
Devotion to God the Father
As Communicated to Mother Eugenia Ravasio
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A Brief History of the Diocese of Grenoble, and the Canonical Investigation
The diocese which conducted the investigations is the diocese of Grenoble-Vienne, which is situated in the South of France. It is an ancient diocese dating back to the 4th Century. This is not the first time that the diocese has been graced with messages from Heaven. Our Lady appeared at La Salette in 1846 some 80 years earlier and this apparition gained the approval of the Bishop of Grenoble Philibert de Bruillard after a five year investigation. On 19 September 1851, Pope Pius IX formally approved the public devotion and prayers to Our Lady of La Salette. Grenoble, is one of the most beautiful diocese in France, with its rolling hills and valleys reaching up to the French Alps.
Grenoble is a suffragent of a still older Archdiocese, the diocese of Lyon which is one of the oldest, most renowned and prestigious diocese in the world.
Lyon is the oldest centre of Christianity in the whole of France and dates back to the 2nd Century. Lyon was established as a diocese in the year 150AD. Lyon has had no less than 22 of its Archbishops canonised. It was the place of the martyrdom of 48 Saints, and there are 10 other canonised saints originating from the Archdiocese. Numerous other saints originate from the suffragent diocese including the most famous St Jean Vianney, the cure of Ars. St Jean Vianney, patron of priests, grew up in Dardilly just 20km from Lyon and studied at Ecully just 6km from Old Lyon, and now which is part of Lyon itself. Lyon was also the diocese from which Propogation of the Faith, and the "Living Rosary began.
Interestingly too, one if its most famous sons was Saint Irenaeus, (he was Greek by birth 130 -202 AD) who was the first bishop of Lyon. He is one of the greatest and most renowned of all the early Fathers of the Church. It was St Irenaeus who wrote extensively on the nature of theTrinity and the relationship between God the Father and the Son. Perhaps it was for this reason that God chose this Archdiocese for this wonderful manifestation of His love some 1800 years later. It would be a reminder that God the Father never forgets honours done in His Name: he is faithful to a thousand generations!
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Enquiry Established by the Bishop of Grenoble:
To challenge the veracity and the theological soundness of the claims of Eugenia relating to The Message (given in July-August 1932), the Bishop of Grenoble established a Canonical Enquiry. At that time Eugenia was only a young 27 year old nun who had been brought up as a peasant girl in another country (Italy) with a different language. She had received her veil as a nun only 6 years earlier. The Message was written down by Sister Eugenia under the guidance of Father God in Latin, a language which she had never learnt. Having only having a primary level of education she had no capacity by herself to cope with the vocabulary, grammar, conjugations and spelling of the Latin language.
The panel conducting the Enquiry consisted of:
* Fr Auguste Valencin-Amons SJ.
* Albert Valencin-Amons SJ.
The above mentioned priests were from the Archdiocese of Lyon and were theologians at the major seminary of Lyon. Being from another diocese the enquiry had a high level of autonomy and independence, and representation from the oldest diocese of France.
*Mgr Emile Guerry, also a theologian, who was the Vicar General of Grenoble at the time, was another member of the panel. More will be said about him later. He was to become a prominent Archbishop in France.
*Two medical doctors, one a psychiatrist, made up the remainder of the panel.
The two Valencin brothers ranked at the time among the foremost authorities in the field of philosophy and theology and in their long career had proved themselves to be experts in evaluating such cases.
Enquiry at first disbelieved Sister Eugenia and then it slowly changed its mind:
The Enquiry was exhaustive.
At the start of the Enquiry the Church authorities and the panel were totally disbelieving and dismissive of what Sister Eugenia told them.
Then in January 1934 the major block for the theologians was removed when they found that Saint Thomas Aquinas had declared in his Summa Theologiae that a person could see the “unseen” God under certain circumstances. Nevertheless even after this, the Panel did not believe Sister Eugenia. According to Bishop Caillot’s Testimony, Fr Auguste Valencin was brutal in his interrogation of her in June 1934. Continued disbelief by Church authorities and the panel was still so deep-seated that Eugenia was then subjected to the terrible experience of being committed by the Panel to a Church Mental Asylum (St Vincent’s) and spending a few days there over the Christmas period of 1934. However over many months of cross-examination Eugenia never changed anything in her statements or testimony.
Over a long period of time, by way of exhaustive interrogations, searching and reflections, the panel gradually had all its doubts dispelled. The panel finally submitted a long favourable report, along with a volumous file, to the Bishop of Grenoble.
The case and the findings were also submitted to the Vatican before any official pronouncement was made. Everything was done to the umpteenth degree.
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Bishop Alexandre Caillot after that period of 10 years of investigation Declared in 1945:
"Supernatural and Divine Intervention seems to me the only logical and satisfactory explanation of the facts......"
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We can sense the profound joy and peace in the soul of the Bishop when in the promulgation of his findings he wrote, and one gets the impression that he personally benefited spiritually from a consideration of the message to Mother Eugenia as he wrote: "I bless the Father for having deigned to choose my diocese as the place for such touching manifestations of His love."
The English version that includes the entirety of the alleged message given to Mother Eugenia received an imprimatur from the Vatican itself in 1989.
The whole of the message was given an imprimatur from the Archdiocese of Melbourne on 20th March, 2009, and in all likelihood has been given imprimaturs in numerous languages throughout the world; in whatever language the work of Mother Eugenia has been translated.
Of particular interest is the fact that in the 85 years since the release of the enquiry, there has never been any limitation, never any negative statement, or any impediment imposed on the spread of this devotion either by Rome itself, or to our knowledge, by any bishop throughout the whole world. It has has gained an important place in the the devotional life of the Universal Catholic Church, and continues to grow throughout the world today.
Footnote
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As Vicar General of the Diocese of Grenoble Emile Guerry (1891-1969) had a thorough involvement in the process of the Canonical Investigation. Although initially he had reservations, in the end he was thoroughly convinced of the authenticity of the accounts given by Mother Eugenia and was inspired to write a book in 1936 , "Vers le Père" (Towards the Father). This work was not about Mother Eugenia and her visions but was series of eighty nine meditations on the Father and the Holy Trinity.
Written originally in French, this work was subsequently translated and published in five other languages: English, Italian, Spanish, German and Polish.
Many believe it was this work that played a strong part in him being elevated to the position of Secretary to the French Assembly of Cardinals and Archbishops, and then to being ordained Bishop of episcopacy in 1940. He fulfilled this role admirably and so was appointed Archbishop of Cambrai in 1952. Cambrai is in the North West of France, bordering on Belgium. He was a Council Father on all four sessions of the Vatican Council.
His glowing testimony on the power of this devotion to do enormous good in souls and in one's diocese we repeat on this page;
All those who- whether preachers or directors of consciences - have contributed to spread it (That is devotion to the Father), have rejoiced to note the profound effects of purifications and sanctification it has brought about in souls."
Of further interest too is the fact that a contemporary Cardinal Jean Verdier, Archbishop of Paris, gave an Imprimatur to all the main prayers that came to us from Mother Eugenia on 8 May 1936. Cardinal Verdier is buried in a sarcophagus close to the Main Altar in Notre Dame Cathedral Paris.
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Archbishop Emile Guerry 1891-1969
was Vicar General of the Diocese of Grenoble, at the time of the Canonical Investigation, and part of the investigating panel. He was a major light in the French Church as Archbishop of Cambrai. He was greatly affected by the beauty of the message to Mother Eugenia and was one of the first to put it into practice pastorally.

Most Reverend Bishop Alexandre Caillot,
Bishop of Grenoble for 40 years 1917-1957