Our history
Our story begins in Lalouvesc in Ardèche, where the Congregation was founded by the young sister Thérèse Couderc and Father Etienne Terme.
In Lalouvesc, the sisters welcomed the women who went on pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Jean François Régis, a missionary priest from the countryside who died in 1640. Thérèse Couderc soon realised that welcoming and lodging were no longer enough. It was necessary to offer retreats and spiritual guidance, notably by transmitting the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius.
Our story begins in Lalouvesc in Ardèche, where the Congregation was founded by the young sister Thérèse Couderc and Father Etienne Terme.
In Lalouvesc, the sisters welcomed the women who went on pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Jean François Régis, a missionary priest from the countryside who died in 1640. Thérèse Couderc soon realised that welcoming and lodging were no longer enough. It was necessary to offer retreats and spiritual guidance, notably by transmitting the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius.
Mother Thérèse compared herself to the chestnuts of her native Ardèche: full of spines on the outside and tender underneath. The last photograph that we have of her shows her as she was: with a frank look and a decided air. An active and strong woman!
Have you noticed? Right next to her, in the background of the picture, you can see a rabbit in her hutch. It’s as if it responds to Mother Therese’s gentleness, and as if the animal’s big, outstretched ears remind us how Thérèse is attuned to the world and its needs. It is this strength of humility that she describes in her texts Se Livrer and La Bonté.
Mother Thérèse compared herself to the chestnuts of her native Ardèche: full of spines on the outside and tender underneath. The last photograph that we have of her shows her as she was: with a frank look and a decided air. An active and strong woman!
Have you noticed? Right next to her, in the background of the picture, you can see a rabbit in her hutch. It’s as if it responds to Mother Therese’s gentleness, and as if the animal’s big, outstretched ears remind us how Thérèse is attuned to the world and its needs. It is this strength of humility that she describes in her texts Se Livrer and La Bonté.
Sainte Thérèse Couderc had the courage and determination to found a congregation that was neither hospitable nor relative to education, but where women exercised a true ministry of speaking and listening in the service of faith. The foundation, the very idea of the Congregation was audacious and the strength of this woman made it grow and live to this day!
Sainte Thérèse Couderc had the courage and determination to found a congregation that was neither hospitable nor relative to education, but where women exercised a true ministry of speaking and listening in the service of faith. The foundation, the very idea of the Congregation was audacious and the strength of this woman made it grow and live to this day!
PUBLICATIONS TO GO FURTHER
Therese Couderc: the holy woman
Some essays on the spirituality of Therese Couderc, 1805-1885, the woman, the saint. Sister Paule de Lassus, 1985, Imprimerie Lescuyer Lyon. To obtain the book, please contact us or write to the Community of Montmartre (9, rue Lamarck 75018 Paris).
Praying for 15 days with Sainte Thérèse Couderc
Written in 2005, by Sister Hélène Caumeil and Sister Chantal de la Forge, this book allows us to discover the foundress of the Cenacle Sisters, Ste Therese Couderc and her spiritual depth. The book is available via the classic platforms: Fnac, Amazon, Abebooks… or by clicking here.
