Jesus Caritas

Borders that marked her childhood and youth

1914-1918 Seuzy

While yet a child, Magdeleine already experienced borders and division. Her family came from Lorraine and Little Sister Magdeleine spent her summer vacations with her grandmother in Seuzey, a village 40 kilometres from the German border. She experienced the danger that living in that place entailed. The village was occupied by the German army on October 4, 1914 and her grandmother was assassinated. Later her two brothers died on the front. Thus for her, the border between the two countries meant threat and sorrow. The wound of this experience would remain a heavy personal problem for her for many years.

In a letter dated February, 1948 she wrote:

'I am terribly anguished by this problem of Germany... At that time my heart and soul were filled with anger at all the atrocities... Before dying, I want to make up for all that. I would like to go to Germany to bring them all the love that is now in me, the gift of my life for them also'

These experiences sensitized her for life to border conflicts that exist between countries.