Saints
Martyrs of Compiègne (Teresa of Saint Augustine and 15 Companions)
Biography
They are the sixteen Discalced Carmelites: eleven nuns, three lay sisters and two externs of the monastery of the Incarnation of Compiègne (France). As soon as the French revolution degenerated into terror, they offered themselves to God as victims of atonement to implore peace for the Church and their country.
Arrested and chained on June 24, 1794, they had the strength to communicate their joy and faith to others. Condemned to death for their fidelity to the Church and consecrated life and for their devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, they were guillotined in Paris on July 17, 1794, while singing hymns and after having renewed their vows in the hands of the prioress, Teresa of St. Augustine.
The decree on martyrdom was promulgated on June 24, 1905. The beatification ceremony was held on May 27, 1906.
The celebration of Saints Teresa of Saint Augustine and her companions, virgins and martyrs of Compiègne, has been raised to the rank of obligatory memorial.
Procedure
1. The canonical norms concerning the procedure to be followed in the Causes of Saints are stated in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister promulgated by John Paul II on 25 January 1983 (AAS LXXV, 1983, 349-355).
2. To initiate a Cause it is necessary that at least five years pass after the death of the candidate. This is to allow for greater balance and objectivity in the evaluation of the case and to allow the emotions of the moment to decant. There must be a clear conviction among people about his/her sanctity (fama sanctitas) and about the efficacy of his/her intercession with the Lord (fama signorum).
Iconography
