Jacques-Désiré Laval

Jacques-Désiré Laval was born on 18 September 1803 at Croth, a village in the valley of the Eure in the diocese of Évreux, while France was still shaken by the Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. His father, Jacques Laval, was a prosperous farmer and mayor of the village; after three daughters the parents had longed for a son, and so the child received the name Désiré, "the desired one." He grew up in a devout household, but his mother died when he was seven, and his uncle Nicolas, parish priest of Tourville-la-Campagne, took charge of his religious instruction. After early studies in his uncle's presbytery school and at the minor seminary of Évreux, his father sent him to the celebrated Collège Stanislas in Paris, where he took his degree in letters at twenty-two and in sciences the following year.

Drawn to medicine, he defended a thesis on rheumatic joint disease on 21 August 1830 and became a doctor. The revolution of that year and the barricades of Paris sent the young physician back to Normandy, where from September 1830 to April 1834 he practised at Saint-André-de-l'Eure and afterwards at Ivry-la-Bataille, often with great charity toward the poor. Yet these were also the years of his greatest danger. He loved comfort and elegance, paraded in uniform at the head of the local national guard, and delighted in fine furniture and receptions; the spiritual life was pushed aside. Remorse worked in him slowly and deeply. A disappointed love, and above all a fall from horseback that might well have killed him, brought him face to face with God's call, which he had long refused. "As a priest I shall be able to do more for the good of my neighbour," he explained to his brother, and to the astonishment of many he closed his practice and entered the seminary at Issy on 15 June 1835.

A late vocation among younger men, he was at once given charge of the service of the poor at Saint-Sulpice in Paris; there too he formed a friendship with François Libermann, with whom he would later labour in the missions. On 22 December 1838 he was ordained priest in the chapel of the Saint-Sulpice seminary by Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen, Archbishop of Paris. On 8 January 1839 he was appointed to the little parish of Pinterville, south of Louviers, with its 485 souls. The two years he spent there were like a novitiate for the missionary he was to become: austerity of life, a door always open to the needy, close attention to the living conditions of his parishioners, and unceasing prayer. He shared with the poor everything he had.

But the misery of the black peoples of Africa and the urgency of bringing them to Christ took hold of his heart. Bishop Collier, newly named Vicar Apostolic of Mauritius, accepted his services for the apostolate among slaves lately emancipated by the British. Laval entered the Society of the Holy Heart of Mary founded by Father Libermann — today the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, the Spiritans. He left Pinterville forever on 23 February 1841, reached London on 14 May, and embarked empty-handed on the Tanjore on 4 June. He would never see Europe again.

After a hundred days at sea he landed at Port Louis on 14 September 1841, in complete indifference; on 26 September he received charge of the Mission of the Blacks. He set himself to learn Creole, composed a simple catechism, and sought out among the freedmen the small group he could train as his helpers. He wore a patched cassock and travelled on donkey-back. He lived withdrawn in a little wooden shed in the presbytery yard so as to receive his "dear blacks" at any hour, and they were astonished to hear themselves addressed as "Monsieur" and "Madame"; for them he celebrated a special Mass every Sunday at midday. Day after day he visited them in their huts, in the hospital, and in the prison. He fasted when supplies were short and slept in a packing crate. His medical knowledge served him constantly, and he laboured to improve their health, their sanitation, their farming, and their whole social condition.

In his apostolate he always went to the essential. He had no taste for oratorical flourishes or showy ceremonies that might dazzle simple souls without giving them a future; instead he returned tirelessly to the fundamentals of Christian doctrine and practice, admitting no one to Baptism or First Communion who had not been prepared in small groups and well tested. He scattered little chapels and bush schools and prayer centres across the island, watching over them from his confessional, and — an initiative that anticipates the labours of many pastors today — he chose collaborators, men and women, as prayer leaders, catechists, visitors and counsellors of the sick, and heads of small Christian communities: the poor evangelizing the poor. When a terrible cyclone destroyed most of the chapels on 8 March 1848, the faithful rebuilt them at once with enthusiasm.

The secret of his zeal was his holiness. Every hour not given to direct apostolate he spent in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, joining to his prayer penances and mortifications that, for all his discretion and humility, deeply struck his confreres. He himself often lamented his own tepidity and the aridity he suffered. "Let us count only on the good God and on the protection of the Holy Virgin," he said. Yet the more fruit he bore, the fiercer the opposition: some of the white colonists nicknamed him "the great black beast," and for a time he had to give his evening instructions under the protection of two policemen. In the end aversion gave way little by little to confidence, and in some to profound admiration. He is said to have brought some sixty-seven thousand souls to the faith.

When Father Libermann died on 2 February 1852, his successor, Father Schwindenhammer, named Laval provincial superior of the missions of Bourbon (Réunion) and Mauritius — a burden he bore uneasily, for he had made no novitiate, knew little of the rules of religious life, and shrank from writing reports. He simply kept on with his people. After a series of apoplectic strokes he died at Port Louis on 9 September 1864, having given twenty-three years, all his strength, and his whole heart to the evangelization of the islanders. At his funeral the preacher took up the words of Isaiah applied to Christ: Evangelizare pauperibus misit me — "He sent me to announce the Gospel to the poor." Thirty thousand people followed his coffin, and he was laid to rest opposite the church at Sainte-Croix.

The pilgrimage to his tomb began with that very funeral procession and has never ceased; each year offerings and ex-votos are placed there from the night of 8 September until the close of his feast. His cause was opened in Évreux and in Port Louis, formally introduced under Pope Benedict XV on 26 June 1918, and Pope Paul VI declared him Venerable on 22 June 1972. Pope John Paul II beatified him in Rome on 29 April 1979 — the first Spiritan to be beatified — and prayed at his tomb in Mauritius on 14 October 1989. The spiritual inheritance of Blessed Laval still shapes the life of the Church and of society in the Mauritian islands.

May Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval obtain for us the grace to spend ourselves, as he did, on those the world counts as nothing; imitate today his patient, hidden charity by treating one forgotten person with the dignity of a brother or sister in Christ.

His commitment and dedication never cease to amaze us, considering above all the discouraging conditions of his mission. Yet, in his apostolate, he always went to the essentials.

It is a fact that our missionary left behind countless converts of solid faith and piety. He was not inclined toward oratorical flourishes nor toward showy ceremonies, which might seduce those simple souls but offered them no future. His educational purpose was well rooted in life: he did not hesitate to continually return to the essential points of Christian doctrine and practice, nor did he admit anyone to Baptism or First Communion who had not been prepared in small groups and carefully tested. He took great care to place small chapels at the disposal of the faithful, scattered throughout the island. Here, then, is another of his remarkable initiatives, which resembles the aim of so many pastors today: he chose collaborators, both men and women, as guides for prayer, catechists, visitors and counselors to the sick, leaders of small Christian communities: that is, the poor evangelizing other poor.

What then is the secret of his missionary zeal? His holiness: the gift of his entire person to Jesus Christ, inseparable from his tenderness for mankind, especially for the most humble, whom he wishes to lead to the salvation of Christ. All the time not devoted to direct apostolate he spent in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament; and to his prayer he continually joined penances and mortifications which, despite his discretion and humility, had a profound impact on his confreres. He himself often expressed regret for his spiritual lukewarmness, or rather for the painful awareness of his aridity: does he not, indeed, give first place to fervent love of God and Mary, whom he also wishes to introduce to his faithful? This is the secret of his patience in the apostolate: "We count only on the good God and on the protection of the Holy Virgin." What a magnificent profession of faith! Moreover, his missionary spirituality had been rooted from the beginning in the framework of a young Marian religious institute and he always took care to live its spirit, despite solitude and geographical distance: the Society of the Sacred Heart of Mary, of which he was one of the first members alongside the famous Father Libermann, a Society that would soon merge with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The apostle, today as yesterday, must first and foremost preserve spiritual vigor within himself: he is indeed a witness to what he continually draws from the Source.

Here is a model for today's evangelizers: may he inspire missionaries, indeed, I dare say, all priests, who have above all the sublime mission of announcing Jesus Christ and of forming people to Christian life!

May he be, in a special way, joy and stimulus for all the religious of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, who have never ceased to plant the Church, especially in Africa, where they labor with such generosity!

BEATIFICATION OF FR. JACQUES-DÉSIRÉ LAVAL, C.S.S. AND FR. FRANCISCO COLL, O.P.

HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II

Sunday, 29 April 1979

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. Alleluia! Alleluia! On this third Sunday of Easter, our paschal joy finds expression in echoing the overflowing joy of the Apostles who, from the first day, recognized the risen Christ. On Easter evening, "Christ stood in their midst". "He showed them his hands and his feet". He invited them to touch him with their hands. And he ate before their eyes. Seized with amazement and slow to believe, the Apostles finally recognized him: "They were filled with joy at the sight of the Lord"; and from then on no one could rob them of their joy, nor silence their testimony. A few moments earlier, the hearts of the disciples of Emmaus were also burning within them as Jesus spoke to them on the way and explained the Scriptures to them; and they too had recognized him in the breaking of bread.

The gladness of these witnesses is ours, dear Brothers and Sisters, we who share their faith in the risen Christ. Glorified with the Father, he ceases not to draw men to himself, to communicate to them his life, the Spirit of holiness, while preparing for them a place in the Father's house. Precisely, this joy finds today a brilliant confirmation, since we celebrate two admirable Servants of God who, in the last century, shone upon our earth with the holiness of Christ and whom the Church is now able to declare blessed, to propose them for the particular worship and imitation of the faithful: Father Laval and Father Coll, whom we must now contemplate.

2. It is obviously impossible to recount here all the salient facts of the life of Father Jacques-Désiré Laval, nor all the Christian virtues he practiced to a heroic degree. Let us at least retain what characterizes this missionary, with regard to the present mission of the Church.

First of all, there is his concern to evangelize the poor, the poorest, and, in this case, his "dear Blacks" of the Island of Mauritius, as he called them. French, he had begun by practicing medicine in a small city of his native diocese of Evreux, but gradually, the call to an undivided love of the Lord, which he had for some time repressed, led him to abandon his profession and worldly life: "Become a priest, I will be able to do more good," he explained to his brother. A late vocation at the Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris, he was at once assigned to service to the poor; then, as pastor of the small Norman parish of Pinterville, he shared all his possessions with the needy. But upon learning of the misery of the Blacks of Africa and the urgency of bringing them to Christ, he obtained permission to depart for the Island of Mauritius, with the Apostolic Vicar, Mgr Collier. For twenty-three years, until his death, he devoted all his time, exhausted all his strength, gave his whole heart to the evangelization of the natives: without ever tiring, he knew how to listen to them, catechize them, help them discover their Christian vocation. Often too he intervened to improve their sanitary and social condition.

The determination he showed in this never ceases to astonish us, especially given the discouraging conditions of his mission. But in his apostolate, he always went to what was essential.

The fact is that our missionary left behind him countless converts, with solid faith and piety. He was not inclined toward noisy ceremonies, attractive to these simple souls but without lasting effect, nor toward oratorical flights. His educational concern was deeply rooted in life; he did not hesitate to return constantly to the essential points of Christian doctrine and practice, and he admitted to baptism or first communion only people prepared in small groups and tested. He took great care to provide the faithful with small chapels scattered throughout the island. Another remarkable initiative that reflects the concern of many pastors today: he associated with himself collaborators, men and women, as leaders of prayer, catechists, visitors and advisors to the sick, responsible for small Christian communities, in other words the poor, evangelizers of the poor.

What then is the secret of his missionary zeal? We find it in his holiness: in the gift of his entire person to Jesus Christ, inseparable from his tenderness toward men, especially for the most humble, whom he wished to lead to the salvation of Christ. All the time he did not devote to direct apostolate, he spent in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, and he continually joined to his prayer mortifications and penances that impressed his confreres very deeply, despite his discretion and humility. He himself often confided the regret of his spiritual lukewarmness – or rather, the sense of his spiritual dryness: is this not precisely because he attached the greatest value to fervent love of God and Mary, to which he wished to initiate his faithful? This is also the secret of his apostolic patience: "It is upon God alone and upon the protection of the Holy Virgin that we rely." What a magnificent profession of faith! His missionary spirituality had moreover been inscribed, from the beginning, within the framework of a young religious and Marian Institute, and he was always concerned to follow its spiritual demands, despite his solitude and geographical distance: the Society of the Sacred Heart of Mary, of which he was one of the very first members alongside the celebrated Father Libermann, and which would soon be merged with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The Apostle, today as yesterday, must first maintain in himself spiritual vigor: he bears witness to what he continually draws from the Source.

Here is a model for the evangelizers of today. May he inspire the missionaries, and I dare say, all priests, who have first the sublime mission of announcing Jesus Christ and of forming people to Christian life!

May he be, in a particular way, the joy and the stimulus of all the Spiritan religious, who have never ceased to implant the Church, notably in African lands, and work there with such generosity!

May the example of Father Laval encourage all those who, on the African continent and elsewhere, strive to build a fraternal world, free from racial prejudices! May the Blessed Laval be also the pride, the ideal and the protector of the Christian community of the Island of Mauritius, so dynamic today, and of all Mauritians!

To these wishes, I am happy to add a most cordial greeting to the Delegation of the Government of the Island of Mauritius, as well as to that of the French Government which have come to participate in this ceremony.

Italian translation of the homily pronounced in French:

Dear Brothers and Sisters.

1. Alleluia! Alleluia! On this third Sunday of Easter our paschal joy expresses itself as an echo of the overflowing gladness of the Apostles, who from the first day recognized the risen Christ. On Easter evening "Christ appeared in the midst of them." "He showed them his hands and feet." He invited them to touch him with their hands. He ate before them (cf. (Lk 24:36).39.40). Though seized with amazement and slow to believe, finally the Apostles recognized him: "They were filled with joy at the sight of the Lord" (Jn 20:20, Lk 24:41); and then no one could take that joy from them (cf. Jn 16:22) nor silence their testimony (cf. Acts 4:20). A moment before, the hearts of the disciples of Emmaus had also burned within them as Jesus, walking with them, spoke and explained the Holy Scriptures; and they too had recognized him in the breaking of bread (cf. (Lk 24:32).35).

The gladness of these witnesses, dear Brothers and Sisters, is also ours: we share their faith in the risen Christ. Glorified with the Father, he ceases not to draw men to himself, to communicate to them his life, the Spirit of holiness, preparing for them, at the same time, a place in the house of the Father.

Precisely this joy finds today a shining confirmation, for we celebrate two wonderful Servants of God who in the past century shone here on earth with the holiness of Christ; the Church is now able to declare them blessed and propose them to the particular veneration and imitation of the faithful: they are Father Laval and Father Coll. Now we shall make their acquaintance.

2. Evidently, it is impossible to bring out here all the important facts of the life of Father James Desiderato Laval, nor all the Christian virtues which he practiced in heroic degree. Let us emphasize, at least, what characterized this missionary and what is in keeping with the present mission of the Church.

First of all, his eagerness to evangelize the poor, the poorest, and, in his case, his "dear Blacks" of Mauritius Island: thus he used to call them. French, he had begun to practice medicine in a town in his native diocese of Evreux; but gradually the call—refused for some time—to an undivided love of the Lord led him to abandon his profession and worldly life: "As a priest I will be able to do more for the good of my neighbor," he explained to his brother (cf. Biography). A late vocation to the seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, he was immediately assigned to the service of the poor; then, as a curate in the small parish of Pinterville in Normandy, he shared all his possessions with the indigent. But, having learned of the misery of the Blacks of Africa and the urgency of bringing them to Christ, he obtained permission to depart for Mauritius Island with the Apostolic Vicar Monsignor Collier. For twenty-three years, until his death, he consecrated all his time, spent all his strength, gave his whole heart to the evangelization of the indigenous people: without ever tiring he knew how to listen to them, catechize them, and help them discover Christian vocation. Often too he intervened to improve their health and social condition.

His commitment and dedication never cease to astonish us, especially considering the discouraging conditions of his mission. But, in his apostolate, he always went to what was essential.

It is a fact that our missionary left innumerable converts of solid faith and piety. He was not inclined toward oratorical flourishes nor toward showy ceremonies, seductive for those simple souls but deprived of a future. His educational intent was well rooted in life: he did not hesitate to continually return to the essential points of doctrine and Christian practice, nor did he admit to Baptism or First Communion except persons prepared in small groups and well tested. He took great care to place at the disposal of the faithful small chapels scattered throughout the island. Now, here is another remarkable initiative of his, which resembles the aim of so many pastors today: he chose collaborators for himself, men and women, as guides for prayer, catechists, visitors and counselors of the sick, leaders of small Christian communities: that is, poor people who evangelized other poor people.

What then is the secret of his missionary zeal? His holiness: the gift of his whole person to Jesus Christ, inseparable from his tenderness for men, especially for the humblest, whom he wished to bring to the salvation of Christ. All the time not devoted to direct apostolate he spent in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament; and to his prayer he continually joined penances and mortifications which, despite his discretion and humility, deeply moved his fellow priests. He himself often expressed regret for his spiritual tepidity or rather for the painful awareness of his spiritual aridity: does he not, indeed, give first place to ardent love of God and Mary, whom he also wished to introduce to his faithful? This is the secret of his patience in the apostolate: "We rely only on the good God and the protection of the Holy Virgin" (Letter of July 6, 1853, cf. Biography). What a magnificent profession of faith! Moreover, his missionary spirituality from the beginning had been inscribed within the framework of a young Marian religious institute and he always took care to live its spirit, despite solitude and geographic distance: the Society of the Sacred Heart of Mary, of which he was one of the first members alongside the famous Father Libermann, a Society that would soon merge with the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. The apostle, today as yesterday, must first of all preserve in himself spiritual vigor: he is indeed a witness to what he continually draws from the Source.

Here is a model for today's evangelizers: may it inspire missionaries, indeed, I dare say, all priests, who have as their primary responsibility the sublime mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ and forming people to Christian life!

May it be, as a special title, a joy and stimulus for all the religious of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, who have not ceased to establish the Church, especially in Africa, where they work with such generosity!

May the example of Father Laval encourage all those on the African continent and elsewhere who strive to build a fraternal world, free from racial prejudice! May Blessed Laval also be the pride, ideal and protector of the so dynamic Christian community of the Island of Mauritius and of all Mauritians!

To these good wishes I am pleased to add a most cordial greeting to the Delegation of the Government of the Island of Mauritius and to that of the French Government, which have come to participate in this ceremony.

3. A second reason for ecclesial joy is the beatification of another figure whom the Church wishes today to exalt and propose for the imitation of the People of God: Father Francis Coll. A new glory of the great Dominican family and no less, of the diocesan family of Vic. A religious and at the same time a model of apostle – during much of his life – among the ranks of the clergy of Vic.

One of those ecclesiastical personalities who, in the second half of the nineteenth century, enriched the Church with new religious foundations. A son of the Spanish highlands, of Catalonia, where so many generous souls have sprung forth who have left the Church a fruitful inheritance.

In our case, that inheritance is embodied in magnificent and tireless work of evangelical preaching, which culminates in the founding of the Institute today called the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation, in great number here present to celebrate their Founder Father, united with so many members of the various works to which the Congregation has given life.

We cannot now present a complete picture of the new Blessed One, an admirable mirror – as you have been able to observe through the reading of his biography – of heroic human, Christian, religious virtues, which make him worthy of praise and of imitation in our earthly pilgrimage. Let us limit ourselves to speaking briefly about a more outstanding aspect in this ecclesiastical figure.

What most impresses one when drawing near to the life of the new Blessed is his evangelical zeal. In a very difficult historical moment, in which social upheavals and persecutory laws against the Church cause him to abandon his convent and live permanently outside it, Father Coll, placing himself above human, sociological or political inspirations, consecrates himself entirely to an astonishing task of preaching. Both during his parish ministry, especially in Artés and Moyá, and in his later phase as an apostolic missionary, Father Coll shows himself a true catechist, an evangelizer, in the best tradition of the Order of Preachers.

In his countless apostolic journeys throughout Catalonia, through memorable popular missions and other forms of preaching, Father Coll – Mosén Coll, as many called him – is a transmitter of faith, sower of hope, preacher of love, of peace, of reconciliation among those whom passions, war and hatred kept divided. A true man of God, he lives in fullness his priestly and religious identity, made a source of inspiration in all his work. To those who do not always understand the motives for certain attitudes of his, he responds with a convinced "because I am religious". That profound self-awareness is what directs his ceaseless labor.

An absorbing task, but one which does not lack a solid foundation: frequent prayer, which is the motor of his apostolic activity. On this point, the new Blessed speaks in a most eloquent manner: he himself is a man of prayer; by this path he wishes to lead the faithful (it suffices to see what he says in his two publications "The Beautiful Rose" and "The Ladder of Heaven"); this is the path he points out in the Rule to his daughters, with vibrant words, which by their timeliness I also make my own: "The life of the Sisters must be a life of prayer... For this reason I recommend to you and I recommend again to you, beloved sisters: do not abandon prayer".

The new Blessed recommends various forms of prayer that sustain apostolic activity. But there is one that is his preferred and which I have special pleasure in gathering and emphasizing: prayer made by contemplating the mysteries of the rosary; that "ladder to climb to heaven", composed of mental and vocal prayer which "are the two wings that the Rosary of Mary offers to Christian souls". A form of prayer that the Pope also practices with constancy and to which he invites all of you to unite yourselves, especially in the coming month of May consecrated to the Virgin.

I conclude these reflections in the Spanish language by greeting the Authorities who have come for these celebrations in honor of Father Coll. Inviting everyone to imitate his examples of life, but especially the children of Saint Dominic, the clergy and particularly you, Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation, who have come from Spain, from Europe, from America and Africa, where your religious activity unfolds with generosity.

Italian translation of the homily pronounced in Spanish:

3. A second reason for ecclesial joy is the beatification of another figure whom the Church desires today to exalt and propose for imitation to the People of God: Father Francesco Coll. A new glory of the Dominican family as well as of the diocesan family of Vich. A religious and at the same time a model of an apostle, during much of his life, in the ranks of the clergy of that diocese.

One of those ecclesiastical personalities who in the second half of the nineteenth century enriched the Church with new religious foundations. A son of Spanish soil, of Catalonia, in which so many generous souls have germinated who left the Church a fruitful legacy!

In our case, such a legacy is concretized in a magnificent and tireless work of evangelical preaching that culminates in the foundation of the Institute called today the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation: they, together with so many members of the various works to which the Congregation has given life, are present here in great number to celebrate their Founding Father.

We cannot now trace a complete portrait of the new Blessed One: as you have been able to gather from listening to his biography, he is an admirable mirror of heroic human, Christian, religious virtues, which make him worthy of praise and imitation in our earthly pilgrimage. Let us limit ourselves to briefly dwelling on an emergent aspect of this figure of an ecclesiastic.

What makes the greatest impression when approaching the life of the new Blessed One is his activity as an evangelizer. In a most difficult historical moment, in which social upheavals and persecutory laws against the Church compel him to abandon the convent and to live constantly outside it, Father Coll devotes himself entirely to a wonderful work of preaching, placing himself above every human, sociological or political viewpoint. Both during his parochial ministry, particularly in Artés and Moyá, and in the subsequent period as an apostolic missionary, Father Coll reveals himself a true catechist and evangelizer, in the best tradition of the Order of Preachers.

During his innumerable apostolic journeys throughout Catalonia, with memorable popular missions and other forms of preaching, Father Coll – Mosén Coll, for many – is a sower of faith and hope, a preacher of charity, of peace, of reconciliation among those whom passions, war and hatred kept divided. A true man of God, he lives in fullness his priestly and religious identity, which became a source of inspiration throughout his entire ministry. To those who do not always understand the reasons for certain attitudes of his, he responds with a convinced "because I am a religious." Such profound self-awareness is the secret that guides his incessant activity.

An absorbing ministry; but not lacking a solid foundation: uninterrupted prayer, which is the driving force of his apostolic activity. On this theme the new Blessed One speaks most eloquently: he himself is a man of prayer and by this means he wishes to guide the faithful (one need only follow what he states in the two publications "The Beautiful Rose" and "The Ladder to Heaven"); this is the path he indicates to his daughters in the Rule, with vibrant words, which for their timeliness I make my own: "The life of the sisters must be a life of prayer... Therefore I recommend to you, and I turn to recommend to you again, dear sisters: do not cease to pray."

The new Blessed One recommends various forms of prayer to support apostolic activity: but there is one that is his preferred form and which I gladly gather and emphasize: prayer made by contemplating the mysteries of the rosary; this "ladder to climb to heaven," resulting from mental and vocal prayer which "are the two wings offered by the Rosary to Christian souls." A form of prayer that the Pope also practices with assiduity and to which he invites you all to join, especially in the coming month of May, consecrated to the Virgin.

I conclude these reflections in the Spanish language by greeting the Authorities who have come to the present celebrations in honor of Father Coll. I invite everyone to imitate him: but in particular the sons of Saint Dominic, the clergy and above all you, Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation, who have come from Spain, from Europe, from America, from Africa where your religious activity is generously displayed.

4. The hope that I express this morning is in conclusion that today's twofold Beatification may serve to strengthen and promote commitment in the catechetical action of the entire Church. It is known that the theme of the Fourth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, held here in Rome in the autumn of 1977, was precisely that of catechesis. The synodal Fathers – of whom I too was a part – addressed and studied this matter of primary importance for the life and action of the Church of every age. They emphasized the urgency of giving decisive priority to catechesis over other initiatives, less essential even if perhaps more prominent, because in it is realized the absolutely original aspect of the Church's mission. A mission – they reiterated – that involves all members of the People of God, albeit in their differentiated functions, and commits them to a continuous search for methods and means adequate for an ever more effective transmission of the Message.

The thought of the Synod Fathers was directed especially toward young people, whose growing importance in today's world they were well aware of: despite uncertainties and waverings, excesses and frustrations, young people represent the great force upon which the destiny of future humanity depends. The question that has preoccupied the synodal Fathers has been precisely this: how to bring this multitude of young people to have a living experience of Jesus Christ, and this not only in the dazzling encounter of a fleeting moment, but through an increasingly complete and more luminous knowledge of his person and his message? How to awaken in them the passion for the Kingdom, which he came to inaugurate, and in which alone the human being can find the full and satisfying realization of himself?

To answer this question is the most urgent task of the Church today. It will depend on the generous commitment of all whether the new generations can be offered a testimony of the "word of salvation" (Acts 13:26), capable of conquering the minds and hearts of young people and of involving their wills in those concrete choices, often costly, that the logic of love of God and neighbor demands. It will depend especially on the sincerity and intensity with which families and communities will be able to live their adherence to Christ, whether young people will be effectively reached by the teachings imparted to them at home, at school, in church.

Let us pray, therefore, to the new Blessed that they may be close to us with their intercession and guide us to a personal and profound experience of the risen Christ, which may also cause our hearts to "burn within us," as the hearts of the two disciples burned on the road to Emmaus, while Jesus "was conversing with them and explaining to them the Scriptures" (cf. Luke 24:32). Indeed, only he who can say: "I know him" – and Saint John has warned us that this cannot be said by one who does not live according to the commandments of Christ (cf. 2 John 1) – only he who has attained an "existential" knowledge of him and of his Gospel can offer others a credible, incisive, compelling catechesis.

The life of the two new Blessed is, in this regard, eloquent proof. May their example not be proposed to us in vain!