Catholic Heroes . . . St. Mutien Marie Wiaux
By CAROLE BRESLIN
A few decades ago, when Catholic schools taught religion from the Baltimore Catechism, one of the first questions children learned was, “Why did God make you?” The answer was, “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church restates this principle in the first paragraph, “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life….He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength.”
From the beginning, the Catholic Church has promoted the education of all persons. She was acting on the words given to her by Jesus Christ, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).
Our Lord did not exclude anyone from this command. The poor and the marginalized have always taken special places in the history of salvation. Many men and women have become saints because of their dedication to educating and helping those less fortunate.
St. John Baptist de la Salle (died 1719) founded the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools. As the title indicates, the men who taught under the auspices of this institute were not priests. One of their most lowly brothers, seemingly lacking any gifts as a teacher, became a saint for his quiet and faithful service to the educational efforts of the order.
More than 100 years after the death of St. John Baptist de la Salle, a pious French Belgian family lived in Millet, a small village outside of Les Bons Villers, 40 miles south of Brussels. On March 20, 1841, their third child was born: Louis Joseph Wiaux. His parents would have three more children after Louis Joseph.
While not particularly wealthy, they provided well by hard work. His father was a blacksmith and his mother ran a small café out of the first floor of their home. The townspeople knew swearing was not allowed, but they still came to drink beer and pass the time playing cards.
Since the villagers were so pious, they gathered together before closing to lead a family rosary. This piety had a great effect on the young Mutien. He attended the local elementary school and led the boys to the church after classes to go and pray.
When the time came, his father brought him to the blacksmith shop where Mutien learned the trade — or tried to learn it. First of all, the young man did not have the strength to lift and hammer the heavy iron. Secondly, he simply did not have the temperament for such harsh conditions.
Finally he was relieved of his duties at the shop and allowed to pursue another career — one which he yearned for. His brother had joined the Jesuits and Mutien planned to do the same. The pastor of Millet spoke to Mutien and convinced him that he would be better suited to join the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle.
Mutien set out for the nearby village of Gosselies, about eight miles south of Millet. In Gosselies, the Christian Brothers, as they were commonly called, were opening a new school. During his visit he met with some of the brothers and discussed their work. He decided he wanted to join the Christian Brothers.
On April 7, 1856 at just 15 years of age, Mutien went to Namur, about 30 miles west of Millet, to join the novitiate of the brothers. He stayed there for one year before he was assigned to Chimay, located about 100 miles south of Les Bons Villers where he was born.
In 1858 the brothers sent Mutien to Brussels, where he taught briefly at St. George’s School. In 1859, he moved about 200 miles south of Brussels to Mallone, where he spent the rest of his life. At the age of 18 he arrived at the Institut St. Berthuin, which was a boarding school.
Mutien’s performance was far from satisfactory. His most difficult challenge was trying to combine his prayer life with his assignment of teaching. Obedient as saints always are, Mutien tried to teach the classes as he was commissioned, but he did so with little success. The students were disruptive and disorderly. In short, he could not control the classes.
After reviewing his situation, his superiors thought to expel him from the order to protect their good name. He did not fit with them since the Brothers of Christian Schools were to teach the young and the unfortunate.
Providentially, the brother in charge of the Fine Arts Department in Mallone took Brother Mutien under his wing. With patience and perseverance, the head of the department mentored Brother Mutien, training him to become not only a good teacher but also a firm disciplinarian.
Mutien became known for his piety and humility. Showing himself to be a man of sensibility rather than intellect, he became well-known for his success in teaching music and the arts.
His sensitive nature helped him to be especially aware of anyone in need or suffering. He quickly offered to help whenever and wherever he was needed. Did someone need to meet a traveler at the train station? Mutien would do it.
Was a new student feeling homesick and lost in his new environment? Mutien was there to speak with the youth, offer comfort, understanding, and advice. Did the children in Mallone need a teacher for catechism? Mutien would gladly accommodate them.
He also arranged and chaperoned field trips for the boys of the school. Most important, he spent most of his free time in prayer. He could be found either in eucharistic adoration or in spending time in front of the statue of our Lady in the grotto of the school. This statue was a replica of Our Lady of Lourdes.
In November 1916, Mutien fell ill and was taken to the infirmary where he remained until he died on January 30, 1917. The brothers placed his remains in the local cemetery of Mallone, but so many pilgrims visited his grave that they moved him in 1926 next to the parish church.
St. Mutien was beatified in 1977 by Pope Paul VI, after which a shrine was built in Mallone in his honor. A marble tomb was placed inside the shrine. In 1989 Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Mutien, making January 30 his feast day.
Dear St. Mutien, humble and holy, thank you for being a model of perseverance and showing us that worldly success in academia or in secular pursuits is not as important as simply serving those near to us with patience and love. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
