A Church with a Painful History

Today’s saint, Blessed Frederic Ozanam (1813-1853), is remembered above all as a moving spirit in the foundation of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) – which has branches in many British parishes today.  He was also an academic with a great interest in showing the benefits of the Catholic Church for mediaeval society.  He was buried in the church of St Joseph des Carmes (Carmelites) in Paris.  This church, built by the Carmelites between 1613 and 1620, has a painful history.  Extraordinarily, it was the first church in Paris to be devoted to St Joseph – a saint for whom St Teresa of Avila had a great affection.  Her example was important in stimulating a wider devotion to him.  But during the French Revolution it was requisitioned by the regime as a prison and as such it was the site of a bloody massacre.  Between 2 and 4 September 1792, one hundred and fifteen priests were murdered there, including bishops.  Also of interest to Carmelites is ‘the Chapel of Thérèse of Lisieux, located at the right of the transept. The rector of the Seminary of the Catholic Institute and future Cardinal, Fr Verdier, commissioned the chapel as well as a group of four paintings in the chapel about her life, painted by Paul Buffet (1864-1941), and his brother Amédée (1869-?). One panel depicts the Saint watching over French soldiers in the trenches in the First World War.’ [Wikipedia]

Intercessions

RIP Fr Jon Bielawski, Jacqui, Sister Maisie, Ann Widdecombe

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Theresa K, Elena

Sophie – newborn having heart surgery; Sianna, young child in the post-operative phase; James, recovering from heart surgery

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (in recovery)

Illness:  Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly