ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER
Saints celebrated on the 2nd of October
Prayer to the Angels and the Saints
Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.
In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.
Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.
Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.
BL. ANTOINE CHEVRIER, PRIEST
Anthony Chevrier gained the repute of sanctity as a true apostle of the poor. He was born at Lyons in 1826, the son of a financier, was ordained priest in 1850 and became vicar of St Andrew’s in his native city.
Meditation on the mystery of Our Saviour’s birth filled him with a wonderful love of poverty and of the poor.
He gave up his position as vicar with the view of consecrating himself entirely to the destitute.
His compassion was first excited for poor abandoned children who, having no one to care for them, had not made their first communion.
He acquired a half-ruined building, called the Prado, in the suburbs, and with the aid of charitable gifts he repaired it for his work of charity.
The children remained in this house for six months, were solidly instructed in the truths of religion and then solemnly admitted to holy communion. Those admitted to the Prado were often degenerate. But the prayers, kindness, and charity of Chevrier won the confidence of these unfortunates.
Asked the condition for admission to the Prado, the pious director replied: "Three - to have nothing, to know nothing, and to be good for nothing." For the support of his house he depended mainly on alms. Every Friday morning he stood as a beggar for his children at the door of some church.
The work of Chevrier grew more and more extended. Both the civil and the ecclesiastical authorities protected him. Since 1864 he had been selecting good and talented boys and preparing them to enter his Institute for Priests.
The people had long perceived the holiness of Chevrier. He was continually engaged in the parlour, in the confessional, and in the sacristy.
The chapel of the Prado was filled not only on Sundays, but every evening for catechism. His question-box was particularly attractive. Any one could hand in written questions to which an answer was desired. On the appointed day Chevrier satisfied as far as possible the wishes of his hearers.
He used to say: "The priest is the glory and riches of God’s house; its finest ornament is the priest. A holy priest even in a poor frame church will attract and convert souls." And in himself this saying was exemplified.
This father of the poor was called to his reward on October 2, 1879. About ten thousand persons attended his funeral. Such a man will surely win the crown of the Blessed and by his example encourage many to imitate him.
(Text from: The Holiness of the Church in the Nineteenth Century: Saintly Men and Women of Our Own Times, by Fr Constantine Kempf)
Fr Antoine was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 4, 1986.
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