Newly-beatified Carmelite Visits Butuan

The relics of the newly-beatified Fr. Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus, a French Carmelite monk, visit the Diocese of Butuan from March 13-16, 2019. Blessed Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus was Henri Grialou, son of hardworking parents from Aveyron, France. He desired to become a priest at a tender age and nothing stopped him from being one - not their dire poverty nor the two World Wars that obliged him to serve his country as a soldier. The young Henri developed a profound spiritual affiliation with St. Therese of the Child Jesus and St. John of the Cross. Their teachings carved in his depths the vocation to become a Carmelite himself. Against the wishes of his mother, he entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) shortly after his ordination as a priest. He took the religious name Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus.

Throughout his life as a Carmelite, Blessed Marie Eugene was filled with the desire to propagate the teachings of the saints of Carmel beyond the cloister of its religious. He believes that contemplation and personal holiness are meant for each one. He devoted his time writing and explaining the spiritual treasures of Carmel. In 1932, he founded Notre Dame de Vie Institute (NDV), a secular institute that lives out the Carmelite teachings. Blessed Marie Eugene was also called to an important position in the OCD which brought him to various parts in the world. In 1958, he sent three members of NDV to Infanta, Quezon - a far-flung prelature facing the Pacific. It was in this unknown town that Blessed Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus would establish Notre Dame de Vie in the Philippines. Consequently, NDV would found Mother of Life Center. It is a center that forms generations of catechists and religion teachers since 1967.

In this age of incredulity, the message of Blessed Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus continues to draw more faithful into the bosom of the Church. He died a holy death in 1967, was declared a Venerable in 2011, and was beatified in 2016. His relics - physical remains of a sainted person - can be venerated in the following parishes:

March 13 - Wednesday 11AM onwards - Saint Joseph Cathedral

March 14 - Thursday 6AM to 2PM - Diatagon, SDS

5PM onwards - Birhen sa Kasilak Shrine

March 15 - Friday 1PM onwards - Señor Sto. Niño Shrine

March 16 - Saturday 6AM to 11AM - Immaculate Conception Parish

11AM to 2PM - Por Cristo

2PM onwards - MJ Santos Hospital Chapel