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A Brief Biography of Blessed Marie Rivier: Foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary
Marie Rivier, fondly known as Marinette, was born December 19, 1768 in Montpezat, France. At the end of April, 1770, Marinette, then sixteen months old, had a bad fall which left her severely handicapped. Her mother, a woman of great faith, carried her to the statue of the Pieta each day. Soon the little girl, who watched her mother pray, was certain: "The Blessed Virgin will cure me!" Left alone at the feet of Mary holding her dead Son in her arms, Marie meditated. This mystery of passionate love filled her heart. Finally, on September 8, 1774, Marinette began to walk! These four years of "schooling" with Mary marked Marie Rivier's life forever—she obtained every thing through Mary's intercession.
When the French Revolution broke out and any religious action was suspicious, Marie Rivier secretly held Sunday assemblies. She was cautious but remained an apostle with a heart of fire! In 1794, the village of Thueyts beckoned her and she willingly responded. Soon four young women joined her and allowed themselves to be set afire by the Gospel. At a time when all the convents were being closed, Marie Rivier opened hers. On November 21, 1796, feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, Marie and her four companions consecrated themselves to God. The new community grew very quickly despite the poverty it experienced.
For Marie Rivier and her daughters, Christian education of youth was and will remain a priority. However, religious education extended to adults as well. The poor also held a special place in Marie's heart and she opened her first orphanage in 1814. Even if the house was poor, welcoming the most destitute was sacred.
Nothing would stop Marie's apostolic ardor. Priests asked her to speak to their parishioners, to assemble the women and girls of their parish, to rekindle fervor. Marie spoke with a clarity, an energy, and a gentleness that touched every heart. An inner strength gave her support and caused her to cry out: "Either make Jesus Christ known or die!" When she died on February 3, 1838, this Woman-Apostle with a heart of fire had founded 141 houses and had received more than 350 Sisters to continue her mission. Marie Rivier, "a prophet for our time," was beatified in Rome by Pope John Paul II, on May 23, 1982. "My daughters will one day cross the seas!" This prediction came true in 1853 when the Sisters arrived in Canada. Then in 1873, the first foundation in the United States was established in Glens Falls, New York. Today, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary serve in eighteen countries of the world: France, Switzerland, Canada, United States, England. Spain, Italy, Madeira, Portugal, Mozambique, Japan, Philippines, Senegal, Gambia, Ireland, Peru, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador. Our Generalate is presently located at Castelgandolfo (Rome), Italy. In the United States we are located in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Texas. |
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MARIE RIVIER - WOMAN OF VISION
Marie Rivier’s charism was one of foundation – foundation of a new religious congregation at a time when the Church was being persecuted in France. At a very young age, Marie heard the inner call of dedicating her whole life to the education of youth in Faith. When she was refused admission into the convent at Notre Dame de Pradelles, she met this rebuttal with the prophetic words: “I will found a convent myself. It will be great; yes, I will have daughters from many countries.” In this painting Marie Rivier’s vision is represented especially by the strong gesture of her right hand leading her daughters through time to the “modern city” and the gentle motion of her left hand pointing upward reminding them of their mission to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the People of God. It also portrays that she was truly a daughter of the Church and that her devotion to Mary permeated her whole life. Marie Rivier’s followers are always reminded of an inspiration she had while praying at Notre Dame du Puy: “Lead your daughters in humility.” Indeed, with the determination of her staunch faith and of her untiring zeal, her vision enlightened the path of her daughters through the centuries. Her vision, spanning the ages to come, is truly the invaluable heritage Marie Rivier bequeathed to us to carry and to transmit from generation to generation!
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PAINTING OF BLESSED MARIE RIVIER
In this painting, the twenty-eight year old Marie Rivier receives the charism for the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. She bequeaths a wholly interior spirit to her newly founded community. Not only is her soul afire with a passionate love for JESUS CHRIST, she is also impelled by an untiring desire to teach and to reveal JESUS CHRIST by her whole life.
Her gesture of worship and self-oblation is one of total acceptance of her charism in order to transmit it to her daughters throughout the centuries.
The red of her garment symbolizes her humanity transformed by the fire of the Spirit of Love.
“Charcoal is black until it is lit. It then becomes red hot…”
Comment of Novices – Novitiate of Hudson, NH, USA
The temple in the background is the symbol of the “temple spirituality” with which Marie Rivier endowed her congregation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Together we build the TEMPLE – JESUS CHRIST.
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RUSSIAN ICON OF BLESSED MARIE RIVER
With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the icon of Blessed Marie Rivier was written under the direction of Vladislav Andreyev, iconographer, according to the set canons of Russian iconography.
This icon depicts the spiritual portrait of the blessed foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Her iconographic face is dim because, for Marie Rivier as for Saint John the Baptist, the main focus should always be JESUS CHRIST, the Word of God. (John 3:30) Her whole attitude is serene to symbolize her docility to the Holy Spirit. Her humility is shown by her tilted head. Her left hand holds the Word tenderly to her heart because she always responded to God’s call passionately, namely, to know JESUS CHRIST in the Gospel, to live JESUS CHRSIT in his mysteries, to reveal and teach JESUS CHRIST by her whole life. Her right hand invites us to follow JESUS CHRIST and to act according to his Spirit.
The red color of her outer garment symbolizes her humanity transformed “from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18) and represents her ardent zeal to proclaim JESUS CHRIST. The green color of her inner garment indicates that Marie Rivier spent her entire life “between heaven and earth,” i.e., she spent her entire life seeking only God and his glory in action as in prayer. The white of her head-dress indicates her virginity.
The colors of Marie Rivier’s garments in this icon are the same ones the Russian iconographer uses for the Virgin Mary and were chosen to show that Marie Rivier was a true daughter of Mary. Like Mary in the Temple, she lived her whole life in a state of worship and self-oblation before God.
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