Martyrs of Orange

As a group of martyrs, the life and work of these 32 blessed women are articulated around their original institutes and their common fidelity to consecrated life. The group is composed of: * 16 Ursulines (9 from Bollène, 4 from Pont-Saint-Esprit, 1 from Carpentras, 1 from Pernes, and 1 from Sisteron), dedicated primarily to the education of young girls according to the rule of Saint Angela Merici; * 13 Sacramentines (from Bollène), a Provençal congregation dedicated to the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, founded in the 17th century by Father Antoine Le Quieu; * 2 Cistercians (from the monastery of Saint Catherine of Avignon); * 1 Benedictine (from the monastery of Caderousse). Before the revolutionary turmoil, these women led a hidden existence of prayer, contemplation, or teaching. When the revolutionary decrees suppressed religious orders and confiscated Church property, they refused to abandon their commitments. Their major work lies in the clandestine reconstitution of community life in Bollène, maintaining strict monastic regularity despite constant threats, which cemented their spiritual strength before the revolutionary tribunal.

The reputation of martyrdom and holiness of the 32 nuns was established the day after their execution. As early as October 1794, the faithful came to reflect and pray at the site of their burial, in the field of Gabet.

The informative process for their beatification officially opened at the diocesan tribunal of Avignon on August 21, 1905. The investigation documents were transmitted to Rome, to the Congregation of Rites, on December 4, 1906.

On June 14, 1916, Pope Benedict XV signed the decree for the formal introduction of the cause, opening the way for the apostolic process to establish the reality of the martyrdom. The decree officially recognizing their martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith) was promulgated by Pope Pius XI on March 19, 1925.

The 32 martyrs of Orange were beatified by Pope Pius XI on May 10, 1925, during a solemn celebration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In November 2018, the Archbishop of Avignon appointed Father Hubert Lelièvre as diocesan postulator in order to actively relaunch the cause for their canonization. The centenary of their beatification was celebrated on May 11, 2025, by the Diocese of Avignon. A day of pilgrimage and reflection brought together the faithful at the Collegiate Church of Saint-Martin in Bollène as well as at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Orange and the Chapel of Gabet, presided over by Archbishop François Fonlupt, Archbishop of Avignon.

The spirituality of the Martyrs of Orange is based on an absolute fidelity to the promises of baptism and the vows of religious profession, lived in a deep fraternal communion. Faced with death, they manifested a supernatural joy, viewing martyrdom as a mystical wedding with Christ. Their testimony is also marked by a heroic charity, explicitly forgiving their judges and their executioners. Their legacy remains alive at the Gabet chapel, built in 1832 on the site of the three mass graves where their bodies were thrown alongside 300 other victims of the Terror. This sanctuary, located a few kilometers from Orange, remains a very popular annual pilgrimage site, particularly during their liturgical feast on July 9. Furthermore, after the Concordat of 1801, the monastery of the Blessed Sacrament of Bollène was the only one re-established in the diocese, faithfully perpetuating the memory and the spirit of these blessed women.