Notre Dame de Vie Institute

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The Institut Notre-Dame de Vie ( German : Our Lady of Life ) is a secular institute in the Roman Catholic Church.It was founded in 1932 by Father Marie-Eugène Grialou OCD and Maria Pila and has its headquarters in Venasque ( southern France ). The institute is based on the spirituality of the Discalced Carmelite order .

History and founder

Church of Our Lady in Venasque, southern France

The community was founded in the Marian pilgrimage site of Venasque in southern France. In 1929 three teachers expressed their desire to the religious priest Maria-Eugen Grialou (1894-1967) to live a consecrated life in the middle of the world. Pater Grialou and Maria Pila (1896–1974), one of the three teachers, founded the first group in 1932. Inspired by the Marian town of Venasque and the Marian shrine Notre-Dame de Vie, the group called itself "Community Notre-Dame de Vie".

The community was episcopal recognized in 1948 and in 1962 received the status of a secular institute under papal law . As a further branch, a group for lay men was founded in 1962 , followed in 1964 by the branch for diocesan priests and the Institute incardinated priests. The three independent branches are united in the Famille Notre-Dame de Vie . Both male branches received papal approvals in 1973 .

Maria-Eugene of the Child Jesus (Henri Grialou)

His real name is Henri Grialou, he was born on December 2, 1894. His hometown Le Gua in the French Aveyron department is located in a rural area. As a toddler he lost his father and grew up with his mother and four other siblings in poor circumstances. He joined the Discalced Carmelites and took the religious name Maria-Eugène of the Child Jesus (Marie-Eugène de l'Enfant-Jésus). It was his great concern to pass on the inner prayer to others, he wrote:

“We are witnesses of faith above all through what we are ourselves. We bear witness to a Christian existence, of the life of Christ that we carry within us, of the Holy Spirit who is our guest. "

- Father Maria-Eugen

On December 19, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI raised him . to the venerable servant of God . On November 19, 2016, Father Maria-Eugen was beatified by Angelo Cardinal Amato on behalf of Pope Francis in Avignon. His feast day in the liturgy is February 4th. His grave is in the institute church Notre-Dame de Vie in Venasque.

Maria Pila

Maria Pila was one of the three teachers who developed the first founding ideas with Father Maria-Eugen. She was the head of a high school in Marseille . She was elected First Superior General and essentially directed the building of the community.

Life form

According to the evangelical councils, the members vow to live in poverty, celibacy and obedience . The members live individually or in small groups and meet regularly with the other members for mutual exchange, relaxation and prayer .

The training period begins with a two-year stay in the main French center. With a serious and deep spiritual preparation the relationship with God and one another should be strengthened. The preparation should lead to the spirituality of the community. This time ends with the temporal vows . This is followed by vocational training or the return to the profession that you have learned.

Candidates for the priesthood who choose to become members must also undergo two years of spiritual training. Afterwards they can choose to pursue further theological formation and continue their ministry in their dioceses or in the community. Diocesan priests who have already been ordained undergo a one-year training course, followed by the second year of training, which is completed in the parishes .

organization

The Notre-Dame de Vie Institute is made up of three autonomous branches: a branch for women (around 470 members), one for lay men and one for priests. The international center is located in Venasque in southern France. The German headquarters has been based in Weisendorf Castle near Erlangen since 1957 . There is also the Edith-Stein-Haus, an education and retreat house, which is looked after by the members . Other international groups exist in Spain , Italy , Poland , Mexico , Taiwan , Canada , Argentina , the Philippines , Chad , Benin , Latvia , USA and England . The institute is a member of the German Catholic Mission Council .

Theological College

The Notre-Dame de Vie Institute today maintains its own theological faculty in Venasque, which is attached to the Teresianum in Rome and is thus papally recognized. Theology studies are open to priesthood candidates and lay people. It is important to combine academic studies, community learning and spiritual life. The university offers the ecclesiastical diploma as well as the licentiate as degrees , it offers religious and laypeople shorter courses that are particularly oriented towards catechesis , teaching the faith or spirituality and spiritual accompaniment.

See also

Commons : Institut Notre-Dame de Vie  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The historic building is the birthplace of Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg and is a gift from the von Guttenberg family to Father Maria-Eugen vom Kinde Jesus (Henri Grialou) Archive link ( Memento from November 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ Edith Stein House Weisendorf [1]
  3. ↑ College of the Notre-Dame de Vie Institute [2]