Lourdes (France), 09/24/2020, Sr. Cécile Sawadogo.- My name is Sister Cécile Sawadogo of the Vice-Province of Africa; I am on mission in France in Lourdes. Marie Poussepin lived and prayed, she watched over her Work and we give thanks to God. She put in practice her life as a woman, she was close to the cross of Christ; she exercised her charism and she was charitable towards the neediest.

The year of grace is a joy of the heart, it is a thanksgiving to God for his gift, for all his works. Marie Poussepin founded her congregation with the girls without baggage, and the sisters remained faithful to her work until her beatification. I felt joy when I knew that I was chosen with Sister Noëllie KABORE to go to the beatification, it was a great joy for me, it was Sister Carmen del Pilar who announced it to me. May her soul rest in peace!

We had a good journey and I gave thanks to God throughout the journey while discovering the origins of our Mother Foundress, the beauty of the landscape and the welcome of the sisters. At the Mother House, I visited the tomb of Marie Poussepin, I went to her room in Sainville and sat on her bed, it was really impressive. On the day of the beatification, in the Basilica of Saint Peter of Rome it was an immense joy, there was a multitude of people; our sisters from different countries and the lay faithful. It touched me very much. I was happy because Africa was also present. Let us give thanks to God for his wonders for his Church and for our Congregation.

The message that I leave to the sisters is to always keep the flame of charity lit by Marie Poussepin and to put her charism into practice. I invite you to love our Mother Foundress and to make her known in our different missions. The year of grace invites us to pray more to Marie Poussepin and to put into practice her work of charity. Our Mother Foundress was inspired in her time, may we too be inspired, in order to fight the ignorance of our time. Our Mother Foundress was a social woman, that we may develop works of love with the grace of God in our missions.