Little Sisters of Jesus - Recognition By The Church

Recognition By The Church

Madeleine and Anne made their first temporary vows in the diocese of Algeria with the blessing of Bishop Nouet. The Little Sisters of Jesus officially began in 1942 when Little Sister Magdeleine took final vows under the auspices of Bishop Villerabel at Le Tubet, the Mother House, in Aix-en-Provence. In 1945 Bishop de Provenchėres was named bishop of Aix-en-Provence and he supported this new form of religious life, including its expansion among factory workers, nomads, prisoners... In 1946, following the decision to expand throughout the world, the Little Sisters of Jesus became a recognised diocesan congregation of the diocese of Aix-en-Provence.

After 1948, as communities of Little Sisters of Jesus were established in the Middle East among Arab Christians, they belonged to the Churches of the Oriental Rite: Maronite, Syrian, Coptic, Armenian and Chaldean.

With communities established worldwide, the Little Sisters of Jesus applied for recognition as being of Pontifical Right. and as a result, throughout 1960, an Apostolic Visitor closely examined the progress of the congregation. This entailed a great struggle for Little Sister Magdeleine who was trying to reconcile her belief in obedience to the Church with her desire to be faithful to the insights she saw as fundamental to the vocation of the Little Sisters of Jesus, as the Apostolic Visitor asked her to rewrite important passages of the Constitutions.

"I do it with all my heart so as to reconcile obedience towards the Visitor with the mission which the Lord has confided to me. More and more I think there are certain points on which I will never give way: total poverty, littleness, spiritual childhood, contemplative life." (Letter, 7 April 1960)

. The Little Sisters of Jesus were recognised as of being of Pontifical Right on March 25, 1964 and the Generalate was established at Tre Fontane, Rome on May 31, 1964. On that day, Little Sister Magdeleine wrote to Pope Paul VI that it was the realisation of her dream as a foundress. Both Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II (22 December 1985) visited the Little Sisters of Jesus at Tre Fontane. Pope Paul VI made a surprise visit on September 28, 1973 when he told them:

"I have come to give you recognition on behalf of the Church, to tell you that the Church is truly happy about your existence, about your presence, happy for you to be what you are."

Definitive approval of the Constitutions of the Little Sisters of Jesus followed in 1988.