Early History of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix
Part 4
1857
May 1st, Clothing Ceremony
On April 22 Emilie arrived from Paris accompanied by Caroline de Cambourg, Olympe, and Hortense Monat.
The seven-day retreat in preparation for the Clothing began on April 25 with Mass celebrated by the bishop. They all ate breakfast together afterwards. Fr Bertrand gave two talks a day. During these days they also worked on finishing their habits, probably sewn by hand by each one, because sewing machines had been invented just a few years earlier. They also had to practice the different ceremonies and learn how to hold and wear the choir cloaks with long trains. Julia Bell, author of this memoir, describes the habit with great love: “The ensemble of the habit is beautiful, and its character very religious. One’s eye and one’s heart rest peacefully on that white dress which reflects de purity of the one in whose honor we wear it and stands out against the blue scapular and the border of the cloak.”
Friday, May 1
Everybody was up by 5 am wearing the postulant dress they had worn for the preceding 18 months. Olympe wore a bridal gown representing them in worldly attire. By 6 am the exterior chapel was full of people. At 7 Mons Raess entered the chapel followed by the 11 postulants. The ceremony began with a talk by the bishop expressing his joy for having the new Congregation in his diocese. After his talk, Emilie rose, and all the postulants followed her to the communion rail. Each one declared her intentions, committing herself to the Society of Mary Reparatrix. The habits were blessed by the bishop, then Olympe and Marie Kistaller removed the baskets of habits and carried them to the community room, where the novices put them on. The new novices entered the chapel again, kneeling at the communion rail, where they received their veils from the bishop. Olympe presented the veil her mother would wear. The novices were officially given the names in religion which Emilie had earlier chosen for each one. The celebration of the Eucharist with general communion concluded the ceremony.
These young women, our SMR ancestors, were strong, independent, and determined even in the face of questioning by their families, and the suspicions of neighbors who were baffled by this group of young people leading a mysterious life. Obviously, they were touched by the fire of the Spirit, the same fire that touched Emilie and each one of us.
Emilie Our Sister
As I was reading and writing about the beginnings of our congregation, Emilie kept coming to me. Emilie who was:
Somewhat alone.
Worried about the wellbeing of her two teenage sons growing up without a father.
Educating her two young daughters.
Keeping in touch with her family in Belgium.
Managing her household and her properties.
Praying, praying, praying.
Listening to God’s call and discerning with her spiritual director.
Emilie was very smart, very wise, generous, compassionate, strong, and flexible.
Emilie invited us on a journey, one she started, she opened, she took, she encouraged, she suffered, a journey on which she died away from her sisters.
In her footsteps we walk, part of that long line of Reparatrixes she saw in her prayer. We journey, we pray, we study, we learn, we respond, we accompany, we serve, we share, we open, we close…we love, we love, we love.
Concepción González Cánovas, smr
Sources:
Présentation Historique de la Société de Marie Réparatrice (1818-1953). Henri de Gensac, SJ. Rome, 1992.
The Beginnings of the Society of Mary Reparatrix (1855-1858): Journal of the beginnings of the Society; Journal of the beginnings: House of Paris; Foundation of the House of Strasbourg. Introduction and notes, Anne Marie Bertaud, smr. Translated into English by Emma Gravlin, smr.