On 5 April 1858, Marie Madeleine d’Houët died in Paris at the age of 76, and was buried in the little cemetery close to the FCJ orphanage in Gentilly, on the outskirts of Paris. She had guided the fledgling Society through its early years, and had governed it for 32 years as its elected Superior General. She had seen the number of Faithful Companions of Jesus increase steadily, and had opened 29 houses (see Development and Expansion), 17 of which were flourishing at the time of her death. In all that time, she had never lost sight of the inspiration which had led her to make the foundation, which she believed to be the work of God: Le bon Dieu a tout conduit lui-même.
In 1904 at the time of the religious expulsions from France and the separation of Church and State, Marie Madeleine’s body was moved from Gentilly to England first to Upton Hall Convent in Wirral and later in 1980 to Stella Maris Convent in Broadstairs, Kent. Then in September 2012 her remains were returned to Paris, to the church of Sainte Dominique.
Read about the Transfer of Marie Madeleine’s mortal remains to Paris and about her Journeys in Life and Death.
Marie Madeleine’s mortal remains now rest in a place of worship where the faithful can come on pilgrimage. The parish of Sainte Dominique is very alive and Marie Madeleine rests in the very neighbourhood of Paris where she lived and died.
