Alix Le Clerc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blessed Alix Le Clerc C.N.D.
Born	2 February 1576 Remiremont, Duchy of Lorraine, Holy Roman Empire
Died	9 January 1622(1622-01-09) (aged 45) Nancy, Duchy of Lorraine, Holy Roman Empire
Venerated in	Catholic Church (Canonesses of St. Augustine of the Congregation of Our Lady)
Beatified	4 May 1947, Vatican City, by Pope Pius XII
Major shrine	Cathedral of Our Lady, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
Feast	9 January

Alix Le Clerc (born February 2, 1576 – died January 9, 1622) was a special woman known as Mother Alix. She started a group called the Canonesses of Saint-Augustin of the Notre-Dame Congregation. This group was created to help girls get an education, especially those who were poor. They opened schools called "Schools of Our Lady" all over Europe. Her ideas and mission spread worldwide through other groups that followed her example. The Catholic Church recognized her as a blessed person in 1947.

The Story of Alix Le Clerc

Growing Up

Alix Le Clerc was born on February 2, 1576. Her family was wealthy and lived in Remiremont, a town in the Duchy of Lorraine. This duchy was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time.

As a young girl, Alix was full of life. She loved music and dancing. She often spent her evenings having fun with her friends. When she was about 18, her family moved to Mattaincourt, a town known for its factories.

A Big Change in Her Life

Three years later, Alix became very sick and had to stay in bed. The only thing she had to read was a religious book. As she read and thought, Alix started to feel that her life needed a new purpose.

She talked to the local pastor, Dom Peter Fourier. She told him she felt a strong need for change. However, none of the existing religious groups seemed right for her.

Alix believed she had a special vision of Our Lady. This vision helped her understand what she should do. She felt called to help poor girls in her area who couldn't go to school. Peter Fourier agreed that there was a great need for this.

Alix decided to dedicate her life to this goal. Four of her friends joined her. Together, they started a community. They wanted to live simple lives, pray, and welcome every girl they taught as if God was present in them.

Starting the Schools

On Christmas Day in 1597, Alix and her friends made special promises to God in their local church. They opened their first school in July of the next year in Poussay. At this school, they offered free education to girls in the duchy.

Their work grew quickly. More schools opened in other towns:

• Mattaincourt (1599)
• Saint-Mihiel (1602)
• Nancy (1603)
• Pont-à-Mousson (1604)
• Verdun (1605)
• Saint-Nicolas-de-Port (1605)

All these schools were named Notre-Dame, which means "Our Lady."

Alix settled in Nancy, the capital city. She focused on caring for the girls who came to the new schools. She and Peter Fourier also worked hard to create rules for their new group. These rules would help the Church and the government officially recognize their work.

Alix and Fourier wanted schools to offer free education to everyone. They welcomed all girls, whether they were Catholic or Protestant. They also wanted to help people in other ways, like visiting the sick and the poor. Some church leaders didn't like their idea of teaching outside of a closed monastery.

To solve this, Fourier wrote new rules. These rules allowed two ways of life for women who wanted to join. Each community would be independent and follow the Rule of St. Augustine.

• Some members would take public vows and live in a monastery. They would wear the group's special clothing.
• Other members would take private vows. They could leave the monastery with permission to help others. They would not wear the special clothing.

The first approval for their rules came on March 6, 1617. This made Nancy the first official monastery of the group. On December 2, 1618, Alix and the other members made their public promises. Alix chose the new name Teresa of Jesus. After this, the members in Nancy held their first election. Alix was chosen as the leader, called the prioress.

Alix helped the group grow as more communities became officially recognized. For the rest of her life, she guided the spiritual and practical parts of the nuns' lives. She visited each new community. She wanted to share the spirit of their founding, telling them, Que Dieu soit votre amour entier! (May God be your only love!). This showed her deep faith.

Her Final Years and Legacy

Alix Le Clerc passed away on January 9, 1622, at the monastery in Nancy. She was buried in the monastery's cemetery.

People wanted her to be recognized as a saint. This process started later in the 17th century but was very slow. The monastery in Nancy was destroyed during the French Revolution. Her grave was lost.

When Catholic groups were allowed again in France, the effort to make her a saint started again. But it was hard because her remains were missing. Normally, remains are needed for this process. Many priests tried to find her remains over the next century, but they couldn't.

Even without her remains, the Holy See (the Pope's office) decided to move forward. Pope Pius XII declared Mother Teresa of Jesus "Blessed" on May 4, 1947.

Finding Her Remains

Not long after she was declared blessed, in 1950, something amazing happened. A group of students in Nancy were exploring a building's basement. They found a lead coffin buried about 5 feet (1.5 meters) underground.

By 1960, scientists confirmed that the remains were indeed Alix Le Clerc's. Her remains were placed in the chapel of the Notre Dame School in the city. Later, a special chapel was built for them in the cathedral. On October 14, 2007, her remains were moved there. Now, people can visit and honor her.

Legacy

Alix Le Clerc's group spread throughout France. Within 30 years of her death, a monastery in Troyes helped spread her vision to the New World. The nuns offered to go to Fort Ville-Marie (now Montreal, Canada) to teach children. However, the governor felt the colony couldn't support a cloistered community.

Instead, they found Marguerite Bourgeoys. She was a leader of a group connected to the community. Marguerite went to the colony in 1653. Within five years, her work led to the founding of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal. This group of sisters also focused on free education for the poor. Today, they have 1,150 Sisters serving worldwide.

The group also spread to other parts of Europe. They faced many challenges, including the French Revolution, which closed many of their houses. In central Europe, communities were scattered. From this, Theresa Gerhardinger, a former student, started the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Germany in 1833. Today, they have 3,500 members working in over 30 countries.

By 1897, when Peter Fourier was recognized as a saint, 30 monasteries of the group were still active in Europe. Over the next decades, the group expanded to South America, Africa, and Asia. They now serve in 43 nations. Their mission has grown to include working for human rights, like protecting migrants and promoting fairness for developing countries. In 2008, the group officially recognized many alumni and associate groups around the world. These groups are now full partners in carrying on the work of Fourier and Le Clerc.

See Also

• Peter Fourier