One of the ways in which the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus in the Area of the Americas have marked the FCJ bicentenary 1820-2020 has been the commissioning of a piece for live theatre about the FCJ foundress, Marie Madeleine d’Houët.
Two of the FCJ Companions in Mission in Edmonton, Canada, Maureen Rooney and Paul Punyi, Co-Artistic Directors of Rooney and Punyi Educational Theatre Productions, decided to do this in the form of an interview history. As well as reading published material on Marie Madeleine, Maureen and Paul participated in a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Marie Madeleine in France.
Unfortunately, the stage performances had to be cancelled because of COVID-19 and so Maureen and Paul decided to create the following 40-min video to share with a wider audience.
Covering an entire life in such a short period is a big challenge, as there are so many wonderful stories, so the toughest part is choosing what to keep in and what to leave out. As you will see, a great deal of research and time went into the making of this theatre piece, intended for live audiences in schools.
It is hoped that this performance will let the audience get to know more about this courageous, faith-filled, woman who was a wife, widow, mother and foundress of the Faithful Companions of Jesus. Special thanks to Maureen and Paul, as well as to Wes Doyle for his generous and amazing work in filming and editing this interview history that also includes many photos from their pilgrimage.
Follow our FCJ Bicentenary (1820-2020) celebrations on the Bicentenary news page or on social media #FCJ200.
