COMPIÈGNE, THE MARTYRS OF. — These are the sixteen Carmelite nuns of the city’s convent, guillotined in Paris on 17 July 1794 “for their attachment to puerile beliefs and their foolish religious practices.” At the foot of the guillotine they sang the Te Deum and the Veni Creator, renewed their baptismal vows and their three religious vows, and then, one by one, asked the prioress for her blessing and permission to die, thus winning the palm of martyrdom.
Their names are: the mothers: Thérèse of St Augustine (Marie-Madeleine Lidoine), prioress; Henriette of Jesus (Marie-Gabrielle de Croissy); the sisters: Anne of Jesus (Marie-Gabrielle de Piazzoli); Anne of St Louis (Marie-Anne Brideau); Charlotte of the Resurrection (Anne-Marie Thouret); Euphrasia of the Immaculate Conception (Marie Brand); Thérèse of the Heart of Mary (Marie-Marthe Hanisset); Thérèse of St Ignatius (Marie-Gabrielle Tréville); Julie-Louise of Jesus (Rose Chretien de Neufville); Marie-Henriette of Providence (Anne Pelras); Constance (Marie Meunier); Marie of the Holy Spirit (Angélique Roussel); St Martha (Marie Dufour); St Francis (Élisabeth Verollet); the two sisters Catherine and Thérèse Soiron. Beatified by Pius X on 27 May 1906, their feast is kept on 17 July; the Carmelites celebrate their feast on the 24th of the same month.