Heritage
Father John Martin Moye
On November 21, 2004, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beatification of John Martin Moye, our Founder. Pope Pius XII proclaimed the French missionary as blessed and worthy of veneration at the November 21, 1954 ceremony in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. To learn more about Blessed John Martin Moye, read the Account of Miracles and the letter from Mother Angelique Ayres.
... morning tickets placed us in the section adjacent to the high altar, designated TRIBUNA CORPO DIPLOMATICO. Before the Mass began, however, all the Divine Providence Superiors General were ushered to the other side, called the TRIBUNA POSTULAZIONE, which was also adjacent to the high altar. When you come home, you will be able to see pictures which will give you a definite idea of the location.
Above
the high altar was a life-sized painting of Blessed Father Moye, but veiled.
When the decree of beatification was read, the veil was removed, and a grand
acclamation by all in St. Peter’s arose. The choir intoned the “Te
Deum” and all present joined in the answering versicles—Cardinals,
Archbishops, Bishops, Canons, Monsignori, and priests, and many of the laity.
It filled St. Peter’s with an indescribable paeon of praise, and Blessed
Moye stood in the picture, poised with his arms raised to heaven, as much
as to say: All honor to God. My contribution was tears, but tears of the truest
joy I have ever felt. The music of the Mass sung by the Sistine choir was
magnificent. And all this honor, given by the infallible Church, to our beloved
Founder, who lived and died in the spirit he wished to bequeath to us his
daughters.
The morning service over, and it was past twelve o’clock, Father Matt Menger directed us to the Hostel of the German Sisters where we could get lunch. Father had said a six-thirty Mass in the Jesuit church at the tomb of St. Robert Bellarmine, where we received Communion.
We were told to be at St. Peter’s in the afternoon not later than three, and we were there. Our tickets were for St. Andrew’s balcony, and we easily found our way there, with proper direction. But soon Mother Honorine sent Mother Veronica to bring the three of us to the Postulazione section, again near the high altar. Sister Gabriel Ann remained in the St. Andrew’s balcony, where she was to see quite well all that was going on. Promptly at five o’clock the trumpets blared, the people shouted, and our Holy Father was borne in on his chair of state to the exquisite music of the Sistine choir. You have seen the picture in the Southern Messenger. Our Holy Father presided at the Solemn Benediction, and at its close Mother Honorine, Mother Veronica who is her assistant, and the vice-postulator went to the Holy Father, who was seated, and presented an exquisitely bound copy of the life of our Blessed Founder, and a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums. Kneeling at his feet, Mother Honorine made her presentation speech, and our Holy Father spoke to her at length.
These formalities over, our Holy Father was escorted to his chair, and borne back through the long aisle from the high altar to the distant entrance. There, he once more turned to the people, stood and gave his blessing at what may be his last presence in St. Peter’s. We have this picture. But this was not to be our last view that day of our Holy Father. The people, 50,000 they said, surged out into St, Peter’s square shouting “Viva el Papa.” We surged with them and watched the Vatican window which soon rewarded the anxious tumult by opening. Our Holy Father appeared once more, all in white, and over the loud speaker blessed those present and all they carried with them to be blessed.
Father Matt was still chaperoning us and went with us toward a taxi stand outside St. Peter’s square, of course. But there we found people lining up along the street, and learned that our Holy Father would pass that way going back to Castlegandolfo. We lost no time in lining up also and a few minutes later the motorcycles came hustling by followed by our Holy Father’s car (by the way, an elegant American Cadillac) brilliantly illuminated, and our Holy Father, again all in white, blessing the shouting people, and drawing them all to his heart. He really looked like an angel in flight.
We did get back home, but walking on clouds of memories that will always be gratefully, worshipfully ours. And in all the blessings that came to us, you were always included, and our memory will be yours for as long as we live.
This great day of beatification was followed by a solemn triduum at the French church of St. Louis. … I may add that the four of us were present for all these ceremonies, and you were all remembered in all our prayers and all that we meant to say but may have been too excited to do so.
The last day of the triduum, our Holy Father gave audience at Castelgandolfo, at four in the afternoon for all assembled in the square. This was our last view of His Holiness, but the picture is something we shall not forget. Again he gave his blessing and we included all of you.
You have probably received your large picture of Blessed Father Moye. We were fortunate in securing these for all our communities. We have also ordered 20,000 small pictures which we shall be ready to distribute to those first calling for them. We also have medals and rosaries blessed by our Holy Father, but they will be here for you when you come home.
Wishing all of you the joys of the Holy Season, and the graces that were the favorite virtues of our Blessed Founder, I am
Sincerely,
Mother
Mary Angelique
Superior General