The Little Sisters of the Holy Family
A life dedicated
to the service of love,
following Jesus, the risen Son of God,
who made himself a servant of the Father
and of humanity.
«For their sake I consecrate myself, that they too may be truly consecrated in the truth.»
John 17:19
Religious consecration
The commitment to live the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience identifies us with Christ by having the same sentiments and adopting the form of life he chose.
Community life
United because of Jesus, we commit ourselves as a community to the same life project. We are called to live together the commandment of love. We make sure that our environment is one of welcome, simplicity and forgiveness.
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Charity makes the differences in age, culture and mentality of each of us complementary and enriching. We share values, joys, sorrows, tasks, leisure time and material goods in an atmosphere of trust. By living our daily lives together, we combine our knowledge and experience for the common good. Encouraged by our Sisters, we discover the possibilities for spiritual growth that the events of life offer.
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While respecting the structures established in our Constitutions and Rules, we attach great importance to the primacy of the person. We are in solidarity with a common project based on a same spiritual heritage.
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For us, the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, community life is dynamic. We support each other because we are Sisters within the religious family we have chosen.
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As with all families, we have a few little secrets. If you are curious, let us share some of them with you.
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A concrete model of consecrated life
The most significant example for us of a consecrated person is without a doubt Mother Marie-Léonie, our foundress. Her story allows us to understand the strength of the call to religious life.
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Alodie-Virginie (Élodie) Paradis,
child
The call can come at any age
God touches the heart of those he calls
From a young age, Alodie-Virginie (Élodie) Paradis was drawn to God and also had an attraction for religious life. The Lord was working in her heart.
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Witnesses are found on our path
Through a family friend who was visiting her, Élodie learned that the Holy Cross community included nuns who devoted themselves, among other things, to the domestic service of religious establishments. She immediately felt called.
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Postulant
(14 years old)
The need to consecrate oneself is stronger than anything else
We feel drawn to the path that God proposes to us
Élodie was only 13 years old when she asked her mother's permission to enter the community. In the absence of her father, it was her mother who consented to her request and accompanied her when she entered the Marianite postulancy.
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Determination grows to the point of overcoming obstacles
When Élodie's father returned home, he was distraught. He tried everything to dissuade his daughter from religious life, but nothing made her change her mind. She knew where she belonged, the place the Lord had chosen for her.
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Novice
(17 years old)
Making a choice takes time
A reflection is necessary
Discernment​ and the first steps are rarely made in a snap of the fingers. This gift of self must be a thoughtful decision, accepted in trust and abandonment to the will of the Lord who calls.
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Some are predisposed to it, others must adapt
Élodie had no difficulty integrating into her new community. During her postulancy and novitiate, she was exemplary in every way. She was a model of piety, generosity, obedience, sociability and humility.
Choosing Jesus is for life
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Religious
(23 years old)
Tell me what kind of love you have and I will tell you who you are...
Each consecrated soul has her own reasons for choosing to follow Christ. For Élodie, who became Sister Marie-de-Sainte-Léonie, it is simply love, as she herself writes: "This heart that feels such a great need to express its gratitude to those who love it and do it good, this heart, God made it so sensitive and so loving!"
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When you know where you come from, you know where you are going
When the motivation is clear, then so is the decision. Sister Marie-de-Sainte-Léonie wrote: "It is done, O my God! I want to be yours forever; I consecrate to you my soul with all its powers, my heart with all its affections, my body with all its senses, I no longer want to live, I no longer want to breathe except for your love and for your glory."
Vocation is a grace
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Sister Marie-de-Sainte-Léonie
The path to follow is sometimes winding
All life choices, whatever they may be, have their challenges. Sometimes we must ask for help to have the strength to continue. Of course, there are those close to us: family, friends, as well as professionals who can provide good support and advice, but when one chooses the consecrated life, there is more to it than that.
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"Ask and you shall receive." (Matthew 7:7)
Sister Marie-de-Sainte-Léonie knew how to recognize her weakness and to rely on those who watched over her from heaven. She would say, "O Mary, support my faltering steps, keep me from all occasions of falling into the abyss of sin; and strengthened by your maternal protection, I hope to arrive at the end that God proposed when he called me to religious life."
To advance towards holiness is to show the way
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Mother Marie-Léonie
After the consecration, the mission
Sister Marie-de-Sainte-Léonie wanted to make her love of God concrete by carrying out a mission, that of serving Christ in his priests. She was such a model that she was an inspiration to many young girls, for whom she became a mother as the foundress of the Institute of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
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A timeless reference
The way Mother Marie-Léonie lived her consecrated life, putting forward charity and simplicity, remains an example to follow for anyone who aspires to give their life to the Lord.
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"Love one another as I have loved you..." (John 13:34)
Testimonies of our Sisters
"I first worked in private homes, then in a hospital, where conditions were better. Like my sisters, I could have stayed there, but an encounter with a Holy Cross brother inspired me to take another path. Since then, my religious life has been peaceful, I live in the presence of the Lord and I love him."
Sister Marie-Anna
"I felt God's call at my First Communion and Confirmation, and that call grew stronger when I was 17. My family did not approve my choice, but God gave me the strength to continue.
I am full of gratitude today, his grace is with me. To dedicate myself to him is my greatest desire."
Sister Reina Margarita
"Before entering the convent, I was engaged, but I could never decide to get married. I prayed to know my vocation and I got my answer. My choice surprised everyone. Since my entrance, the Lord had always supported me and filled me with graces, I thank Him for having called me to this beautiful vocation."
Sister Rose Ida
"There was a small picture in my classroom at school on which it said chastity, poverty, obedience. I did not understand the importance of these words, but I knew their meaning. I forgot them as a teenager, but later those words came back to me when Jesus invited me to give up my comforts to become his bride. How beautiful that is!"
Sister Alice
"I knew nothing about religious life, it was unthinkable for me. The Lord put events in my path that led me to think the opposite: I heard a report on the radio, I went on a retreat and I met a nun. Then I knew that only God could fill my heart. I will be eternally grateful to Him."
Sister Suyapa
If each consecrated soul is a flower...
"Thinking about religious life seemed ridiculous to me. It didn't fit with the life goals I had set for myself. After meeting a nun, something changed in me. I didn't know what to do anymore. I cried, I thought, I prayed, and then I understood that the Lord was waiting for me. I am now living a true love story."
Sister Helen Elisa
... then the Church is a bouquet of love.
"Jesus calls at any age and our baptism is already a call to follow him. At the age of seven, before going to sleep, kneeling next to my mother, I was saying my night prayer. For an instant my soul was filled with light that overwhelmed me. This presence filled me and never again dit it leave me."
Sister Lisette
"At home I took care of the eight children in the family. I was used to a house where there was a lot of activity. Adapting to the silence and calm of the convent was not easy, but I met models in the community and God allowed me to find happiness there."
Sister Hélène
"I was fourteen years old when I felt that the Lord was calling me to something special. I experienced this with reluctance because leaving my mother was difficult, but I also felt joy. The call continued to burn deep inside me, so I answered it."
Sister Rosa Ahide
"My mother had thought of becoming a nun, my father wanted to be a missionary, but in the end, they chose marriage. From the union of these two Christians, it was I who decided to consecrate my life to God. It was when I took the habit that I really had the feeling of giving myself to the Lord."
Sister Gisèle
What is your vocation?
Do you have a special aptitude for caring for people? Manual work? Teaching? Business management? There are so many possibilities...​
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Have you thought about the consecrated life?
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This may be the right option for you if you see yourself in any of the following statements.
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You want to deepen your Christian life.
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You feel a strong inner movement.
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You have been touched by an external challenge or a word from the Bible.
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You have been inspired by a person who has given his or her life to God.
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An event has disturbed you and brought you back to what is essential.
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You have the impression of receiving a pressing, insistent inner invitation.
Do you recognize yourself? Then it is perhaps that a vocation is already deep within you. This presence persists and incites you to act.
It is the call! Answer it!
I am the way, the truth and the life. Come, follow me.
John 14:6; Matthew 19:21
If you are in doubt, if you are in a period of questioning, do not hesitate to consult the various resources at your disposal. We suggest:
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reading the Bible
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reading the lives of various saints, as well as that of Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis
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a deep reflection on your needs, your desires, what drives you
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a consultation with consecrated persons to hear their testimony
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the accompaniment of a priest
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an internet search on the different communities, their charism and their mission
Every Wednesday, the community of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family recites the daily rosary for vocations. Tell us about your journey and we will be happy to accompany you in prayer.
Pray with us
Whether it is for yourself, for a loved one or for the good of the Church, we suggest that you recite this prayer to the Holy Family so that Christians may open their heart to the Lord's call and respond in love, trust and abandonment.
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Prayer to the Holy Family for vocations
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Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
deeply attentive to the will of the Father,
awaken in the heart of those called
this same desire for the joy of our Father.
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O Jesus, beloved Son of God,
send upon them the Spirit of wisdom
that he may fashion your image in these persons
to make them children of the Father like you.
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O Mary, sweet and tender mother,
bu your humble and loving yes,
invite many people to follow your Son
in openness, availability and the eagerness of the Visitation.
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O Joseph, shadow of the Father and discreet carpenter,
watch over the calls heard in the depths of many hearts
and may the fervor of the first invitation
give wings to the Good News of the Risen Christ.
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Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
hear our prayer. Amen.