As we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week in November, our thoughts turn to an appropriate anniversary that also sheds light on discerning Marianist vocations. On November 14, 1801, Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon (Foundress of the Marianist Sisters) and her family returned to their château in France after four years of exile for Adèle, her mother, and her brother and 10 years of exile for her father, who left home in 1791 because of the Revolution. Upon her return, Adèle was 11, and she came home with a focus and a dream of pursuing her vocation, which would evolve a lot, as she had initially wanted to become a Carmelite nun.
Exile had been difficult, especially before the family could reunite with her father in Portugal. But it had also been a time of practicing religion freely and “homeschooling” with her mother. Eventually, the family would move to San Sebastián, Spain, near the French border, in order to return home as quickly as possible. It was in Spain that Adèle had made her first confession and received her first communion.
When the family returned to France, Adèle had mixed feelings. She had wanted to remain at the Carmelite monastery in San Sebastián, but her parents had insisted that she was too young to make that decision, agreeing to support her call later if it still was her heart’s desire when she was older. Despite the financial challenges of restoring the family’s château and land, her father had hired a former seminarian, Monsieur Ducourneau, to tutor Adèle’s brother. This tutor would also become Adèle’s spiritual director, and at her insistence, Ducourneau would write a rule of life for her to live by as she prepared for her eventual life as a sister.
Life’s twists and turns led young Adèle not only to build community with friends who had received the sacrament of confirmation with her in 1804, but also to learn of Fr. Chaminade’s Bordeaux Sodality. Her dream became her “cher projet” (dear project) of being a sister dedicated to the growth of the Sodalities. Some friends joined her in the Foundation of the Marianist Sisters in 1816, and others would stay lifelong friends in their married and family lives. No matter the form of life, her constant appeal was, “What we must constantly strive to instill into each other is the love of God.” (1)
As the anniversary of the return of Adèle and her family to France approaches, we invite you to reflect on how you are called to instill the love of God in others. How does Adèle’s vocation story inspire you in your own pursuit to embody the Marianist charism?
To learn more about Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, we recommend the following resources:
- Adèle, Aristocrat for the Poor: Fr. Joseph Stefanelli, SM, writes a brief yet encompassing story of the intriguing life of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon.
- Adele: This biography, also by Fr. Joseph Stefanelli, SM, offers an in-depth look at Adèle's spirituality, personality, and the numerous ways she responded to God's call.
- Community Meeting Kit: Ten Things You May Not Know about Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon: This Community Meeting Kit highlights ten interesting facts about Adèle and is designed for communal use.
And to celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, we invite you to listen to episode 33 of Sharing Our Marianist Stories, which features Bro. Mark Motz, SM, and Sr. Rose Rucoba, FMI, sharing their journeys to vowed religious life. We also invite you to share this episode with someone who might benefit from a nudge to consider vowed religious life.
(1) Adèle, Letters, no. 1.3 to Diché, Feb. 2, 1805; vol. 1, p. 1.
Image Source: "Retrait au Carmel d'Agen" by G. Serraz and R. Lanz in Adèle de Trenquelléon (Mère Marie de la Conception), 1789-1828: Fondatrice de l'Institut des Filles de Marie Immaculée (Versailles: L. Millot, 1933), 15.