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Volume 3, Chapter
XLVI
30 November 1980
On 30 November
1980, the community of Carmelite nuns of Quievrain in Belgium celebrated
the fiftieth anniversary of the profession of their Prioress, Mother
Marie Christiane Lefebvre. The entire Society of St. Pius X was
present in spirit at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered by His
Grace Archbishop Lefebvre on this occasion, to thank Almighty God
for the fifty years of devoted service Mother Christiane has given
to the Church.
Professed just
over a year after the ordination of her elder brother Marcel, Mother
Christiane received her spiritual formation in France, and was afterwards
sent to organize a Carmel in the mission territory of Australia.
Thirty years later, in the face of the terrible crisis which has
gripped the Church, she was forced to admit that what had been Christian
Europe was now itself in need of missionaries. With the help of
Archbishop Lefebvre she returned to establish the present Carmel
of Quievrain according to the traditional rite of the Order. Providence
has blessed Mother Christiane’s courage with a comparatively
large number of vocations for what is an austere and demanding way
of life. In the words of the most famous Carmelite of modern times,
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the sacrifice and
the prayers of this life are offered for priests and for the conversion
of souls. The Society of St. Pius X is deeply indebted to Mother
Christiane and to this devoted Carmel for all the graces they have
drawn down from heaven on the Church in these troubled times. May
Our Lord grant many more years of such service to Mother Christiane
and may the Holy Ghost inspire many more generous souls to take
up this glorious calling.
In November,
1980, Mother Marie Christiane, at the request of the author, provided
some personal memories of Archbishop Lefebvre's childhood for a
special issue of The Angelus to mark the seventy-fifth
birthday of Archbishop Lefebvre and the tenth anniversary of the
founding of the Society of St. Pius X.
Some Memories...
Marcel has
always had an incorruptible sense of justice. While still a child
he could not tolerate any deceit whatsoever. When the weather
was fine the five older children would go to a large square of
sand at the end of the garden under the old chestnut tree and
play croquet. The game would be played in an amicable spirit until
the end, but the eldest could not bear to lose. If it happened
that he was not in the lead he would resort to some little strategem
which would unobtrusively insure that he got his way. Marcel,
for his part, was not troubled by losing but could not stand the
rules being broken. So you would see them, each going back to
the house by a different path accompanied by one of their sisters.
Fortunately, the path was long enough for them to overcome their
vexation. Once back in the house, aided by the good qualities
they both possessed, they would soon settle down to other games.
He was capable
of sound insights into the characters of others. In 1920, just
after World War I, we spent some time in the country at Bagnoles
de Bigorre in Normandy. There, at Falaise, we met Father's business
associate for the first time. Marcel said at once that he did
not trust him whereas Father allowed himself to be taken in be
a pretended piety, for all that his mother-ion-law warned him
to be on his guard, saying the man only went to Mass when Father
was there while, at other times, he did not even go to church
on Sundays and was a Freemason. Alas, our Father went bankrupt
a few years later. Mother said that she could put more faith in
Marcel’s judgment than that of Father who had a tendency
to see nothing but good in others until he suffered a disaster.
He was very
self-controlled. For him, events of the greatest importance took
place without any fuss. At home he seemed indispensable. We relied
on him so much for all the little repair jobs, conversions, or
errands to the town which he could reach quickly on his bicycle
(bought with money earned by selling the eggs of some chickens
which he looked after). He used his bicycle rather than the car
so as not to deprive Father of it. He did all this so well that
mother used to say that it seemed that the household could not
exist without him. We could not adapt to the idea of his departure
for the seminary. To avoid too much emotion he said his goodbyes
the evening before leaving. Because he left in the night we asked
ourselves whether it could really happened. My parents, who had
gone to the train with him, said afterwards that he left calmly,
without a tear while our hearts were all so full of emotion that
we could scarcely mention it.
While he
was a student at the French Seminary in Rome, he was surprised
at an unexpected visit from his mother and one of his sisters
after he had made arrangements to spend his Easter vacation in
the nearby mountains. Despite the exhaustion of a term of studies,
he was able at once to arrange their stay to include an audience
with the Pope, Mass each day said by a priest friend in the catacombs,
and the most holy places, and, on top of all of this, a brief
visit to Assisi to make the visit as interesting as possible for
his guest without the least thought to himself.
Those who
accuse him of being proud only prove how little they know him.
He has never been in the least ambitious. During his teens his
one concern was to help the servants in any way he could. Our
maid Louise, who stayed with us for twenty years, could never
stop telling us that he was s saint, such was his eagerness to
help. Family gatherings did not appeal to him greatly, he preferred
to visit poor families. When we went on a pilgrimage each May
we would pass by a farm, small but very well looked after. He
used to say that it was there he would like to spend his entire
life. Thus you can see the extent of his ambition! But the truth
will be known one day when the Good Lord wishes it. His nephews
have the decorations he received, and when he was awarded citations
from various countries he would give the medals away immediately.
Courtesy of the Angelus
Press, Regina Coeli House
2918 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64109
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