Recognized by the Church, this unconventional foundation raises challenging questions about the nature of religious vocation for a person with intellectual disability. Mother Lina, the superior, and Dom Jean Pateau, abbot of Fontgombault and spiritual director of the community, offer some guidance.
How did the community of the Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb begin?
Mother Lina: It started with meeting Veronica, who has Down syndrome. As a catechist, I had worked with handicapped people and felt called to a consecrated life lived alongside the poorest. When I saw Veronica, something became clear to me: she had a vocation. Together with another sister, we rented a small house in a town in Touraine to found a community where Veronica could live out her religious calling. We started very simply. Then Sister Veronica drew other girls like her, and eventually we came to Le Blanc.
What are the criteria for a genuine religious vocation in a girl with Down syndrome? Is the discernment different from a "normal" vocation?
Dom Jean Pateau: When we evaluate a vocation, we must always remember that it is God who has built this monastery and community. Once the Lord has a project of vocation for a soul, we must arrange things so that this project can be realized. The superior of the community serves God's project for that person—his only task is to discern what God's will is. To God, souls are souls. There is no division between those who are not handicapped and those who are.
Mother Lina: It's the same for all vocations. We look at whether the person matures and grows within the community and feels happy. With a person who has Down syndrome, it's almost easier to see this, because they hide nothing—everything is laid bare! And they can sense perfectly whether the convent is their home. People with Down syndrome have real intuition.
Can certain factors distort the evaluation—for instance, pressure from family?
Mother Lina: It's important that family members not be hovering over the girl. When we welcomed Sister Veronique, she came alone by train at first. Before that, she had stayed for a month's trial to see how things would go, then returned to her center for a year. When we admitted her to the community, it was a real adventure because Veronique's family was quite reluctant. Still, families remain close to the community. That's important for our Down syndrome sisters, because these family bonds are essential. Besides, all of them are under guardianship or conservatorship.
Dom Jean Pateau: We have discussed this question many times with other religious in the Diocese, who wondered whether welcoming sisters with intellectual disabilities might simply be a way for parents to provide their adult daughter with communal living. But that becomes apparent quickly during the evaluation, since parents aren't present. Mother Lina will see whether the postulant is there by God's call or by her parents' will. At that point, we need to have the firmness to tell the parents that if this arrangement serves them, it certainly doesn't serve their daughter—she isn't in the right place.
Can lack of freedom be an obstacle?
Dom Jean Pateau: If freedom means being independent of every tie to one's future, that's impossible. Everyone depends on their personal history. True freedom is having enough capacity to say: "Yes, I will stay. I give myself, with all my limits." But we must evaluate this very carefully. Pronouncing religious vows is not one-sided; rather, the person gives herself and the Church receives her. That's why the Church is cautious and protects this freedom by allowing a much longer period of evaluation before a permanent religious commitment.
Sometimes, to protect this freedom, the Church defers a person's final vows because it senses her awareness isn't yet complete.
Is intellectual disability a help or an obstacle to spiritual and contemplative life?
Dom Jean Pateau: In their lives and their direct dialogue with the Lord, the Little Sisters teach us a lesson in simplicity. And that is essential for contemplation and spiritual life. Their spiritual life cannot help but be fruitful. At Sister Mary's clothing ceremony, Sister Geraldine, who is less independent than the others, radiated such joy. They go straight to what matters. Our relationship with God should be more like theirs.
Mother Lina: During Mass, I am always moved when I hear Sister Geraldine pray: "Jesus, heal Geraldine" instead of saying "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." Spiritually, the Little Sisters are not handicapped. They know all the figures in the Bible and understand many things.
What does a small community like the Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb bring to the Church?
Mother Lina: A community like ours reminds the Church that the Lord chooses and speaks to the hearts of the poor: "Father, I praise you: what you have hidden from the wise and learned, you have revealed to the little ones."
Dom Jean Pateau: Many ordinary communities face constant decline as vocations dwindle and members age. The Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb can offer hope to these other consecrated communities. (...) I always leave the Little Sisters' house with joy in my heart, because they are simple and live in the present moment. They remind me that unless we become like children, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In the face of so many children with Down syndrome who are aborted today, this community becomes prophetic.
Information gathered by Florence Chatel
From O&L no. 205/2015