26th Jun - B MARIE MAGDALENE FONTAINE & COMPANIONS

 These four French martyrs were Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Besides Madeleine, there were Frances Lanel, Teresa Fantou, and Joan Gerard. They were put to death for 

    their Faith in the bloodiest days of the French Revolution.

    In 1794, the four Sisters were arrested because they refused to take an oath that could not be taken without committing a sin. The enemies of the Church said that they had found 

    certain papers in the convent which showed that the Sisters had been working against the Revolution. None of this was true, but a wicked judge in the city of Cambrai had B Madeleine, 

    the Superior, condemned to death, together with her three Sisters. The sisters walked to their execution calmly singing a hymn to the Blessed Mother, 

    “Hail, Star of the Sea.” Sr. Madeleine was the last to die. As she came near the guillotine, she cried to the watching crowd, “Listen, Christians! The persecution is going to stop. 

    The Altars of Jesus will rise again in glory!” Her prophecy came true. The evil man who had judged the martyrs had to stop the executions because people were so angry with him. 

    Six weeks later, he himself was beheaded. Magdalene and her companions were beatified by the Pope Benedict XV in 1920.





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