Guest lecturer Fr. Simon Nolan, O.Carm., PhD., recently spoke at CUA about the Carmelite nuns of Compiègne who were martyred during the French Revolution. View the recording HERE.
This talk explores the inspiring story of Mother Teresa of St. Augustine and her companions, the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne, who faced execution in 1794 during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. Their recent canonization by Pope Francis affirms their enduring witness to the power of faith in the face of persecution. Their offering of their lives to restore peace to the Church and to France has been commemorated through history, literature, and music—most famously in Bernanos’ dramatic work Dialogues des Carmélites and Poulenc’s opera of the same name—showing how their legacy continues to inspire across generations.
Fr. Nolan is Prior Provincial of the Irish Province of the Carmelite Order and former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at St. Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth, Ireland.