Nanette posted regarding the martyrdom of the 16 Carmelites during the bloody French Revolution. Their feast day is July 17.
“According to writer William Bush, the number of Christian martyrs greatly expanded in the early years of the French Revolution. Thousands of Christians were killed by the guillotine, as well as by mass deportations, drownings, imprisonments, shootings, mob violence, and “sheer butchery”. In 1790, the French Revolutionary government passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which outlawed religious life.
The community of Carmelite sisters at Compiègne, a commune in northern France, 72 km north of Paris, was founded in 1641, a daughter house of the monastery in Amiens. The community grew rapidly, and “was renowned for its fervor and fidelity”. It was supported by the French court from its beginnings, until interrupted by the French Revolution, which was hostile towards the Catholic Church.” Source https://www.prayersandpetitions.org/feast-of-the-blessed-carmelite-martyrs-of-compiegne-17th-july/amp/
Here is the powerful final scene from Poulenc’s opera, Dialogues of the Carmelites
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Wow! Thanks for posting that.