Mercy Exemplified

My Dear Sisters Life of Bl. Jean-Joseph Lataste, OP Apostle to Prisoners by Jean-Marie Gueullette
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"My Dear Sisters" by Fr. Jean-Marie Gueullette, O.P. and translated from the French by Fr. George G. Christian, O.P., was originally entitled "Ces femmes qui etaient mes soeurs..." is the definitive story of Pere Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P., the Apostle to Prisoners.

This is and will be an important book when Blessed Lataste is canonized as a saint. He already is considered one by many involved in prison ministry. This biography of Lataste's singular life shows how spirituality evolves into service. As a young preacher, Father Lataste enters a women's prison and he is converted. He was timid and approached these inmates with much trepidation. The women, themselves, didn't want to be there. But when Father began his preaching by calling them, "My Dear Sisters..." Their heads lifted, their ears opened, and their own hearts were converted. The preacher himself was touched by this encounter. These women's lives were ruined by crime yet he could see the change the Holy Spirit had made. When he heard their confessions he cried along with them. Their sins were forgiven; God forgave them; would the world?

Through the mercy and providence of God, Father Lataste founded the Dominican Sisters of Bethany. The Holy Spirit provided the perfect co-founder in Mother Henri-Dominique,O.P., who carried on and help preserve the charism of mercy, when Father died too young. He was only 37. His community of rehabilitated sisters was only a few years old. But the foundation was solid and stands today.


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Litany to the Saints of Bethany

Litany to the Saints of Bethany

Martha, always willing to

welcome Jesus at your home    

                                                                                                           - teach us confidence

you have stuck to Jesus,

when your brother had died                                                                   - teach us confidence

you have tamed the dragon                  

                                                                                                           - teach us confidence

Mary, friend of understanding                                                                - teach us devotion

Mary, regardless of the talk of the others                                                 - teach us devotion

Mary, tender and lavish                                                                         - teach us devotion

Lazarus, friend of the Lord                                                                      - teach us friendship

Lazarus, having come alive through Jesus                                                  - teach us friendship

Lazarus, generous and inviting                                                               - teach us friendship

Siblings of Bethany                                                                                - teach us how to love

Mary, mother, who sticks by her child                                              - teach us how to believe

Mary, sister of all who are powerless,

who believe and struggle                                                                             - teach us how to believe

Mary, who loves chastely                                                                             - teach us how to believe

Magdalene, freed to love by

the Lord                                                                                    - teach us not to give up on anyone

Magdalene, who has followed

Jesus to the cross                                                                       - teach us not to give up on anyone

Magdalene, herald of

the risen Christ                                                                        - teach us not to give up on anyone

John, the Lord’s favorite disciple                                                                     - teach us reliability

John, who has stuck with Jesus,

when all others fled                                                                                       -teach us reliability

John, to whom the Lord could

entrust His mother                                                                                       - teach us reliability

You women and men under the cross                                                          - teach us how to love

Joseph, you protected Mary and her

child from all suspicions                                                                                - teach us loyalty

Joseph, you followed the hints of God,

even if they thwarted your plans                                                                - teach us loyalty

Joseph, full of concern to the vulnerable                                                 - teach us loyalty

Fr. Lataste, converted converter                                                           - teach us inner freedom

Fr. Lataste, you returned their dignity

to the prisoners                                                                              - teach us inner freedom

Despite so much resistance, you have

defended Bethany as God’s deed                                                         - teach us inner freedom

Fr. Boulanger and all friends and

benefactors of Bethany                                                                      - teach us solidarity

You have helped Bethany out of so

many difficulties                                                                                     - teach us solidarity

You have taken an interest by sharing                                                    - teach us solidarity

You, whom Bethany owes its existence to                                               - teach us how to love

M. Henri Dominique, mother and sister

of all who have been entrusted to you                                                    - teach us mercy

M. Henri Dominique, you have led

Bethany with much courage and

knowledge of human nature                                                                        -teach us mercy

M. Henri Dominique, you have trusted

in God in all difficulties                                                                              - teach us mercy

Sr. Noel, you have nearly despaired

in your powerlessness                                                                   - teach us, not to predefine anyone

Sr. Noel, justified, because you

were willing to forgive                                                       - teach us, not to predefine anyone

Sr. Noel, you symbol that a

new start is really possible                                                              -teach us, not to predefine anyone

You sisters, who have built up

Bethany, you committed yourself

for it with heart and soul                                                                               - teach us perseverance

You have suffered so much and

experienced so much joy                                                                                - teach us perseverance

You lived together and for each

other in the enthusiasm of Jesus                                                                       - teach us perseverance

You founders and sisters of Bethany                                                                 - teach us how to love

Jesus, God, who became a human

being, in order to live with us                                                                             - love in us

Jesus, human being, who became

bread so as we may live                                                                                     - love in us

Jesus, center of our community                                                                          - love in us

*  Credit to Sister Hannah Rita Laue, O.P., a Dominican Sister of Bethany, for her drawing used with this Litany.

The Union of the two Mary's

Picture this. Fr. Lataste explains his idea to Mother Henri-Dominique. She gasps. Her eyes widen. With a long intake of breath, she asks, "Moi?"

She is being asked to begin a congregation, not just be a humble member of an existing one. She had thought she was entering an established community. But... but...but it didn't even exist! It was just an idea of Father Lataste's.

"C'est impossible. "

Nothing is impossible with God. She was open to prayer. Father Lataste suggested that she pray for three days in front of the crucifix.

Three days of meditating on the suffering of Christ. She had some experience of suffering. The women she wished to work among, certainly experienced suffering. She did wish to unite herself to this suffering.

Then a vision appeared before her. Why had she not seen this before? There, at the foot of the cross, were the two Mary's. Our Blessed Mother was there in all her pure virginity. Beside her was the other Mary, in all her fallen nature.

...at the same time light shone in my--up to that point--troubled and hesitant soul; in an instant all my objections faded away. But at the same time, I experienced in my very depths the feeling of an abandonment which was to weigh on me, as upon the dying Savior, in order to succeed in bringing about the union of fallen souls and faithful souls. I experienced the anguish of heart of a mother who senses the unhappiness of an abandonment to which she and her children would be vowed.

Mother Henri-Dominique did not refuse. She accepted the Will of God. And the story of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany begins...

Source: Life of the Reverend Mother Henri Dominique, Foundress and Prioress General of the Dominican Congregation of Saint Magdalene of Bethany, by Monsignor Altmayer, O.P.

Mother Henri-Dominique Berthier, O. P.

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.