Mary looked at him as a person, and his life was changed!

The Bernadette Fraternity (Saint Bernadette of Lourdes) was born in Brazil around Father Dominique You, a French priest member of Fidei Donum, now bishop of Santíssima Conceição do Araguaia (Brazil), and a few young people, including Aymeric and Christine O'Neill. This small community describes itself as a "presence of compassion in the service of the little ones and the humble" in underprivileged neighborhoods.

The O'Neills were sent with a small team to the Lauriers District in the north of Marseille, France. The team lives there and makes themselves available to anyone who knocks on their door. They also offer after-school support, youth camps, street activities, family visits, etc.

Choosing the protection of Saint Bernadette was a natural choice for the members of the Fraternity. "We chose Bernadette as our patroness because she experienced the same living conditions as a girl today in the slums of Salvador de Bahia. Her life changed when Mary looked at her as a person. She was sure then of being loved. The only true exit door that exists is God’s gaze, through Mary," says Aymeric.

"Mary appeared in Lourdes in a dark, muddy cave, and a clear spring came out of it. It shows us that light can arrive anywhere. At the Bernadette Fraternity, all we have to do is look at the people we meet," he continues. For Aymeric, this look raises the person up and is self-revealing. "No matter what any of us have done, God's gaze detaches us from our actions. He looks at us as we really are deep down and reaches into all areas of our being.”

Aleteia