A Word of the Postulator

We noted in previous issues of Signs of God how, for Fr. d’Alzon, the virtue of mercy is, first and foremost, an attitude of the heart that every Christian, who truly believes in the generous and gratuitous mercy of God, is called to imitate himself : Be merciful as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). But mercy also has an apostolic dimension, rooted in charity and in the love of one’s neighbor (Parable of the Good Samaritan). We find the best example of mercy in the attitudes of Jesus himself.

In Fr. d’Alzon, mercy is often translated by “compassion”, especially when it refers to the poor, to those neglected and scorned by society, to those exploited by ‘big money’. So it is that Fr. d’Alzon would make use of lessons drawn from the Fathers of the Church, as we will see in certain of his texts.

The cause of the beatification and canonization of Fr. d’Alzon is making its way. There are many people who are requesting his intercession and informing us that they obtained graces and favors after having had recourse to him in prayer. Twentyfive years ago, on December 21, 1991, Pope John-Paul II proclaimed him Venerable, recognizing that our founder had led a life of holiness and practiced, in a remarkable fashion, the virtues of the Christian life. We hope that the Lord will soon grant us the grace of his beatification.

Rev. Julio Navarro Román, A.A.

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