Pope Francis invited the crowd present at the Angelus this Sunday, June 10, 2018, in Saint Peter’s Square to applaud the new French Blessed Adele de Batz, anticipating the celebration taking place this afternoon.
«Sister Marie de la Conception, born Adélaïde Batz de Trenquelléon is proclaimed blessed today in France, in Agen,» said the pope before adding: «She lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, she founded the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, called Marianists. We praise the Lord for this daughter of His, who consecrated her life to Him and to the service of brethren. A round of applause to the new Blessed; all applaud.”
The crowd then applauded Blessed Adèle, who was celebrated in the region for four days (from Friday 8 to Monday 11 June), with a show by Daniel Facérias and the Diaconia of Beauty, about his life, and a march young people from the castle of Trenquelléon.
The solemn beatification mass of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon (Mother of the Conception, 1789-1828), founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Marianist nuns), takes place this Sunday, June 10, 2018, at 15h, at the Park Exhibitions of Agen.
Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux, Bishop Hubert Herbreteau, Bishop of Agen, as well as many bishops are present. Nearly 5,000 people were expected from France and around the world to attend the celebration.
On June 8, at 6 pm, a solemn Eucharist was held for the Sacred Heart Festival at the Sacred Heart Church. It was followed at 9 pm by a performance of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, directed by Daniel Facérias, at the Château de Trenquelléon in Feugarolles, closed by a fireworks display.
On Saturday 9 June, after the Festiv’Adèle event (at Sainte-Foy College in Agen) where Marianist religious communities from different countries were presented and a second performance of the show about Adèle’s life, the young people were invited to sleep in tents in the castle park.
This Sunday, June 10, a walk of 10 km was proposed to relive the path that Adèle de Batz made from the family castle Trenquelléon to Saint-Laurent (in front of Port-Sainte-Marie), May 25, 1816, while she was traveling with her companions to found in Agen the first community of the Daughters of Mary.
Also this Sunday, from 13:30 in Agen, takes place the procession of the relics of Mother Adele, from the Saint-Caprais cathedral to the Parc des Expositions for the beatification mass.
