The Enfant Jesus family
The sisters
of the Child Jesus
Association
Enfant Jesus
Fraternity
Anne-Marie Martel
The family
Infant Jesus
Friends
& collaborators
To know more about the Congregation
The sisters
of the Child Jesus
Through Religious Consecration lived in community, we want to let Jesus Christ continue through us his relationship as Son and Brother, thus living the radicality of the Gospel. Rule of Life N°9
The specific of a Sister of the Child Jesus?
A Sister of the Child Jesus will always be called and sent to be, like Anne-Marie Martel and her companions, followers of Christ:
- A woman of faith, of prayer, of contemplation
- A woman docile to the Spirit
- A woman passionate about Jesus, about making him known and loved
- A simple, close, humble and joyful woman
- A woman of peace
- A woman of service, incarnated in reality
- A woman called to live a simple lifestyle in community
- A woman who accompanies life.
A Sister of the Child Jesus is CALLED AND INVITED to be in all her life,
like Anne Marie Martel, a woman who gives glory to God and radiates peace.
The association
Enfant Jesus
It is an autonomous body with its own statutes. Recognized in 1980, it has its origins in the early history of the Congregation, in the Daughters of Instruction. It is made up of women and men called by God to live more deeply their baptismal commitment. They are linked to each other and to the Sisters of the Child Jesus by the charism, spirituality and mission of Anne-Marie Martel. They form the same spiritual and apostolic family.
Who are the partners?
An Associate is a lay Catholic called by God to live his or her baptism in depth, according to his or her state of life in the Association.
- He, she recognizes and we recognize in him, in her, the charisma of Anne Marie Martel.
- He nourishes his life of faith through the sacraments, prayer and the spirituality of Incarnation.
The associates are at the service of the Church and their brothers, especially the poorest, in the mission of awakening and deepening the faith.
By means of promises received by the Congregation, the Associates commit themselves to the Association and unite themselves to the spiritual and apostolic family of the Sisters of the Child Jesus and Associates Child Jesus.
Testimonials
Testimonial
pre-associates from Canada
Berenice Bushie
"I live on the Hollow Water Reserve in Manitoba. I am a recent widow and I find it quite difficult. I was married for 48 years and had 2 girls and 2 boys. I keep myself busy until I am tired enough to sleep.
What touches me about Anne Marie Martel is her faith. I often feel like I am falling apart. When I read the chapter on Anne Marie's faith, it calms me down.
I did home care for 22 years. It involved giving medication, cleaning, cooking, listening and just being a friend if it was convenient."
Margaret Bushie
I originally came to Hollow Water as a teacher. I met and eventually married Harvey Bushie. We have been married since 1968. I was raised Anglican but became Catholic when I married my husband. We have 3 children, a girl and 2 boys...
When my children were older, I got involved in adult education, which I loved. Then I became a member of the local Reserve Council, involved in financial management. I was then hired by the Tribal Council to teach finance: bookkeeping and accounting in various communities so they could present good financial statements to make good decisions. I found this work important because colonization has caused dependency instead of developing trust in each other, that I/we "can do it together".
What moves me about Anne Marie Martel is that she was neither above nor better than anyone else. She treated people equally, did not judge. She helped everyone who was in need."
The Fraternity
Anne-Marie Martel
We are lay people, companions of Anne-Marie Martel, who try to be available to events and people who need our presence.
We thus continue the original intuition of Anne Marie Martel in following Jesus Christ:
- Presence of love and peace
- ServicePrayer and study of the Word
Lord, let all my pleasure
be to please you
Learn More
https://charente.catholique.fr/est-charente/actualites/la-fraternite-anne-marie-martel/Video testimonial
Testimony of the SEJ and the AMM Lay Fraternity of Charente for the 350th anniversary of the Mission of Anne Marie Martel:The Family
Child Jesus
These are groups of lay people, committed to their Christian communities, who accompany the work of the Sisters of the Child Jesus in Ecuador:
- The ENFANT JESUS Group
- The ANA MARIA MARTEL Group
All of us, friends and sisters of the Congregation,
we form the SPIRITUAL FAMILY OF THE CHILD JESUS.
Their actions
With the Sisters, they participate in formation meetings on the Charism of Anne Marie Martel and the Spirituality of the French School and share in the service of the poorest. They are present in the different events of the Congregation, even at the international level.A member of the group and a sister participated in the Seminar of CLAR (Conference of Religious of Latin America) on the New Horizons for Consecrated Life and the Laity called to live together the shared mission.
Friends
& collaborators
In France and elsewhere, there are people who feel close to the Congregation and recognize themselves in the values lived by Anne-Marie Martel. They participate in certain formation meetings and events.
In some countries where we have schools, there are groups of alumni who meet on their own initiative, or in a systematic way, to share informal moments or training, for celebrations and events of our schools.
Our collaborators: These are professional lay people as well as staff who work in our establishments or in close collaboration with the Congregation.
