The plenary assembly of the bishops of France at the beginning of November 2022 reopened an old file for beatification, that of Marie-Eustelle Harpain (1814-1842).
The beatification of the mystic Marie-Eustelle Harpain, nicknamed “the angel of the Eucharist” was one of the subjects dealt with during the last plenary assembly in Lourdes, and if it went more unnoticed than the other subjects which were more “heavy”, it nevertheless remains an important theme of this assembly.
However, this is not the first time that the file for the beatification of Marie-Eustelle Harpain has been opened, and therefore it was not a great surprise for the members of the parish of Saint-Pallais de Saintes that this beatification is again put on the table, which explains to Christian FamilyMarie-Martine Vincent, our contact at the parish of Saintes: “There had already been a first request in 1911, which never came to fruition. It was later said that Marie-Eustelle Harpain could be an example for Christians today, so we talked about it to the bishop who launched a local initiative. »
In fact, more than a century ago, the dossier had already been opened for the first time, but its processing had finally come to nothing in 1958, because the postulator of Rome then had two dossiers to deal with, that -ci, and another about the priests deported to Rochefort. “In 1921, there was almost the green light from Rome, but the historical circumstances […] caused the file to fall into oblivion”. The other file was then designated as the one to be prioritized. Thus, for our mystic, the beatification did not take place at that time, and until now the file had not been reopened either.
The life of Marie-Eustelle Harpain
The piety of this mystic was exemplary, as can be read in the collection of her writings published after her death in 1860: “Collection of the writings of Marie-Eustelle, born in Saint-Pallais de Saintes on June 19, 1814, died on June 29 1842”. “One of the parish priests who followed her understood that she was not a spiritually ordinary person, that she had something deep, so he sent her to see the bishop in La Rochelle, Monsignor Villecourt, with a letter recommending her and it was this bishop who asked her to write the story of her life. That is to say the famous collection that was published by the priest of Saintes who followed her, but unfortunately, without the last three years of her life, because she died before she could write them. The father therefore collected letters which he published instead of at the end of the collection..
The life of the mystic, although short (28 years), is marked by a great sensitivity to spirituality, and this, from an early age. Indeed, at the age of fifteen, she converted completely after a short period of doubts. This conversion will earn him some teasing that the young woman endures gently, without batting an eyelid. Although her first attempt at religious life unfortunately proved unsuccessful, her devotion and determination would eventually grow stronger.
With her skills as a seamstress and seamstress, she was appointed in charge of the maintenance of the linen and ornaments of the Saint-Pallais church in the town of Saintes in Charente-Maritime. Her life will then be one of exemplary piety, and she will take her religious vows. However, she will die at the age of 28, because of the fatigue engendered by her Eucharistic ardor. “You have to understand that she was born shortly after the Revolution, since she was born in 1814, in a France that was totally disjointed from a spiritual point of view. She spent her life persuading her contemporaries that one should go to pray, go to the tabernacle, go to communion. It is because of this that she was nicknamed the angel of the Eucharist, during her lifetime. »
While the Catholic Church has been affected by several scandals in recent times, it is understandable that the file of beatification is put back on the table, the beatification of a young woman with such exemplary piety that she was finally nicknamed “the ‘angel of the Eucharist’ would be a bright message from the Church in a rather dark time.
Reopening of the file for the beatification of Marie-Eustelle, the angel of the Eucharist