On Sunday, 18 October, at the invitation of Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, Brother Armin Luistro, Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who had travelled especially from Rome with Brother Joël Palud, General Councillor, and Brother Claude Reinhardt, Visitor of the District of France and French-speaking Europe, attended a solemn Mass at the Church of Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes in Paris, alongside several Brothers from the Maison de La Salle.
A particularly meaningful celebration for the Lasallian family, marking the centenary of the beatification of the martyrs of September 1792, proclaimed on 17 October 1926 by Pope Pius XI.
Among the religious who lost their lives in the massacres during the French Revolution was Brother Solomon Leclercq, a Brother of the Christian Schools, who was beatified in 1926 and later canonised by Pope Francis on 16 October 2016. He remains the only martyr of the September 1792 massacres to have been canonised, while the others were recognised as Blessed by the Church.
Presided over by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, the Mass brought together more than twenty priests, including several superiors of religious institutes whose members had also lost their lives during those tragic events.
A profound moment of remembrance, faith and fraternal communion, paying tribute to these men who remained faithful to their convictions even to the point of giving their lives.
One hundred years after their beatification, their witness continues to resonate across generations. For the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the example of Saint Solomon reminds us that fidelity to faith, courage and commitment to serving others remain at the very heart of the Lasallian heritage.
A beautiful celebration, marked by prayerful reflection and fraternity, in which the memory of our martyrs continues to illuminate our educational and fraternal mission today.
* Articolo scritto da Lionel Fauthoux. Foto: Distretto Francia ed Europa francofona.