HOMMAGE OF CARDINAL RODÉ ON JULY 1, 2006, IN ARS (FRANCE)

At the close of the ordination ceremony of 14 priests and 8 deacons of the Community in Ars (France), at which he presided on Saturday the 1st of July 2006, Cardinal Franc Rodé, Prefect of the Roman Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, thanked the founder on behalf of the Church.
The following impromptu exchange of words took place between Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe O.P. and Cardinal Rodé at the end of the ceremony.

Fr. Marie-Dominique's word of thanks to Cardinal Franc Rodé :

Your Eminence, you have come to tell us to continue with an ever greater zeal for the Heart of Jesus. We are not far from Paray-le-Monial; Marthe Robin once said to me, “Never abandon Paray-le-Monial”. Through each member of the Community of St John, Jesus' Heart must be present, in the same way that John lived so closely and so intimately with Jesus. We have this role, a hidden role of course but a great one nonetheless, to live of the love that the Father has for the Son, and thereby to live of the love that the Father has for his little children, the children of Our Blessed Lady. I believe that we are living at an extremely important time in the life of the Church – that of recognizing the exceptional love Jesus has for Mary and recognizing Mary’s offering: how she followed Jesus all the way to the Cross, where she desired everything to be entirely given. I believe that the Community of St John must give everything, as well as we can. The Holy Father who has now gone before us expressed it well: “It is the love of Christ that must envelop us and teach us to go always further”. And so in my heart is a great “thank you”, a very great “thank you” to the Church for sending you here and for being there to understand that which is not explainable in words but which is explained in a superior love, in the wisdom of the Cross. Thank you for having made the journey on top of all the work that you have, and for having undergone the fatigue. This fatigue is not lost, however: we keep it very much in our hearts, and we will pray for you more, everyday. When we know someone, we know each other in loving and praying for each other, that the will of the Father be accomplished, fully and entirely. Thank you for having come all the way here to us; thank you for having given us this witness of love and affection.

Cardinal Franc Rodé's response :

I would like to thank Father Marie-Dominique Philippe for the words he has just addressed to me, and above all for the promised prayers. And I would like to thank him, in the presence of all of you, for all that he has done for the Church. From his heart entirely given to the Lord and from his intelligence open to the truth, to the Holy Spirit, a new community has been born in the Church, which, in its vigour, in its youth and in its freshness, carries the words of the Gospel throughout the world. Father Philippe, the Church is profoundly grateful to you for all that She owes you, and She owes you a lot. You can see, dear Father Philippe, all the affection which surrounds you. It is a small manifestation of the love that the Eternal Father has for you. Accompany, with that same love and same affection, this family which has been born from the heart of God and from your heart, so that it may follow the path which you have traced out for it with a master's hand. Thank you, once again.