17 July Optional Memorial

These were a community of sixteen Discalced Carmelite nuns from the monastery of the Incarnation at Compiégne in France. When the full terror of the French Revolution began, they offered themselves as sacrificial victims to beg God for peace for the Church and for their country.

Arrested and imprisoned on the 24th June 1794, they continued to share their joy and their faith with others. Condemned to death for their loyalty to the Church, to their religious vows and for their devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, they were guillotined in Paris on 17th July 1794 whilst singing hymns and after having renewed their vows to their prioress, Teresa of St. Augustine. They were beatified by Saint Pius X on 13th May 1906.

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Image captions:
1. Plaque at Picpus Cemetery dedicated to the Martyrs of Compiègne. By Wikimedia Commons / Mu – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
2. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Quidenham, Norfolk – Windows Two of 16 windows in the clerestory. By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0.