Moreau Beatification 2007
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Journal Entry: September 15, 2007
Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows
The Mass celebrating the beatification of Fr. Moreau took place at 4:00 pm in Centre Antares, an indoor sports stadium, on the patronal feast of Holy Cross—Our Lady of Sorrows. The presider was the Bishop of Le Mans, Jacques Maurice Faivre, and, representing Pope Benedict XVI as his legate, Cardinal J.S. Martins, C.M.F.
The “Rite of Beatification” took place as the Mass began, immediately following the Kyrie. The bishop of the diocese formally stated his request, on behalf of the local church, that the Holy Father, on behalf of the universal Church, add the name of Basile-Antoine-Marie Moreau to the list of the “Blessed.”
Then, a short biography of the “Servant of God,” as the candidate for beatification is called, was read in paragraphs alternating English and French. Following the biography, the “postulator,” charged by canon law with the administration of the formal process of investigation and verification, summarized the case: the recognition of “heroic virtue” by Pope John XXIII on Oct. 20, 1959, and the official recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Servant of God, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, both on the recommendations of the appropriate commissions.
After this, the Cardinal read the Apostolic Letter of the Pope, declaring that the venerable Servant of God, in this case Basil Moreau, “may be called Blessed,” and that, “on January 20, the day of his birth into eternal life, his feast may be celebrated each year” as prescribed by canon law. At the service, after this proclamation, a beautiful portrait of Moreau was unfurled and, as is customary, relics of the Blessed were venerated, while the congregation sang “Laudate Dominum” (“Praise the Lord”).
The local bishop then formally thanked the Holy Father, though his legate, for this recognition of a member of the local church. Mass continued with the Gloria. The readings, in English, French and Spanish, were taken from the Book of Judith, the Letter to the Hebrews, and the Gospel of John (the passage which depicts Mary and the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the Cross).
For me it was a tremendous privilege to be present at this beautiful and gracious ceremony—celebrated, in accordance with the new norms of Pope Benedict, in the local diocese rather than at Rome. The local bishop was joined by other local clergy, including the pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Holy Cross, and by bishops from neighboring dioceses. The beautiful choir was composed of religious and lay faithful from the diocese. There were over one hundred and fifty “Scouts of France,” teen-age boys and girls from the diocese, serving as communion ushers, all dressed in their red shirts, orange neckerchiefs, and (nice) jeans. They lent to the ceremony, at which the French Prime Minister was present, a kind of pleasing informal formality (or maybe formal informality).
In the persons of the delegations from the family of Holy Cross, the local church was host to an international gathering of priests, sisters and brothers, and lay associates from countries on five continents.
In his words at the reception following the Mass, Cardinal Martins reminded the gathering that the history of holiness is—recalling the teaching of Pope Benedict—the history of Love. In consecrating the priests of his congregation to the Heart of Jesus; the brothers to the Heart of St. Joseph; the sisters to the Heart of Mary; and the whole CSC family to Our Lady of Sorrows, Fr. Moreau had consecrated them to this same Love of which the Cardinal was speaking—to the source and form of holiness, the Love of the Word made Flesh, who accepted to the full a loving solidarity with all the sufferings of our world and made them His own, in order to form that same solidarity in others.
Fr. Moreau, I believe, would have rejoiced to be present at this gathering of the universal-in-the-local church, an image and enactment of the communion of charity, imitating, as he hoped his community would, the charity of the first Christians who had, according to the Acts of the Apostles, “but one heart and one soul.”
The liturgy concluded with a hymn dedicated to Fr. Moreau, the refrain of which will close these reflections: “Blessed Basil Moreau, Founder of Holy Cross, you are great in the eyes of God! We sing your praise both on earth and in the heavens! Amen.”
Prof. John Cavadini
Chairperson of the Department of Theology