Written by Andrew Dumas and partly taken from a presentation by Father Justin Taylor 2016.
The Marist story begins in the late 1790s and early 1800s where one young Jean-Claude Courveille was afflicted by a severe eye condition which significantly impaired his vision. Maybe his mother took him to the church at Notre Dame La Puy. But this tradition of travelling to churches was much older. In the middle ages people would go on pilgrimages to churches. They did this for various reasons. To draw closer to God. For guidance. For Mary’s protection. A place of healing. Miraculously, Courveille was healed while praying at the Marian Shrine. This experience not only healed him physically, but deepened his insight and devotion to our lady.
Courveille entered the seminary in 1812. Later, interiorly, Courveille heard Marys speak to him
“Here… is what I want. I have always initiated my Divine Son in everything. I followed him to Calvary itself, standing at the foot of the Cross when He gave His life for man (and woman’s) salvation. Now, in heaven, sharing His glory, I follow his path still, in the work He does for His Church on earth. Of this Church, I am the Protectress. I am like a powerful army, defending and saving souls. When a fearful heresy threatened of convulse the whole of Europe, my son raised up His servant, Ignatius, to form a Society under His name, calling itself the Society of Jesus, with members called Jesuits, to fight against the hell unleashed against His church. In the same way, in this last age of impiety and unbelief, it is my wish, and the wish of my Son, that there be another Society to battle against hell, one consecrated to me, one which will have my name, which will call itself the Society of Mary, whose members will call themselves Marists.”
Courveille soon shared this message with others in the seminary. Something to echoed in their hearts of the authenticity and desire of Mary to found a society and community in the way of Mary. This message grew like a wild fire.
Later, Marist Father Justin Taylor in 2016 writes
“Courveille later remembered that they spoke as often as they could about the Societyof Mary. Terraillon too recalled the early meetings of the first recruits. They would ‘fire oneanother with enthusiasm’ about how lucky they were to dedicate themselves to the ‘successof such a fine work’. Two themes recurred in their discussions: their happiness to be the ‘first children of Mary’, and the ‘great need of the peoples’. They would also have discussed the ways in which, as Mary’s sons, they proposed to meet that need. Now and again, Courveille would speak to them, most often about the ‘need to imitate Mary, above all in her indescribable humility’. They resolved from the start not to advertise their project, but to give serious thought to the best means to adopt in order to bring it to a successful outcome.
So each one reflected on who might be asked to join; but before speaking to possible candidates, the whole group discussed their suitability.
On Monday 22 July 1816, Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, in the chapel of the majorseminary of the archdiocese of Lyons, Saint-Irénée, Louis-Guillaume Dubourg, Bishop ofNew Orleans, conferred priestly ordination on fifty-two candidates. Among them wereMarcellin Champagnat, Jean-Claude Colin, Jean-Claude Courveille, Étienne Déclas andÉtienne Terraillon. They had now arrived at the goal of many years of study and formation.Colin’s elder brother Pierre, a priest since 1810, was at Saint-Irénée for a few days before hisordination, but had already left on 20 July, a Saturday, to be back in his parish for theSunday.
Thus, Early in the morning of Tuesday 23 July 1816, these five newly ordained, togetherwith seven other seminarians who had not yet completed their studies for the priesthood,were climbing the 800 steps to the top of the hill that dominates the city. It may well havebeen raining, for 1816 was ‘the year without a summer’, with violently unseasonal weathercaused by a series of volcanic eruptions on the other side of the world in the preceding years.The summit of the hill was known as Fourvière (from the Latin name Forum Vetus) and wasthe site of the Roman and pre-Roman Celtic town of Lugdunum. Here stood a little chapelthat was an ancient shrine of Our Lady recently restored as a place of pilgrimage to one of thenumerous ‘Black Madonnas’ venerated in the south of France. Over the centuries, thissanctuary has been the scene of many acts of dedication, on the part of religious founders,departing missionaries and individuals, as witnessed by the plaques and votive offerings thatcover its walls. Today it is overshadowed by the huge basilica built between 1872 and 1884.
During the preceding months, our twelve seminarians had formed a group and made acommitment. Now, they were about to separate. But, before they broke up, they wanted toseal their commitment at Fourvière. They brought with them a written document, which they had all signed.
At the altar before the venerated statue of the Blessed Virgin, Courveille alonecelebrated Mass – the other newly ordained were intending to celebrate their first Mass intheir parishes. Terraillon, who had the best knowledge of ceremonies, assisted him. Allreceived Holy Communion from Courveille.
During the Mass the signed document was placed on the altar under the corporal, thus uniting their commitment with the sacrifice of Christ. Did they read it out aloud after Mass? They may have done, but that is not recorded in the contemporary accounts, which describe in some detail what they did.The original document, with its signatures, has unfortunately disappeared. Fourcopies, however, exist, all written in the hand of Pierre Colin. They seem to be ‘blanks’,bearing neither date nor signatures. Justin Taylor in 2016 believed they were intended for new members to fill inand sign when they joined the original group. The act is couched in the first person plural,‘We’. Its authors formally identify themselves as ‘We the undersigned’ – which wouldindicate that our text is a document to be signed rather than read out (when one would expect something like ‘We assembled here’).
The fact that it is drawn up in Latin, together with the use of a number of formal and emphatic expressions, testify to the desire of the signatories to invest it with the highest degree of solemnity of which they were capable. At the same time, the document betrays – even in its insistence that its authors were not acting ‘out of some whim of callow youth’ but ‘seriously, after mature consideration, and listening to the advice of others’ – that they were still young and liable to be suspected of imprudence.
Their self-dedication was not, however, a vow or even, properly speaking, an act ofconsecration, but a declaration of intent.
By the 1830s the Society of Mary was representing itself in official documents as consistingof several branches – male and female religious and lay tertiaries – united under a commonsuperior general. This complex composition was not, however, simply the result of piecemeal historical developments. Rather, it was said to be a feature of the original project since its inception, so must go back to the discussions among the seminarians at Saint-Irénée. This three-part scheme recalls the great medieval orders, such as the Franciscans and the Dominicans, which brought together friars engaged in apostolic activities, contemplative sisters and dedicated laypeople. That all gives a plan for an institute whose overall shape was modelled on the ‘great orders’, but whose branch of priests was modelled on the Jesuits.
Marcellin Champagnat appears, had already given thought to establishing a group of teaching brothers for catechising and instructing children of the country districts, such as he himself had been, and of whose religious and educational needs he was personally so well aware. According to Champagnat’s first biographer among the Little Brothers of Mary, Brother Jean-Baptiste, he often told the group at Saint-Irénée: ‘We must have brothers, we must have brothers, to teach the Catechism, to help the Missionaries, to run Schools for children’. The other Marists replied replied: ‘Well then, you take responsibility for the brothers since you have had the idea.’
After the Mass at Fourvière on July 23 1816 , those who had made the act of commitment went theirseparate ways. Marcellin Champagnat was appointed as curate at La Valla, where, in 1817,he gathered the first Marist Brothers. Jean-Claude Colin was made curate at Cerdon, wherehis brother Pierre had been appointed parish priest. Pierre later adhered to the Marist project – presumably by adding his signature to a copy of the original act of commitment – and brought to Cerdon Jeanne-Marie Chavoin and her first companion Marie Jotillon, who laid the foundations of the Marist Sisters. They would soon have learnt about the wider Marist project in 1822 and about the promise so solemnly reaffirmed at Fourvière.
In 1824, Étienne Déclas was allowed to join the Colin brothers at Cerdon, thus forming the first community of Marist Fathers. This was also the year that Marcellin and the brothers built The Hermitage and the first Marist sisters took vows. From Cerdon and then Belley, Jean-Claude Colin and Déclas began to preach parish missions in the Bugey in the mountain regions of France. Groups of lay tertiaries gradually came into being. The Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary have roots in the Third Lay Order.” (Taylor, 2016)
Years Later, Françoise Perroton too would be fired up the zeal of message which the Marists and John Claude Colin brought of Mary. Of the founding a society in the name of Mary and her particular way to Jesus. Françoise response like other tertiary women who came to islands of the pacific in the 1850s and 1860s were the foundation of the Marist Missionary Sisters.
Sadly, not all this story ends well. For Jean-Claude Courveille, where this story begins, he later leaves the society of Mary. He spends his later days in a closed monastery. Some historians think possibly due to allegations of sexual impropriety of some manner, leadership conflict, financial mismanagement. These scandals damaged his reputation and credibility within the community. Maybe Jean-Claude Courvielle needed healing in a different way. Maybe in a way he had yet not been able to accept or come to terms with.
This raises a question - why did God and Mary call someone who was not perfect? Is not this story meant to have a happy ending?
As the prophet Isaiah wrote “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
Are we too not imperfect? Do we too always meet the mark?
This story is not just about Mary. This story is about her son. Jesus. Do we need healing like Jean-Claude Courvielle who was blind? Are we blind? Mary’s way to Jesus is a particular way.
We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us.
We follow those Marists.
We are gathered here together. As one family and one community.
Celebrating Fourviere is a commitment and the integration of the whole story. Good and bad. Celebrations and trials. Ups and downs. Darkness and Light.
What part of this story this Fourviere will you make?
(Audio Available)
