Number 206/207 - October 2001 (Pages 1, 8 to 13 )

Father Finet and Marthe Robin, educators

It is the special function of the Catholic school to develop in the school community an atmosphere animated by a spirit of liberty and charity based on the Gospel. It enables young people, while developing their own personality, to grow at the same time in that new life which has been given them in baptism. Finally it so orients the whole of human culture to the message of salvation that the knowledge which the pupils acquire of the world, of life and of men is illumined by faith. Thus the Catholic school, taking into consideration as it should the conditions of an age of progress, prepares its pupils to contribute effectively to the welfare of the world of men and to work for the extension of the kingdom of God, so that by living an exemplary and apostolic life they may be, as it were, a saving leaven in the community.

Christian education (n° 8)
Vatican Council II

Father Finet and Marthe Robin, educators

Françoise DEGAUD

Father FINET and Marthe ROBIN were both always passionately interested by the education of children and young people.

From the first months of his ministry at Oullins, and later in Lyon, the young Father Finet, ordained in 1923, attached great importance, not only to the religious instructions of the young but also, with great care, to the formation of their consciences. In the sub-direction of Catholic teaching in the diocese of Lyon- St. Etienne, he then found a great field of educational action. And always, whatever his ministry, he had recourse to the prayer of children at the times of difficulties in his apostolate.

On her side, towards the 1930's, Marthe was more and more sensitive to questions of education from priests who knew her, and came to see her with children from the catechism group or altar boys, and who advised teachers and directresses of Church guilds to go and see her. She was prepared, in this way, to welcome the plan for a Catholic school in Châteauneuf, and to dare to ask this of the parish priest, Father Faure. And it was for this very modest school that she asked for the picture of the Holy Virgin, which was brought by Father Finet on the occasion of their first and decisive meeting of the 10th February 1936.

The school became then the school of the Foyer de Charité. How did Father Finet and Marthe bring about this transfer?

"To be together with", "To live together", "To make the school family", these words seem common-place; but experience, reflection and the help of the Holy Spirit bring out their depth.

It is all the members of an educational community of the Foyer de Charité who receive the children in this house of which the Virgin Mary is the Mother and Queen. How many of them have heard Marthe say to them: "It's not by chance that you are here, it's the Holy Virgin who brought you". Each member in his place, through his prayer, his teaching, his services, participates in the formation of the young people.

Father Finet and Marthe knew how demanding it was, that which was asked of us: to be with the children during the time of teaching, of course, lessons and studies, but also in the moments of rest, in the dormitories, during the times of relaxation, the cleaning of the school, all this in a formative atmosphere, not simply in a utilitarian aim.

By living together, by working together, by praying together, by amusing oneselves together, one learns to know each other, to win each other over, reciprocally and to create bonds. "Be with them, close to them", Marthe said. "Don't supervise them", said Father Finet, "watch over them, in order to forestall problems instead of having to intervene", which is not a sign of soft weakness. "Be good and firm", Marthe said. And Father Finet repeated: "Give a spinal column to the children confided to you", that is to say the love of truth, in loyalty, the habit of using their will-power and their self-control. "Make of them men and women capable of taking their responsibilities". On this subject Marthe often said that you cannot bring up boys and girls in the same way, that they both have the right to the education which is suitable to them. And both Marthe and Father Finet advised: "Dare to reprove them, to punish them if necessary" but not useless punishment, make them make amends in a positive way, and always to make the child grow, according to the spirit of St. John Bosco.

"Be available, available to God close by" was one of the pressing pieces of advice of Father Finet who set us the example. In spite of his overcharged time-tables, he always kept, except during retreat weeks, a long time for receiving the children, always faithful to the apostolate of the formation of the consciences of the young.

"A father who welcomes, who enlightens, who forgives, who makes you up, who constantly constructs you without any laxity; what a marvellous paternity!" writes an old girl pupil. And another: "With Father Finet I discovered what paternity was when I was a pupil in the 4th class he took the time to receive us, knew each one of us, could situate us in our families and our parishes. We were present in his heart". For Marthe, her welcome of the young people depended on her possibilities to receive, but what a joy it was for her when a class went up to see her. Everything about their lives interested her: their school programmes, their different activities, their joys and their difficulties, and she didn't fail to help them grow. To the little boy who asked her what you have to do to become a saint, she said: "Love, love, love, always love. Jesus said: love Me and love the others". To a child of the 2nd class who had just asserted that the Foyer members were in the service of the pupils, she said: "Oh! No, my dear, they are in the service of God".

Being with the children in all the different services is good, but Marthe said: "the children need to see you pray". The moments of community prayer, the Mass, the Rosary, the listening to the Word of God together, the personal times of adoration, all that creates a climate that can make the Good News grow, the compost of Evangelization. "The children are your little retreatants" said Marthe. And Father Finet insisted, to underline all the time they sped at the Foyer school which permits giving them ­ drop by drop so to speak ­ all the doctrinal synthesis which he himself transmitted in a week, and that, not only by catechism but by osmosis of the atmosphere of family life.

"The Work could not begin in any other way than by the prayer of children" said Father Finet. "The Foyer de Charité is for humanity; it began by a school. I am still very moved by this", said Marthe to some young pupils of the 3rd class. The children of the Foyer schools participate in the life of the Foyers; they pray for the retreatants, write to the Foyer members who are far away and who don't fail to come and meet them in their classes when they are in France. During the big Assemblies they see concretely that the Work is implanted on four continents, which opens them to the universality of the Church and the urgency of the Mission.

And you, the children of men,
Bless the Lord!

Presentation of the schools today

Today, in 2001, what can be said of the schools of the Foyer of Châteauneuf? We receive about 1100 pupils in our 3 schools.

- a girls' school in Châteauneuf, with mixed primary classes and a High School and boarding school.
- a boys' school at Saint-Bonnet with primary classes and a High School and boarding school.
- a mixed technical agricultural Secondary School at the Mandailles.

As Father Finet and Marthe Robin desired, the Foyer schools continue to be places of formation for young Christians, opened onto the Church and the world in the same way that the retreats of one week are for adults. Today we still live a deep communion in these missions which have such different rhythms.

During the school year, we have asked those who are concerned in our schools to give us their witness:
- members of the community
- people associated in our mission: teachers, educators, personnel
- pupils and old pupils
- parents.

These witnesses whether brief or more developed illustrate the strong points of our Foyer schools. To introduce them, we have taken up again the advice of Marthe and Father Finet.

"The Foyer of Châteauneuf began by the school. I am always moved by this", Marthe confided to pupils of the 3rd class.

A family atmosphere (page 15)

"The Foyer de Charity is a family: live amongst children to teach them to love and to pray".
"It's His most cherished flock which the Lord is confiding you".

"One obtains extraordinary graces by praying together".

"In each child we must see the Lord who inhabits that soul, look at it with the eyes of Jesus and with the eyes of the Holy Virgin".

"Your role as an educator is to open the path which leads to the heart, the important thing is the heart. That is what you must always try to reach".

With the families (18)

Marthe said to us : "Don't leave out the parents".

On the occasion of a parents' meeting in view of the Profession of Faith, Marthe gave this advice:
"You must help them to see their responsibility as parents and Christians so that they also may prepare themselves with their children for this commitment".

To form men and women, Christians of tomorrow (19)

"You haven't come just into a school, you have come also into a Foyer de Charité.
Don't complain of what we demand: that is our vocation.
It is our duty to educate your will power".

"We want a youth which has character, a spinal column, to live already the daily life with exactitude".

"What counts is perseverance and faith".

Formation of the conscience, formation of interiority (21)

"Don't leave the children just to their sincerity. We are a Foyer of Light and of Truth". "Often, said Marthe, we have not taught the child to see straight. He will slowly learn to do this".

"We are called to form their consciences and to develop their interiority".

"There is an hour of God for the pupils. We should perhaps respect this. God is so patient with us".

Marthe insisted: "We must form their consciences", it is the way to learn to be free".

Formation and awaking of faith (23)

"You have come here to learn to live in a Christian way: that is to say with love in all you do: work, relaxation, rest, prayer, service, all done with love".

"In order to put Love everywhere it is necessary to have times set aside just for Love. Let yourselves be regenerated by prayer, the Sacraments, times of retreat. Our mission is to make children of God of you".

Formation to give witness F(24)

The school is also a Centre of Apostolate, a work of Evangelization. It's a question of forming young people who will be witnesses of Christ and will commit themselves to the transformation of the world. One witnesses by radiation.
"We are not looking for an immediate result, but we are working for the future".

The power of the prayer of children and young people (25)

"The prayer of children is all-powerful on the heart of God".

"Pray with them, help them to love prayer".

Mary, the one who educates (26)

The Virgin Mary was always recognized by Marthe as the one who educates, who shapes each one of our lives into what God wants it to be: "It is through Mary, with Mary and in Mary that I will go to Jesus and be all His".

"She is the Mummy", she said, "she will lead us to Jesus".

"In a home, a Mother is needed to form the children; the Holy Virgin holds us by the hand but also by the heart".

"We must teach them why we say the Rosary: because we love the Holy Virgin, because, through it, we reach Jesus.
Mary ceaselessly walks with us throughout life".

The presence of a priest, witness of God the Father (29)

"A Foyer is, first and foremost, the heart of a priest". "It is the children who draw the paternity from his heart".

Marthe desired, thanks to this discovery and this experience, that the children of the schools should know God as a Father, that they should live and feel His love and, in this way, enter in to the Paternity of God.

Marthe Robin is present today. (30)