Saturday, September 12, 2015

A Completely Different Order of Tradition --- The Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb

(Paris) In France a very special female, traditional religious order exists. It provides women with Down Syndrome a safe haven and allows them to live a religious vocation.
The Little Sisters are "not self-evidently in a hypocritical world," said Veronque Labrion. A world which, although working on behalf of  people living with Down syndrome, but at same time attempt with  increasingly perfected meticulousness to detect their existence through prenatal and pre-implantation diagnosis and kill them before birth.

Founded in 1985, canonically erected in 1990

Les Petites Soeurs de l'Agneau Disciples (Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb) are a small community of Consecrated Life, which was founded in 1985 in Buxueil in France. In 1990 it was canonically erected by the Archbishop of Tours. Since 1995, the monastery is located in Le Blanc. In 1999 it was recognized by the Archbishop of Bourges  as an order of contemplative life.
The spiritual care of the woman of the Order is the responsibility of  the abbot and the traditional monks of the Abbey of Fontgombault, near which the monastery is located.
The emergence and formation of the young community was accompanied in its first steps by the famous French geneticist and servant of God, Jerome Lejeune (1926-1994)    whose beatification process was completed in 2012 at the diocesan level.

Contemplative Order of Sisters with Down syndrome

Little Sisters of the Lamb disciples
The Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb  are the first contemplative orders, the women with Down syndrome has the opportunity to realize their religious vocation. The sisters with trisomy 21 form pursuant to statutes, the majority, they are supported by a minority of nurses without Down syndrome.
The nuns make, depending on inclination and aptitude, within the meaning of the Benedictine Ora et labora,  make fabrics, tapestries, wood sculptures and other tems to  secure a livelihood by selling them.
The Congregation wants "to allow those   who in the world are in last place,  to take the leading role as a bride of Christ in the Church, and through their God ordained witness of the Gospel of Life for those whose existence is so despised that their lives are threatened by the culture of death," said mother Line, the prioress of the community.

The "Little Way" of St. Therese of Lisieux and the Benedictine Charism of Ora et Labora

The Little Sisters follow the "Little Way" of St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), who was raised in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. to a Doctor of the Church. Significantly also, there is the influence of the Rule of Benedict and the Benedictine charism.
The nuns lead a modest life of prayer, work and sacrifice. They do gardening and handwork, Eucharistic adoration, maintain the Divine Office and the rosary, we live  the Holy Mass every day, live in silence and prayer, and look at the Scriptures, each according to their possibilities and abilities, which is why the daily rhythm is something distinct from that of other contemplative religious, a basic rhythm, however, it offers  all the sisters  an important basis, says Mother Line.
The  Order came about by  the encounter between two young women in the 1980s, of Line and Veronica. Line is now the prioress of the convent, Sister Veronica has Down Syndrome.

Silent inconspicuous life in the service of Christ

The sacred liturgy in the traditional form of the Roman Rite
The Little Sister Disciples of the Lamb take young women on who feel touched by the spirit of poverty and dedication and are willing to put their lives along with their sisters with trisomy 21 at the service of Christ.
Such a young woman was Sr. Rose Claire Lyon (1986-2013), who because of her cheerful and cordial nature was called "Sourire de Jesus"  (the smile of Jesus). She was born in 1986 in the Alsace-Lorraine town of Laxou and came from a family with many children. At the age of 19 she entered the convent of the Little Sisters in Le Blanc.  Sr. Rose Claire saw her role model in the "Little Therese", whom she referred to as "my big sister."
"Her longing for heaven was so great that she left the world as she  wished, quietly and tranquilly at the young age of only 26 on May 4, 2013,"  said mother Line. Dom Jean Peteau OSB, Abbot of Fontgombault, who celebrated the funeral Mass, said in his homily: "The message of Sister Rose Claire is contained in one word and that message is: Jesus".
Marc Jeanson made a documentary about the young congregation.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Romualdica
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is absolutely beautiful.

M. Prodigal said...

Awesome! I have a friend making a documentary on Downs and the blessing these persons are in the world. But about 95% are now murdered in the womb.

Sandpiper said...

Thank you for presenting this profound witness to Christ.

susan said...

How utterly, utterly beautiful!

Kenny said...

Really, really lovely!

Chloe said...

What a beautiful community! What a wonderful example to this sick world we live in. May they flourish.

Athelstane said...

Amazing.

Barnum said...

Maybe divorced Catholics can start orders that do the same work. Help someone, and share Christ's live instead of looking for that annulment. And older Catholics too- God is not impressed with your Harley.

Anonymous said...

This is a beautiful community. I am sure they will always remain very small, but I hope they grow and flourish.
There have always been afew religious Orders...mostly on nuns, that were founded especially for handicapped people with vocations.
The famous Italian priest, Don Orione (whi I believe is now Blessed) founded a small community of blind cloistered nuns called the Sacramentines. They had some sighted girls enter, but it was largely for those who were either blind, or vision impaired. They were only in Italy, only had about 50 members in 1-2 houses at their maximum(even before Vatican II), They wore a white habit with a rec scapular and a huge embroidered monstrance embroidered on it and a white veil. Unfortunately, they modified it slightly after Vatican II, and like so many other Orders have declined to about 15 members.
In France, founded at the beginning of the 20th century were the Soeurs,Aveugules de Saint Paul...the Blind Sisters of Saint Paul...which had close to 100 sisters before Vatican II. But they greatly modified their beautiful habit and lifestyle, declined rapidly and possibly are extinct today.
This new community is totally unique, and a beautiful example of love for God and the Church and for tradition. I hope they grow.

Sixupman said...

Verily, true Catholicism at work. Deo Gratias.

Anonymous said...

Good news at a time when we hear of a great deal of bad news in the Church. God keeps his promises, "I will take the weak and make them strong". I have a cousin with down syndrome and she is different alright. She loves everyone and greets everyone with words of great humility and love of neighbor. How could the world possibly think of those with down syndrome as unproductive and unwanted? Such is the work of satan. I pray this Religious Order stick to the Ancient Rites so that they may flourish and not be destroyed by the influence of modernism.. May Our Lady of Fatima protect them from all modernist influence.

gracem said...

Beautiful!!

Kp said...

What a blessing

Kp said...

My daughter is Down syndrome (10yrs) when she was born we didn't know that she was. It was a traumatic birth and while I was recovering and unable to get out of the hospital bed she was dying in the NICU. After 2 days they let me hold her and when I looked into her eyes our souls lifted out of our bodies, she was so beautiful! I knew immediately that she was in a Down Syndrome body but even more amazing was that she was a saint of the highest degree! It was if I was a kindergartner and she was an Ivy League professor! I felt her love me and I loved her, I begged her to stay with me and promised to be the best mommy I could and she smiled and said, "ok". We went back into our bodies and 17 days later she went home with us, needing a feeding tube and unable to keep any food down until she was 2.5yrs old when When a trip to Medjugorgi by her nurse manager and prayers to Mother Mary-miraculously healed her! I asked God why He gave her to me and He showed me His Heart in a vision. It turned into hundreds of beautiful butterflies that swirled around Him. He put His finger out and the most beautiful one landed on His finger, He leaned over and handed it to me saying, "because you gave me your heart I want to give you a piece of Mine." These souls are living saints...that is why the enemy wants to get rid of them in this time where he runs rampant. Our life has its problems,..please know that. I had an abusive childhood, marriage and now a divorce, just to name a few trials but going through it with God and Raquel keeps me from losing my peace and most importantly forgiving everyone. Bless each of you and your families.