Source: ACF, 9 B 15 /2

The Congregation is dedicated to Our Lady of the Cenacle, in reference to the place where the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, so that they might proclaim the Gospel in all the languages of the earth.

In this context, leading or hosting retreats in a foreign language comes “naturally” to the sisters. This is what the editor of the Paris-Breteuil House diary wrote on March 28, 1930:

“This morning at the 8:00 a.m. Mass, there was a beautiful closing of the Spanish retreat led by Bishop Chaptal, followed immediately by the opening of the Russian retreat. Fifteen Russian women make up Bishop Evreinov’s audience; a tiny mustard seed that, we hope, will bear fruit. It has been pointed out to us that this is the first time in the world that a retreat has been preached in the Russian language. It is only natural that this should take place at the Cenacle. Most of the retreatants are poor émigrés who are trying to support themselves through work to meet their pressing needs […]”