The Mother Province in France opened a novitiate in Garaison and received four novices into the program on August 17. Fr. Paul Valentin, C.S.C., Superior of the Mother Province, presided at their reception into the novitiate in the presence of their two formators, Fr. Pascal Garçon, C.S.C., Novice Master, and Fr. Timon Gomes, C.S.C., Assistant Novice Master.

Five religious of the Mother Province, as well as some friends and family of the new novices, were present both for the reception and the Mass that followed at the shrine. It was a historic day as the last time the Congregation had four novices in France, where it was founded by Blessed Basile Moreau, was 1994.

Following their official reception, the novices began their novitiate with three days of recollection. Part of their program this year will include intercongregational novitiate formation gatherings in Paris every month.