Alix Le Clerc

The central work of Alix Le Clerc is the foundation of the Congregation of Notre-Dame (Canonesses of Saint Augustine), a religious institute entirely dedicated to the free education of young girls. At that time, the education of girls was almost non-existent, particularly in working-class environments. In 1598, Alix and her companions opened their first free school in Poussay, near Mattaincourt. The project was revolutionary for the time: it involved welcoming little girls, whether rich or poor, free of charge, to teach them reading, writing, needlework, and Christian instruction. The curriculum and pedagogical methods were formalized in the Constitutions written by Saint Peter Fourier. The work developed rapidly in Lorraine and beyond, with the opening of numerous schools (Saint-Mihiel, Nancy, Pont-à-Mousson, Verdun, Épinal, etc.). In 1603, Cardinal Charles of Lorraine approved the congregation. In 1615 and 1616, Pope Paul V granted his pontifical approval. In November 1617, the first official monastery with enclosure was erected in Nancy. Alix Le Clerc began her novitiate there under the name Sister Marie-Thérèse of Jesus. After pronouncing her vows, she was elected superior general of the congregation, a position she assumed with dedication until December 1621. The congregation would be officially recognized under the Rule of Saint Augustine by a bull of Pope Urban VIII on August 8, 1628, a few years after the death of the foundress.

Alix Le Clerc dedicated her final years to visiting the various communities she had founded, ensuring that the original spirit and charity were preserved within them. In September 1621, she fell gravely ill and was confined to her bed at the monastery in Nancy. On the day of the Epiphany, January 6, 1622, sensing her end was near, she gathered her community to deliver her spiritual testament: "I will remember you all before God. For your part, keep yourselves always in the most complete union, using charity toward one another, for Charity and union are the only means to maintain your Order." She passed away peacefully on January 9, 1622, in Nancy, at the age of 45. Upon the announcement of her death, a vast crowd pressed into the monastery to venerate her remains. Duke Henry II of Lorraine himself declared: "I cannot tear myself away from this good Mother whom I consider a saint." Numerous healings and miracles were quickly attested at her tomb. These testimonies were collected and published in 1666 in a work titled Vie de la Mère Alix Le Clerc.

The process of recognizing her holiness was long delayed by the political unrest and wars that shook Lorraine. Following the French Revolution, which led to the dispersal of congregations, her relics were lost and remained unfound for more than a century and a half. The cause was relaunched at the end of the 19th century by the bishops of Saint-Dié and Nancy. On February 21, 1899, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed Alix Le Clerc "Venerable." She was beatified on May 4, 1947, by Pope Pius XII in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. An exceptional fact in the history of causes for saints, this beatification was pronounced even before her relics had been found. In 1950, her mortal remains were finally discovered in Nancy and formally identified following a rigorous historical and scientific investigation. On October 14, 2007, her relics were solemnly transferred to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Nancy, under the presidency of Bishop Jean-Louis Papin. Her trial for canonization is still ongoing.

The spirituality of Alix Le Clerc is deeply marked by the mystery of the Incarnation and a contemplation of the humanity of Christ, lived under the protection and in imitation of the Virgin Mary. Her motto, which she inscribed at the bottom of her letters, summarizes her mystical impulse: "May God be your entire love." Under the Rule of Saint Augustine, she promoted a religious life combining contemplation and apostolic action, characterized by simplicity, joy, and great freedom in charity. Her pedagogical legacy is immense. By opening free schools for girls, she anticipated the reforms of public schooling in France by nearly three centuries. Jules Ferry himself paid tribute to her work by stating that her foundation had marked "the birth of primary education in Lorraine" and constituted "the birth certificate of girls' education in France." Today, the Canonesses of Saint Augustine of the Congregation of Notre-Dame continue her educational and social mission among the youth and the most vulnerable in about forty countries around the world (Europe, South America, Africa, Asia).