Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament

The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament was an enclosed Roman Catholic religious congregation and a reform of the Dominican Order devoted to the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02598a.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament ] ] . The Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament (Sacramentines) were a female religious congregation. In 1941 they became part of the Assumptionist order, the Orantes of the Assumption. [http://www.assomption.org/ephemerides/fichemois.php?mois=4&jour=7]

Foundation

Antoine Le Quien (1601-1676), established a religious house for women, exclusively devoted to the practice of Perpetual Adoration. He entered the Dominican Order, and after ordination was named master of novices at Avignon, and later prior of the convent at Paris. In 1639 Père Antoine founded his house at Marseille. [Nathan Mitchell, "Cult and Controversy: The Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass" (1982), p. 207.]

Sister Anne Negrel was named the first superior. The definitive establishment took place in 1659-60, when Etienne de Puget, Bishop of Marseille, erected them into a congregation under the title of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The final formalities for the approval of the order having been concluded in Rome (1680), Pope Innocent XI expedited a Brief, which could not be put in execution because of a change of bishop. Pope Innocent XII issued a new Brief the same year in which the Apostolic Process was opened for the canonization of its founder.

French Revolution period

The only foundation of the order in the eighteenth century was made at Bollène (Vaucluse) in 1725.

Sixty years later, under the government of Mère de La Fare, the "Couvent du Saint-Sacrement" had 13 of its members executed [ [http://jesusmarie.free.fr/vie_des_saints_martyrs_chretiens_vol_12.htm Les Martyrs Xii ] ] , from 5 to 26 July, 1794, among them Andrée Minutte [ [http://voiemystique.free.fr/andree_minutte.htm Andrée Minutte ] ] [ [http://catholique-avignon.cef.fr/saint-bien/rel-mart-or.htm Les 32 Bienheureuses Martyres d'Orange ] ] , and Marie-Marguerite Bonnet [ [http://causa.sanctorum.free.fr/marie_marguerite_bonnet.htm Marie-Marguerite Bonnet ] ] . The process for the canonization of these martyrs was opened at Rome, January, 1907.

Mère de La Fare, having escaped the guillotine, gathered together her community in 1802, and made a foundation at Avignon in 1807. The same year a Sacramentine of Marseille founded a convent at Aix-en-Provence.

Nineteenth century

In 1816 the convent of Marseille was reopened, and Mère de La Fare made a new foundation at Carpentras. In 1859 six religious of Aix founded a house at Bernay, Normandy, and in 1863 some sisters from Bollène founded a convent of Perpetual Adoration at Taunton, England. Oxford also had a foundation.

All the houses of this order are autonomous and dependent on the ordinary of the diocese, who is their superior. In consequence of the legal position of religious congregations in France, the Sacramentines of Marseille were obliged to abandon their convent. The four other houses of Southern France were authorized by the Government.

Twentieth century

The Sacramentines of Bernay at the time of the expulsion, July, 1903, were compelled to close their boarding-school and go into exile. Thirteen of the sisters retired to Belgium, and founded a house at Hal. The rest of their community settled in England at Whitson Court, Newport, Monmouthshire; they had left by the 1930s [ [http://www.welshicons.org.uk/html/whitson.php Welsh Icons - Whitson ] ] .

In March, 1911, the Sacramentines were permitted by Archbishop Farley to open a house in Holy Trinity parish, Yonkers, New York.

References

*Helyot, "Histoire des Ordres", IV, 421 sq.;
*Heimbucher, "Die Orden und Kongregationen", s.v. Sakramentinerinnen.

Notes