Canonization
Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis (2024)
Official photograph
On October 20, 2024, Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis was canonized. The celebration, presided over by Pope Francis, took place in St. Peter's Square in Rome.
Here is a summary of the announcements and celebrations surrounding the canonization of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis, from the signing of the canonization decree in January 2024 to the days following this great event:
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CELEBRATIONS
of the canonization of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis
On January 24, 2024
Pope Francis signed the decree of canonization of Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis.
On July 1, 2024
Pope Francis announced that the canonization of Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis would take place in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, Rome, on Sunday, October 20, 2024. Eleven martyrs of Damascus and two other founders of religious communities, Giuseppe Allamano for the Missionaries of the Consolata and Elena Guerra for the Oblate dello Spirito Santo, will also be canonized during the same celebration.
October 19, 2024
Vigile
The canonization was preceded by a Vigil (time of prayer) at the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova) to prepare for the great event in Rome to prepare for the major event of the canonization the following day, which will take place in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, Rome.
Choir of the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova).
Reproduction of the painting by Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis (Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré).
The Rite of Light with our Honduran nuns.
The bishops, the priests in attendance, and the delegation from the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
Here is a letter from Sister Marie-Leonie, read aloud during the celebration, that she wrote to a sister who was feeling discouraged.
"How many times have I seen you moan, not hearing the voice of those who tried to comfort you, because you said, I have forced God to abandon me. Well, let us forget about that past, forget it as God himself does, and say joyfully: I have found the One I love, I am holding on to him and will not let him go.
"It is not only in the repose of contemplation, in a kind of peace that is exempt of trouble that you must seek God; it is also in the streets and public places, amid the noise of your imagination, the disorder of your thoughts, the attacks of your passions and of the enemy of your salvation. To find the Beloved of your soul, you must rise above all those things. It is not within your control not to have temptations, not to be subjected to the hurts of the imagination or to all the uprisings of nature; your soul is sometimes like the streets and public places of a large city; but when you are in search of the One you love, you think of nothing else but him, you hear the noise but don't listen to it, and that is the great science of spiritual life: to keep going in spite of what goes on within and outside ourselves, constantly asking for the Beloved, never tiring despite not finding him, having no fear of the tumult and confusion of our thoughts which relentlessly invade the soul.
"God doesn't change and he is the One I want; the only necessary one. I understood this. What I need to do now is to rise. Yes, I shall rise; I shall go through the streets of the city, because nothing will be too difficult for me to reach him. He is the One I want at all cost, even if I had to spend my whole life looking for him who is the only object of my desire, and spend it in the midst of this inner noise that exhausts me."
"My mind is made up. I rise. I run. I fly, I look for him and am sure of finding him at last."
(Signed : Sister Marie-Leonie)
October 20, 2024
Canonization in St. Peter's Square, Rome
Great joy for the Church! 14 Blessed will be canonized this Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (Rome time). The rite of canonization will precede the mass presided over by Pope Francis. The 14 to join the canon of saints are the 11 “Martyrs of Damascus” (Father Emmanuel Ruiz, religious Carmelo Bolta Bañuls, Nicanor Ascanio Soria, Nicolás María Alberca Torres, Pedro Nolasco Soler Méndez, Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, Juan Jacob Fernández, Engelbert Kolland, and lay people François, Abdel Mooti and Raphaël Massabki), as well as sister Marie-Leonie Paradis, father Giuseppe Allamano and sister Elena Guerra.
The facade of the basilica, where portraits of future saints are displayed.
View of the papal altar, with the relics of the future saints on the left.
Monsignor Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints,
asks Pope Francis I, to canonize the future saints by naming them.
Pope Francis I proclaims each new saint to include them in the calendar of saints.
Rachel Lemieux, p.s.s.f., vice-postulator, announces the second reading.
Left: Procession to honor the relic of each new saint, including
Mr. Ghyslain Paradis and Mrs. Élisabeth Gouin for Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis.
Right: Reliquary containing a phalanx from the hand of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis, presented to Pope Francis I by the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
Mr. Paul Paradis, a member of the fourth generation of the Paradis family,
sent his children, Evelyne and Matthieu, to participate in the offertory procession.
The congregation gathered on the forecourts surrounding the papal altar.
October 21, 2024
Thanksgiving Mass (Rome)
The day after the canonization, a thanksgiving mass was held in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova) to praise and thank God for this great favor of glorifying Saint Marie-Leonie, a witness by her love of God and her great spirit of faith.
In her Eucharistic contemplation, she discovered the need to support the ministry of priests for the greater good of all people. Seeing God present in every moment of her daily life and serving him in all the people around her, she was called mother of all needs.
Left: Concelebrating priests at the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova).
Center: Ms. Élisabeth Gouin, pastoral assistant and master of ceremonies
Right: Prayer intentions:
1st Reyna Lidia Guerre Arita, p.s.s.f.
2nd Ms. Anne-Marie Laffage
3rd Grace da Rocha, p.s.s.f.
4th Mr. Yoland Bouchard
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Mass of St. Marie-Leonie (Sherbrooke)
In St. Michael’s Basilica-Cathedral, Sherbrooke, Eucharistic celebration at 10 a.m. in honor of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis, presided over by Most Reverend Luc Cyr, Archbishop of Sherbrooke, accompanied by almost all the priests of the diocese.
The Basilica-Cathedral was filled to overflowing and the people were delighted to receive a rose offered to them to take to Saint Marie-Leonie in veneration, along with their prayer intentions.
The welcoming committee.
The shrine of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis, adorned with flowers.
View of the congregation in the cathedral basilica.
From left to right:
Bishop Guy Boulanger of Rouyn-Noranda and Amos,
Bishop Daniel Jodoin of Nicolet,
Archbishop Luc Cyr, president of the assembly
Bishop Christian Rodembourg, Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe,
Father Steve Lemay, Vicar General of Sherbrooke,
Bishop Donald Lapointe, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Saint-Jérôme.
Left: María Julia Corea Murillo, p.s.s.f., Superior General, holds the icon of Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis.
Right: María Julia Corea Murillo, p.s.s.f., Superior General, plays the guitar,
and María Inés Sanchez Mejía, p.s.s.f., sing “Santa de la caridad” in Spanish.