Sixteen Carmelite nuns of Compiègne, France, led by their prioress Teresa of Saint Augustine, were arrested during the French Revolution for continuing their life of prayer after religious orders were outlawed. On July 17, 1794, they went to the guillotine in Paris singing hymns, each renewing her vows before dying. Beatified in 1906, they were canonized by Pope Francis in December 2024.
They had quietly offered their lives to God for peace in France, and ten days after their deaths the Reign of Terror ended. Their calm, singing witness shows that trust in God can be stronger than fear, and that a hidden life of prayer can carry a whole nation. They remind us that love, not violence, has the last word.
Lord, through the intercession of the Martyrs of Compiègne, give us courage in fear and peace in sorrow, and keep us singing of Your love even in the dark. Amen.