7. Jean-Claude Courveille

After the event at Fourviere in Lyon where our twelve Marist aspirants pledged themselves to work toward establishing the Society of Mary, and after they were assigned by the archdiocesan authorities to various parishes, three of them in particular took initiatives to realize the dream: Jean-Claude Courveille who had had the original inspiration, had started the process by inviting some of his fellow seminarians to be part of the project, and who naturally was acknowledged as the leader of the group; Marcellin Champagnat, whose ardent desire was to form a group of brothers to teach in schools; and Jean-Claude Colin, who seems to have had some ideas and inspirations of his own regarding the planned Society of Mary.

Let us consider today Jean-Claude Courveille. While all of the Marist founders

considered themselves poor instruments whom God had chosen to accomplish His works, Courveille turned out to be a particularly flawed instrument. Indeed, he is a sadly tragic figure. Assigned to several different parishes in the course of his first years in priestly ministry, he attempted several initiatives, most of which came to nothing. In one of the parishes the pastor had gathered a group of young woman to educate the youth of the parish. These young women aspired to become religious sisters, so Courveille invited some of them to become Sisters of Mary. This caused a division between the pastor's sisters and the curate’s sisters. Eventually, Courveille was moved to another parish in the archdiocese of Lyon, and settled the group of sisters in a town in the diocese of Grenoble. This group did survive as a religious congregation well into the twentieth century, but did not become the Marist Sisters who are part of today’s Marist family.

Courveille also tried to start a group of brothers and a third order of lay people, but

neither of these attempts succeeded. Courveille also proved a poor leader of the Marist group. He seemed more interested

in the externals of a religious habit, and signed his name as “superior general” although there was not yet any group officially and canonically approved of which he could be the religious superior. He was also frustrated by the lack of approval and cooperation by the bishops, and toyed with the idea of proceeding without the bishops’ approval. This disturbed some of the other Marist aspirants who recognized that this was a recipe for disaster.

Eventually, Courveille was assigned to assist Marcellin Champagnat with the group of

brothers the latter had founded (Courveille had, a few years before used his own money to purchase the land on which Champagnat built a house of formation for his brothers).

At a certain point Courveille insisted that these brothers hold an election and choose the priest they wanted to lead them. He expected that as “superior general” they would select him, but these young men were fiercely loyal to Champagnat, and frustrated Courveille’s expectations.

Courveille’s final failure was a moral one. A serious transgression led to his ultimate

withdrawal from the Marist project. Eventually Jean-Claude Courveille became a Benedictine monk in the Abbey of Solesmes in northern France. He became an effective preacher and a good and holy monk. A flawed man, yet a willing instrument of God, without whose initiative the Society of Mary might never have been started, was brought by the mercy of God to a good and holy end.

To Be Continued….

Prayer for Vocations to the Society of Mary (Marists)

Lord Jesus You gave the Church St Peter Chanel as an example to Marists and the people of Oceania of gentleness, compassion and love in action. Welcome many young men and women into the Marist Family, to work as Priests, Brothers and Sisters. Help us too, to share our charism with lay people throughout the world and to work in partnership with them in Mission for the good of your Church and our world. This prayer we make to the Father in your name and through the Holy Spirit. Amen Mary Mother of the Church and our mother, choose more young people to follow Jesus your Son in religious life and priesthood and to bear your name as members of your Society.

(Please pray this prayer often.)

Jean-Claude Courveille Marcellin Champagnat