing, in pockets, amongst young people drawn there, like the André-Hubert, by the example of others. Holiness is indeed a stronger magnet that doctrine itself, without. Curiously, they think Canadians are all Protestants. We have some work to do here in Canada to shape our international image.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
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Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→