Centenary of the birth of Elise Bisschop

Since last September, we have been preparing to celebrate with gratitude the centenary of the birth of Elise Bisschop for the spiritual and artistic legacy she left behind.

Six thousand leaflets were printed and distributed through the parish's mailboxes.

The two entities founded to promote Élise's legacy, the Endowment Fund Élicité, the City of Christian Poetry, and the Association of Friends of Élise Bisschop, collaborated well to prepare and organize these two days.

Thus, on Saturday, May 31, the festivities began with a creative activity for children. They were able to create badges on the theme of nature and Élise to leave with a beautiful souvenir. Following this activity, a snack and games were offered.

The highlight of Saturday the 31st, the exact centenary of Élise's birth, was the concert by the choral group Notes in vox. A magnificent program, titled "Cantate Domino," of polyphonic songs was performed by four voices, without instrumental support.

Before the concert began, the president of the Élicité endowment fund, Mr. Frédéric Leuger, invited everyone present to celebrate the centenary of Élise's birth with joy and faith. Élise restores hope to a world in search of meaning and true joy.

With the singers' entry into action, the audience could hear religious melodies from songs like "Pange lingua" or "Cibavit eos," all texts that Élise would have loved given their theme centered on the Eucharist. The church of Trucy-sur-Yonne, with its adapted acoustics, vibrated with ravishing harmonies.

At the end of the concert, a cocktail dinner was served for all at the Château de Trucy. It was a beautiful moment of exchange between the participants and the artists.

On Sunday, June 1st, the centenary celebrations continued, beginning with a brief blessing of the Bisschop family vault at the Mailly-le-Château cemetery. Around thirty people attended this traditional and moving moment.

The Saint Laurent church in Trucy was filled to capacity for the Sunday Mass. All parishioners were invited to attend this unique Mass in Trucy-sur-Yonne. Some of the faithful even had to sit on the entrance steps because of the large crowd.

In the homily, Father Dominique-Marie highlighted the role of Elise in the context of a new evangelization of France and the world. Pope Leo, in his letter dated May 28 to the French bishops, had emphasized the contribution to France of three Saints: Saint John Eudes, the Holy Curé of Ars, and Saint Therese of Lisieux. Elise Bisschop, with her deep faith in God and creation, wanted to imitate them.

After the Mass, various interventions were proposed. Father Dominique-Marie, the Postulator, began with a lecture on Elise as a teacher of the science of joy. She herself defines this science as an ability to transmit to others, even without words, like invisible but effective waves, the goodness of Jesus' Love.

Then followed the presentation of the Centennial Poetry by the director of Élicité, Miss Raphaëlle Taccone. The candidates of last year's poetry competition were all asked to compose a unique poem: each had to send two lines. Raphaëlle Taccone made a beautiful compilation: a centennial poem of true beauty, a magnificent tribute to Élise Bisschop. The centenary poem was printed in an artistic manner and distributed to all present.

This was followed by the first screening of the documentary Elise Bisschop, a saint from our region, a short documentary produced for the Élicité endowment fund by Mr. Philippe Leuger, a beautiful montage of scenes from Mailly-le-Château and the surrounding area, illustrating the life and message of Élise. Ten minutes long, it shows on the one hand the magnificent setting of Élise's birth, and on the other hand Élise's free and unashamed adherence to the Gospel. To see it you can click below:

The participants were then invited by Mrs. Anne Silberstein, president of the "Friends of Élise Bisschop", to give thanks for Élise's presence in the daily lives of many people today. Finally, everyone was invited to begin the shared meal with an aperitif.

The two days of the centenary thus demonstrated the vitality of Élise's spiritual and artistic legacy. They show how we can, in 2025, live by the same deep faith that led Élise to give everything, especially herself, to the Lord.