You know how crazy I am about Pere Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P., well he wouldn't be where he is today (becoming beatified June 3, 2012), were it not for Mother Henri-Dominique. She's the one who helped him.
Like myself, and many others, she fell in love with Pere Lataste's idea of a religious contemplative order, made up of ex-prisoners. Others who hadn't been in prison could join also, but being in prison, or not, no one could tell who was which. So Mother Henri-Dominique left her order, Presentation of Tours, to join the Dominicans.
It happened so fast. The Superior of the Sisters of the Presentation of Tours demanded their habit back. The Dominicans of Cette, France, immediately (two hours after her arrival), gave her the Dominican Habit. Undoubtedly, so Mother Henri-Dominique wouldn't feel so naked.
Their reasoning is important. The reason the Dominican Sisters of Cette put their habit on Mother Henri-Dominique so quickly was due to the fact that she belonged to the Third Order of St. Dominic. Yes! It seems that at that time, many religious privately made vows to the Third Order of St. Dominic. That title of tertiary was sufficient to authorize a Dominican habit. Also, the Provincial Prior, Pere Saudreau upheld the validity of Mother Henri-Dominique taking the habit.
It makes me wonder if belonging to the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic would be a ticket to the fast lane to heaven. Well, why not? If belonging to LFSD can get Mother Henri-Dominique clothes, just imagine what it'll do when St. Dominic sees us waiting in line at the pearly gate.
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