Visit from our new bishop

Appointed Bishop of Séez on July 17, Bishop Bruno Feillet came on pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Alençon last Wednesday, July 21. The opportunity to meet the teams of the sanctuary and to recall its closeness to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin.

At the end of his first letter to the diocesan and the inhabitants of Orne, Bishop Feillet writes: “May all the saints of the diocese, from Saint Latuin, the apostle of Séez, to the couple Louis and Zélie Martin as well as their daughter Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, continue to accompany us with their prayers. »

A man of his word wishing to present his ministry to these saints of the diocese, our newly appointed bishop came on Wednesday, July 21 to make a first pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Martin family in the town of Alençon, which he did not yet know.

Through the discovery of the house in rue Saint-Blaise, the Notre-Dame basilica and the reception house for pilgrims in Alençon, we were able to discover with him aspects of the life of this couple who are already joining him. in his mission as President of the Family and Society Council of the Conference of Bishops of France. He himself says about them: "They are holy parents who have lived their faith in all family dimensions but also at work and in society".

This pilgrimage was also an opportunity for Bishop Feillet to discover this sanctuary of his diocese, its evolution and its mission with an international dimension, as well as a certain number of the members attached to its service.

And as one of the Carmelite sisters, messengers of the Holy Spirit present, pointed out, it is interesting to note this new order of things: while we often speak of Saint Thérèse and her parents, in the mouth of our bishop the parents rightly precedes it. As for her, he likes to underline her full name: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face. The simplicity of Christ's childhood and the maturity of the Passion-Resurrection are found there.

With the celebration of the Eucharist in the chapel of the Martin house and the sharing of a convivial meal, we were aware of living in a time of great beauty of which Thérèse would have every reason to say once again: “My God, you have exceeded our expectation”.

prayer of thanksgiving

God our Father,
we give you thanks
to give us as bishop Mgr Bruno Feillet,
to proclaim the Gospel, to sanctify your people who are at Séez,
and lead him to your Kingdom.
We entrust to you his ministry and our diocesan Church,
called with him to be missionary disciples,
and a living sign of your presence in our world.
Make us open and welcoming
to the one whom the Holy Spirit has chosen.
We entrust him to the intercession
of Saint Latuin and the first evangelizers,
spouses Louis and Zélie Martin with their daughter Thérèse,
of Blessed Margaret of Lorraine,
and the multitude of everyday saints in our families and parishes.
Through Jesus the Christ, our Lord.
Amen.