On Sunday 21 March a statue of St Joseph donated by a community of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, was blessed at the shrine of Sainte-Anne d’Auray in France.

 

Sainte-Anne-d’Auray is a place in Brittany where Sainte Anne appeared to Yvon Nicolazic in August 1623 and where the first pilgrimage took place in March 1625. A community of the Daughters of Jesus is in missionary insertion at this important site.

As a result, a wide-ranging invitation went out to the Daughters of Jesus in the region to participate in the blessing of a new statue of Saint Joseph.

 

 

 

In procession

 

On 21 March, after the solemn vespers of Saint Joseph, everyone went in procession to the park where the statue is located. There, the statue was then blessed by the vicar general of the diocese.

 

Impressions of the event

Some of the Daughters of Jesus present accepted to be interviewed by Sr Agnès.

 

Sr Marie-Andrée Servel:

“I was struck by the number of communities of Daughters of Jesus in Morbihan, who responded to the invitation of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray. I said to myself that the Daughters of Jesus are really marked by their devotion to Saint Joseph. I myself had tried to find a statue of St Joseph for Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, but without success. It is a very beautiful Saint Joseph.

Walking in procession from the basilica to the statue of Saint Joseph had a profound effect on me. It was my first outing after being ill with the Covid. I had given myself this as a goal and it felt good. I was really fulfilled, at having dedicated my first outing to St. Joseph.”

Sr Marie-Thérèse Le Goff:

“I am very happy to see Saint Joseph in Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, a place much visited by the people of the region.

I am very happy with this statue, but it lacks a little something: Joseph the worker with a tool in his hand, would have been nice too. “

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sr Thérèse Rouillard:

“It gave me the opportunity to celebrate St. Joseph, since we couldn’t go to Kermaria on March the 19th. We had the Vespers of St. Joseph a few days later, so it was the feast of St. Joseph for me. “

 

Sr Anne Leroux:

” There were many Daughters of Jesus present at Sainte-Anne-d’Auray. We would have been even more numerous, but the Covid prevented us from leaving Kermaria. ”

 

The Sisters of the Community of Ploeren

“We responded to the invitation of the Sisters of Saint Anne of Auray and returned, happy to have participated in this celebration. This meeting gave us the opportunity:

– to express our solidarity with the Community of the Daughters of Jesus of Saint Anne of Auray at the service of the mission of this place of pilgrimage;

– to live a time of fraternity with the Daughters of Jesus and the Daughters of the Holy Spirit;

– to celebrate Saint Joseph with the Daughters of Jesus present, access to Kermaria on March 19, having been forbidden to us due to the pandemic.

One question: The choice of the location of the statue, placed a little behind, on this site? Could this be the symbol of the humility and silence of Saint Joseph? “

 

A beautiful day

 

After the blessing, the Sisters of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray would have liked everyone to stay for refreshments but this was not possible given the present circumstances.

Each one left however, with the joy of having been able to entrust all their intentions to Saint Joseph.

 

Sr Agnès Miquel, fj, Pontivy, France