Mission to Anjou
Three days of mission to Angers under the banner of diversity:
• Visit to the school of Saints Louis and Zélie, founded 20 years ago (how a reliquary is made and procession with the children dressed as their patron saints),
• Visit to the Sisters Servants of the Poor and their many friends, invited for the occasion, two prayer vigils, three conferences on the themes: 1: "The crossing of trials in the saints Louis and Zélie", 2: "In what ways are they contemporary with us and a support?" 3: "Learning from them about education in the family", not to mention the brief presentations during the masses in three churches.
The visit to the parish church, which celebrates according to the Tridentine Rite, and the brief introduction to the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie at the beginning of the Maronite Mass, provided a beautiful gateway to experiencing moments of communion. It is wonderful to see people so passionate about their work in a school, among the Servants of the Poor, these radiant sisters, and also among the people we met in the three churches.
It was fitting that the new reliquary created by the Chevillard Workshops of Angers made its French debut in this city. Antoine Chevillard visited three times, explaining in a very simple and accessible way the extensive work involved in creating the reliquary as it stands today (two years of collaboration!). He highlighted the connection between art and faith, the pursuit of beauty that inspires goodness and virtue. The presentation of symbols that express the link between earth and heaven, as experienced by the Martin couple, is rendered in a way that speaks directly to those who come to venerate the relics. The feedback on this reliquary, which departs from conventional forms, was overwhelmingly positive.
Some interpersonal exchanges on the steps or between two events are of a beautiful depth, whether with people of affirmed faith or seekers of God.
Upon returning to Alençon, the reliquary was sent back to Poland.
A supplementary program on RCF Anjou
On the occasion of the arrival of the relics of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin in the diocese of Angers from November 7th to 9th, 2025, RCF Anjou produced a program dedicated to Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and canonized together in 2015. RCF invited Guy Fournier, permanent deacon attached to the sanctuary of Alençon and specialist in the spirituality of the Martin couple, to discuss the married life, educational choices and faith of the Martin couple, who have marked spiritual and family history.
