Rare Relic Of Saint Victorine V. M.

Rare relic of Saint Victorine V. M.
Descended from a noble family, Victorine Le Dieu was born in Avranches (France) on 22 May 1809, the eldest of three children. She spent a peaceful and happy childhood, enjoying her parents' attention and fraternal tenderness. Her father's profession forces the Le Dieu family to move constantly which has the merit of multiplying human contacts and broadening the girl's mental horizons.

At the age of twelve, upon receiving his first Communion, he felt the desire to belong only to Christ and this internal impulse, which grew over time, became ever more profound: his spirit was constantly challenged by human and spiritual miseries and, faced with a materialistic, unjust, discriminating society, the need to spend her life in silence and prayer revives in her.

But her family is not of the same opinion: her parents made her study, have an excellent social position and absolutely do not accept the idea of ​​seeing her buried in a monastery.



In 1830 in France the people are in revolt and a new revolution bloodies the country: sacrilegious attacks on churches are committed and Victorine's sensitive soul feels "the need for immense reparation!" From that moment, following the example of St. Paul, she decided to "become all to all to win everyone to Christ".

Leaving is her firm decision, but interminable obstacles prevent her from realizing her purpose from time to time. Due to the opposition of her parents, she has to wait until she comes of age, but, just when she turns 21, the sudden death of her brother Edoardo, a young university student, forces her to wait for the family's pain to subside.

However, she was determined to follow Jesus at any cost, in 1833 she left the house without her father's consent and blessing, which she cared so much about, and she crossed the threshold of a religious house of Augustinian Sisters. But her father wrote various letters to the authorities with threats against the Congregation that welcomed her daughter; the Institute, intimidated, sends Victorine back to her home and doesn't want to hear from her anymore.



Now all that remains for her is to escape and enter another religious house, where six months later she receives the religious habit. But the disappointments she had, the absence of her family on the day of her religious investiture, the stress of so many vicissitudes, caused her health to falter until she was at the end of her life. Her father, having learned about her, sends her blessing through her mother, assuring her to leave her free in her choice.

Victorine recovers, but the sudden death of her mother, just three months after their meeting, changes the direction of her life again: she has to return and take care of her family. Her care reaches first her grandmother, then an atheist uncle and finally her younger brother who, after a rather stormy life, manages to get closer to God.

Her father's poor health forces her to make frequent trips to Southern France. Tiredness, the climate, her contradictions also negatively affect her. She, now at the end of her life, asks to go on a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette and along the way the symptoms of her illness disappear. At the feet of the crying Virgin she finds light and strength.

Our Lady of La Salette confirms her ideal of reconciliation. She passes through Ars and meets the Holy Curé: Jean-Marie Vianney and Victorine enter into spiritual harmony. The Saint reassures her: “The Work will be blessed more than you can imagine.”

1860 is a decisive year for Victorine. The father also reaches heaven and she is free to consecrate herself totally to the Lord. She is 51 years old, she is no longer young, but she retains the enthusiasm she had when she was 20, indeed increased by the maturity she has reached. Her long wait, her multiple trials have never weakened the Lord's call in her.

Repairing, reconciling men within themselves, with God, with each other, rebuilding unity in love, serving brothers, particularly those disintegrated by sin, marginalization, poverty, become the great values ​​for which the whole its existence.



Difficulties, misunderstandings, disappointments, rejections ceaselessly hinder her path, but Victorine doesn't give up. She carries a great ideal in her heart: “Working with Jesus the Redeemer and Mary Reconciler for the salvation of the world”.
After many difficulties and suffering, at 72 years old, Sister Marie-Joseph de Jésus, the rich Victorine of the past, finds herself once again alone and deprived of all her possessions.

But her health faltered and on October 26, 1884 she ended her earthly life to undertake perpetual adoration in heaven. Following numerous graces attributed to her intercession, the cause of her beatification began.
France, nineteenth century