The Order of the Apostles of the Last Days is a Roman Catholic religious order proposed by the visionary Mélanie Calvat claiming guidance from Our Lady of La Salette at a private apparition on 19 September 1846 on the mountain at La Salette, Isère in France.
Historical account
During a verbal examination on October 3, 1876 Mélanie answered Abbé F. Bliard thus about the mission she had received from heaven:
On the 19th of September 1846 Mélanie had a vision:
Establishments
There have been a number of attempts over time to establish the religious orders Mélanie failed to establish herself.
A first attempt was made by Blessed Giacomo Cusmano in Italy with the foundation of the congregations of the Missionary Servants of the Poor and of the Sister Servants of the Poor, its female equivalent. It was assisted by Mélanie herself and exists today.[1]
A second attempt was made by Blessed Annibale Maria di Francia R.C.J. in Italy also, with the foundation of the congregations of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus and with its female counterpart the Daughters of Divine Zeal. This attempt was also assisted by Mélanie during her life, and exists today.[1]
A further, continuous, attempt was made in the first half of the twentieth century in small ecclesiastical communities in Western Europe;
- in Maranville and Renneport (Haute-Marne), France, around 1885 started by Germaine Blanchard;[2]
- in Tournai (diocese of Tournai), Belgium, around 1901
- in Leuven (archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium, around 1919-1922 started by canon Armand Thiéry, Bertha Isabelle Carton de Wiart and Marie de Foy Colette with the support of Désiré Cardinal Mercier.[2]
- in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay (Diocese of Angers), France, around 1929 started by the religious named Mother Saint-Jean and supported by father Paul Gouin;[2]
- in Gembloux (Diocese of Namur), Belgium, around 1935
- in Paris (archdiocese of Paris), France, around 1941
- in Gargenville (diocese of Versailles), France, around 1942
- in Bray-et-Lû (diocese of Versailles), France, around 1943
- in ... (diocese of Le Mans), France, around 194...
- in Paris (archdiocese of Paris), France, around 1947
Recent attempts in the 1970s and 1980s were made in Mérida, Mexico;[1] and Canada, France and Haïti by Father Gaston Hurtubise;[1] and very recently the lay community of the Frères de Saint Jean in France.[1]
References
- 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5]Laurentin, René & Corteville M.S., Michel, Découverte du secret de la Salette, Fayard, Paris, 2002
- 2.[2.2][2.3]Smeyers, Maurits, Armand Thiéry (Gentbrugge 1868 - Leuven 1955): apologie voor een geniaal zonderling, Arca Lovaniensis artes atque historiae reserans documenta: jaarboek 19-20, Vrienden van de Leuvense stedelijke musea, Leuven, 1992, p. 370