Blessed Madeleine Fontaine and Her Three Companions

Blessed Madeleine Fontaine and Her Three Companions - June 27th

These four French martyrs were Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Besides Blessed Madeleine, there were Blessed Frances Lanel, Blessed Teresa Fantou, and Blessed Joan Gerard. They were put to death for their Faith in the bloodiest days of the French Revolution.

First, the four Sisters were arrested because they refused to take an oath that could not be taken without committing a sin. The enemies of the church said that they had found certain papers in the convent which showed that the Sisters had been working against the Revolution. None of this was true, but a wicked judge in the city of Cambrai had Blessed Madeleine, the Superior, condemned to death, together with her three Sisters.

The sisters walked to their execution calmly singing a hymn to the Blessed Mother, “Hail, Star of the Sea.” Sister Madeleine was the last to die. As she came near the guillotine, she cried to the watching crowd: “Listen, Christians! We are the last victims. The persecution is going to stop. The altars of Jesus will rise again in glory!”

Her prophecy came true. The evil man who had judged the martyrs had to stop the executions because people were so angry with him. Six weeks later, he himself was beheaded.

No matter what happens, we should never promise to do something which is forbidden by God’s law.