Mary Help of Christians - May 24Trust in Mary's Protection  Marcellin Champagnat (1789-1840) founded the institute of the Marist Brothers.In France, 1823 in the middle of the winter, one of the Brothers of a nearby town was critically ill. Father Champagnat wanted to give him the last sacraments and see him before he died. The weather was terrible, and the ground was covered with snow. But this did not prevent him from going to see him. After administering the last rites, and blessing the Brother, Champagnat prepared to set out again on the return journey. Accompanied by Brother Stanislaus, he started home for La Valla, across the mountains of Pilat. They walked for two hours when they lost their way and could not make out any trace of the road. A violent wind blew the snow in their faces, which almost blinded them. They scarcely knew where they were going. After wandering about for several hours, the Brother was so tired that Father Champagnat had to take him by the arm to help him along. Soon Champagnat was numb with cold and almost overcome by the snow drifts. He felt his strength leaving him and was forced to stop. Champagnat said to the Brother, We are lost if the Blessed Virgin does not come to our relief. Let us beg her to save us from losing our lives in the snow Before he had finished, he felt the Brother slipping to the ground through exhaustion. Champagnat knelt down beside the Brother, who appeared to have lost consciousness, and recited the Memorare. After the prayer he tried to raise the Brother and to make him walk they had only gone three metres when they saw a light shining only a short distance away. They were saved. His prayers had been answered. They went in the direction of the light and came to a house. The light was a lantern held by a farmer checking his stock. They sheltered there for the night. Father Champagnat said on several occasions that, had relief not come at that very moment they would have died from the cold.
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