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CURIA GENERALIZIA MARIANISTI Rome, July 17, 2003 Death Notice No. 28 (To all Unit Administrations) The Province of France recommends to our fraternal prayers our dear Brother, NICOLAS MATTER, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on July 11, 2003, at Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts de Seine), in the 93rd year of age and the 76th year of his religious profession. Nicolas Matter belongs to the generation of Marianist religious native from the region of Alsace that was attached to Germany after the 1870 war, and that remained such until the end of World War I. Historical circumstances explain the attachment of this population, so often tossed alternatively under the French and German authority, and the sufferings of a province whose inhabitants felt divided in their inner self. He was born at Lupstein (Lower Rhine) on February 11, 1911. He came from a large family with a deep Christian faith. He would always be happy during his whole life, when he had a chance to praise the rich historic past of his native village. After the hard time that followed the War, when he taught German at Primary School, he entered the Postulate at St Hippolyte in the Spring of 1923. He was then sent to Rèves (Belgium) the following year, to continue his formation until 1926. After Novitiate at St-Rémy under the direction of Fr. Schellhorn, he pronounced First Vows on September 12, 1927. Br. Nicolas then returned to Rèves to continue his Scholasticate (1927-1931). He spent his life serving in many communities as a teacher and educator for young children of Primary School. He began his mission in western France: St Thégonnec (1930-31) in Brittany; Boupère (1931-32) and Clisson (1932-33) in Vendee; he was then transferred a first time to Antony, before joining the army for his military service (1933-34). Back to Antony, he worked there from 1935 to 1939. Mobilized in August 1939, he spent some months of the "drôle de guerre" before being taken prisoner in June 1940 and interned as an Alsatian in Switzerland. Br. Nicolas was transferred for the third time to Antony (1941-43). He returned to Vendee, at Beauvoir sur Mer (1945-49). He returned to rue de Pétrelle, in Paris where he served from 1949 to 1955. Nicolas was sent to eastern France, at Granvillars (1955-60), before returning to Antony where he ended his career as a teacher in 1979. Although he was officially retired at Maison St Jean, he continued to help in many ways at the Institution Sainte Marie, where he supervised the students of the Secondary classes, and did the photocopying. In his letter of 07/07/97, a few weeks after the 70th anniversary of his First Vows in the Society of Mary the Superior General wrote to the Jubilarian:" During your long years of service, you have been a teacher, a supervisor and a prefect, especially at Antony. You may have personally experienced the truth stated in our rule of Life:"The educational works are for us a privileged means of formation in faith. They allow to seed, to cultivate, to grow and make the Christian spirit be fruitful in the souls" (art. 74). Only God knows how many students, relatives, friends and Brothers you have influenced during your long years of service, but we thank our Lord for His graces and also thank you for your faithfulness." Handicapped when walking during the last years of his long life, Nicolas never gave up his activity, and never let himself go. With a surprising will-power, an exemplary energy - it could even be said , an edifying obstinacy -, our Brother fought till the end against infirmities caused by age. Nicolas departed this world on July 11, 2003, the Feast of St. Benedict, our Patriarch and Patron in religious life. He died at the hospital of Chatenay-Malabry, where he had stayed during his last days. May Mary receive him "in the womb of her maternal tenderness."
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