The Sisters of Mary Reparatrix (french: Sœurs de Marie Reparatrice) are a
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...
of women in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
which was founded in France in 1857. Their way of life has been to combine
adoration
Adoration is respect, reverence, strong admiration, or love in a certain person, place, or thing. The term comes from the Latin ''adōrātiō'', meaning "to give homage or worship to someone or something".
Ancient Rome
In classical Rome, adorat ...
of God with the
evangelization
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
of society, especially for women.
Origins
The foundress of the
congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
*Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...
was Mother Mary of Jesus, born
Émilie d'Oultremont de Warfusée, a member of a prominent Catholic family in Belgium. While she was still a child, her father was appointed as the Belgian Ambassador to the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
As a teenager, d'Oultremont was drawn to the
consecrated life
Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and se ...
of a
Religious Sister
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pr ...
, but, due to the encouragement of her family, she wed at the age of 19. Though it was an arranged marriage, she and her husband fell deeply in love. She lived a happy life with her husband, while both being a member of Roman society and serving the poor of the city. She and her husband had four children before his untimely death in 1847.
The young widow d’Hooghvorst, who had already experienced a
mystical vision of God while attending a ball, was drawn more deeply into the spiritual life. With the loss of both her parents by 1851, she decided to withdraw from the demands of her wider family and, in 1854, moved to France with her children. Before her departure, she accepted the invitation of an aunt to visit her at her residence in the Castle of Bauffe, near
Chièvres
Chièvres (; pcd, Chieve) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
On January 1, 2018, Chièvres had a total population of 6,899. The total area is 46.91 km² which gives a population density of 15 ...
. It was in the chapel of the castle that Emilie had another vision which was to change her life. It occurred on 8 December 1854, the same day as
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
declared the
doctrine
Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
of the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
to be a formal
dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
of the Catholic Church.
What d’Hooghvorst experienced in that little chapel was later described by her as a personal encounter with
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
, who invited her to "make reparation" to her son for the world, and to love him and all Christians "with that delicacy of love that is found in a mother’s heart".
In keeping with the theology of the time, she translated this call into one of
Eucharistic adoration. She had, however, long been influenced by
Ignatian spirituality Ignatian spirituality, also known as Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century Spanish saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The main idea of this form of spirituality comes from ...
from her guidance by a number of
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
priests during her teenage years and this influenced her thoughts about how she might carry out the element of service to others.
D'Hooghvorst began to share her experience and soon drew a group of young women of diverse nationalities who wished to share in this call. The first community of the new congregation was opened in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
on 1 May 1857. They adopted a white
religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of religious clothing worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognizable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anchoritic life, ...
with a blue
scapular
The scapular (from Latin ''wikt:scapula#Latin, scapulae'', "shoulders") is a Western Christianity, Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the Monasticism, monastic and Catholic devotions, devot ...
, and d'Hooghvorst took the
religious name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts.
Christianity
Catholic Church Baptismal name
In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...
of Mother Mary of Jesus.
From the start, a part of the day of each Sister's life was dedicated to adoration before the
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of the ...
, which would be done in pairs, and the primary ministry of the community was conducting
retreats
The meaning of a spiritual retreat can be different for different religious communities. Spiritual retreats are an integral part of many Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and Sufi communities.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, meditative retreats are ...
for women following the
Spiritual Exercises
The ''Spiritual Exercises'' ( la, Exercitia spiritualia), composed 1522–1524, are a set of Christian meditations, contemplations, and prayers written by Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th-century Spanish priest, theologian, and founder of the Society ...
of St.
Ignatius Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...
.
Expansion and division
Communities of the congregation began to be established throughout France, the first being in Paris. By the time of her death in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Italy, in 1878, Mother Mary of Jesus had overseen the founding of 20 communities of the Sisters in India, England, Belgium, La Reunion, Italy, Mauritius, Ireland and Spain.
India
Within two years of their foundation, the Sisters of Mary Repartrix were invited to establish a community in India, in the
Apostolic Vicariate of
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, which had been confided by the Holy See to the care of the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
. The Sisters were to have the task of the formation of a native congregation of Religious Sisters, as well as being involved in other apostolic activities. This was their first expansion outside France.
Seven Sisters sailed from the port of
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
in November 1859. A foundation was made in
Trichinopoly
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
, followed in 1863 in
Tuticorin
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
and in 1864 in Adeilkalabouram. Apart from the native Indian Sisters, they primarily worked with the local widows of the region.
A young
novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession
A profession is a field of work that has ...
, Sister
Mary of the Passion
Hélène Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville (Nantes, 21 May 1839 – Sanremo, 15 November 1904), known as Mary of the Passion (French: Mère Marie de la Passion), was a French religious sister and missionary, who founded the Franciscan ...
, was sent to this mission in 1865, where, due to the trust she had gained with the foundress, she was appointed as the
Provincial Superior of the communities in India.
In 1874 a new house was founded in
Ootacamund
Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located ...
, which re-ignited a series of disputes which had previously taken place in the Indian convents. This led to the departure of Mother Mary of the Passion and 19 of the other Sisters of Mary Reparatrix from that congregation. By January 1877, these 20 women had obtained papal approval to form a new congregation, the
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
, image = Mariadelapasion2.jpg
, size = 175px
, caption = Blessed Mary of the Passion foundress of the congregation
, abbreviation = F.M.M
, motto =
, formation =
, founder = Hélène de Chappotin(Sister ...
, which brought medical care to the women of India, otherwise prevented from receiving this at the hands of male physicians. As of 2011, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary formed the fifth largest religious institute for women in the Catholic Church, with 6,698 members.
This was not the only offshoot of the congregation. The
Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Ancillae Cordis Iesu; es, Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús) is a Roman Catholic religious institute that was founded in Madrid, Spain, in 1877 by two sisters, María Dolores and Raphaela Mar ...
were founded in Spain that same year by two sisters who had joined the congregation shortly before.
United States
In 1908, the sisters began a community on the lower west side of Manhattan, and took up residence at the former
St. Leo's Church on 28th Street. Retreat work remains a significant part of their ministry, as well as visiting the sick, and making altar bread. As of 2016, fifteen sisters remain in the US.
Current status
The Sisters followed the directives of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
which took place in the 1960s and looked at their origins in renewing their way of life for modern times. As a result, they opted to change from living in cloistered monasteries to small communities in socially marginal areas. They also expanded their mission from an exclusive focus on retreats to include training programs for the poor. In
Entebbe
Entebbe is a city in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately southwest of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda prior to independence, in 1962. The c ...
, Uganda the sisters operate a guest house and spirituality center. In 2017, the community celebrated their centennial anniversary of ministry in Uganda.
At present there are communities of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix in 22 nations throughout Europe, Africa and both North and South America. Total as of December 31, 2016 are as follows: Total 525 Sisters of which 483 are Perpetual professed sisters, 34 Temporary professed sisters, 8 Novices (6:Madagascar, 1: Uganda, 1 Congo). Opening of Houses are in Mexico in Guadalajara-Nueva Santa Maria, on March 17, 2016, and in San Luis Potosí-Cristo Misionero, on September 15, 2016. In Kenya, the sisters are involved in running a center where for deprived girls are taught embroidering, tailoring, hair dressing, food nutrition and other short courses.
"Sisters of Mary Reparatrix", Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya
/ref>
References
{{Authority control
Religious organizations established in 1857
Catholic female orders and societies
Catholic religious institutes established in the 19th century
Women's congregations following Ignatian spirituality
1857 establishments in France