Magdeleine Hutin

The work of Magdeleine Hutin is entirely centered on the foundation and development of the Little Sisters of Jesus Fraternity, which revolutionized the traditional forms of consecrated life of her time. After meeting Father René Voillaume and Msgr. Gustave-Jean-Marie Nouet (Apostolic Prefect of the Sahara) during a pilgrimage to the tomb of Charles de Foucauld, Magdeleine completed her novitiate with the White Sisters (Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa) in Algiers. On September 8, 1939, in Birmandreis, she took her first vows under the name Little Sister Magdeleine of Jesus. On September 15, 1939, she settled in Touggourt, marking the official birth of the Fraternity. Originally, the congregation was exclusively dedicated to the nomadic and Muslim populations of the Sahara. The sisters lived in small communities of three or four, sharing the simple and precarious life of the inhabitants ("Arabs with Arabs, nomads with nomads"). On July 26, 1946, during a pilgrimage to Sainte-Baume in France, Little Sister Magdeleine received the inner certainty that the Fraternity must open itself to the whole world, while maintaining a privileged friendship with Muslims. In 1947, Msgr. Charles de Provenchères, Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence, approved the congregation and hosted the first French novitiate at Le Tubet. In order not to link the future of the congregation solely to her own person, Little Sister Magdeleine relinquished her position as general superior in 1949 in favor of Little Sister Jeanne. She then devoted herself fully to foundations around the world. She traveled tirelessly across all continents to establish fraternities among the most marginalized populations: among the Inuit in Alaska, the Gypsies in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, or factory workers. She also made more than thirty clandestine trips behind the Iron Curtain in a converted van. On March 25, 1964, the congregation obtained its decree of praise and became an institute of pontifical right under the pontificate of Paul VI, establishing its general house at Tre Fontane, in Rome.

The life of Little Sister Magdeleine is a testimony of total abandonment to the divine will. Faced with human and physical obstacles, she constantly entrusted herself to God, whom she described as the "Master of the impossible." She notably wrote: "He took me by the hand and blindly I followed Him." Her action was guided by a constant concern for unity, peace, and reconciliation, refusing any social, racial, or religious barrier. She forged deep bonds with great spiritual figures of her time, such as Mother Teresa or Brother Roger of Taizé. Weakened by age and the consequences of a fall, she passed away peacefully on November 6, 1989, at the general house of Tre Fontane in Rome, at the age of 91. By a coincidence that many describe as providential, the Berlin Wall collapsed three days later, on November 9, 1989, echoing her life spent breaking down borders.

After her death in the odor of sanctity, the cause for the beatification and canonization of Little Sister Magdeleine of Jesus was officially opened. The diocesan inquiry collected testimonies and analyzed her numerous writings. On October 13, 2021, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues. By this act, she was officially declared Venerable by the Catholic Church. The cause is currently ongoing, awaiting the recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession, which is necessary for her beatification.

The spirituality of Little Sister Magdeleine rests on the mystery of the Incarnation, contemplated through the "Little One of Bethlehem" and the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth. She proposes a new path: a contemplative life entirely immersed in the heart of the world ("contemplative in the world"). The Little Sisters of Jesus do not live separated from the world in enclosed monasteries, but inhabit ordinary dwellings, perform modest salaried jobs, and share the daily lives of their neighbors. Her legacy remains alive throughout the world. The Little Sisters of Jesus continue to bear witness to the tenderness of God through a silent, humble, and fraternal presence. At the end of 2024, the congregation numbered approximately 900 sisters spread across 45 countries, attached to the general house of Tre Fontane in Rome.