Paris (France). From 27 February to 1 March 2026, approximately sixty Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from the Notre Dame des Nations Province (FRB) of France and Southern Belgium, gathered at the Paris headquarters to hold a Provincial Assembly and an Extraordinary Chapter.
The theme of the Assembly was “Eucharistic Life in Our Communities: Being Nourished—Abiding in Communion—Giving Oneself.” To nourish the reflection, the Provincial Council invited Sister Anne Chapell, Superior General Emerita of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Following a time of small-group prayer focused on the Gospel of the Bread of Life (Jn 6), Sister Anne presented the history of the Eucharist throughout the centuries, right up to the present day. This presentation, combined with the personal testimonies of some Sisters, opened up a discussion on this important topic, one that is, however, often rarely spoken about. In an atmosphere of welcome and attentive listening to the Sisters’ lived experiences, the participants reflected on the steps each of them could take to live out the Mystery of the Eucharist to the fullest.
Sunday, 1 March, was dedicated to an Extraordinary Chapter, featuring a vote to obtain recognition as a Congregation from the French State for the communities located within French territory. The Chapter Sisters voted unanimously in favor of this change, in order to secure better protection from the State.
In France, religious congregations are subject, regardless of their canonical obligations, to a specific legal regime that derogates from the general law governing associations and subjects both the establishment of recognized congregations and their dissolution by State intervention.
The Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians seeks to obtain recognition from the French State for the Congregation operating within French territory. French law provides for a specific legal framework for religious communities of common life, belonging to a religious denomination, that wish to benefit from the status of a recognized congregation in order to directly acquire legal personality. Consequently, any religious community desiring to do so has the right to apply for its own legal recognition.
In this way, Congregations residing in France can benefit from provisions designed to safeguard their spiritual, material, and moral interests. This situation, somewhat exceptional under French law and not found in other European Countries, is the legacy of a “turbulent” history.
The Provincial Assembly and this Extraordinary Chapter, held at the beginning of Lent, have set the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the FRB Province on a shared journey toward Easter, in a climate of gratitude toward the Institute and the Province.
