French friar Jean-Claude Chupin, OFM, co-founder of the Community of the Lamb, passed away at the age of 95 on Easter Sunday, April 5, at Saint-Pierre, the order's motherhouse in France.
Born on Sept. 29, 1931, he founded the public association of the faithful, which is characterized by a Dominican spirituality, in 1981 together with "Little Sister Marie." The community is composed of missionary brothers and sisters who live out a contemplative vocation and an evangelizing presence, particularly among the poor.
He entered the Franciscan novitiate at the age of 21 and professed his first vows on Sept. 17, the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis.
While serving as a parish priest in the villages near the French town of Vézelay, he met a group of Dominican sisters from the Roman Congregation of St. Dominic, to whom he preached during a retreat in 1974.
That encounter was providential: Among those attending the retreat was Sister Marie, with whom he shared a conviction regarding the urgency of returning to the Gospel, a sentiment in harmony with the spirit of renewal of the Second Vatican Council.
As a result of this experience and encouraged by his Franciscan brothers, who encouraged him to attend to the spiritual needs of the sisters, the foundations were laid for what would, over the years, become the Community of the Lamb.
Living with the poor on the streets
Nevertheless, Chupin never ceased to be a Franciscan. In fact, he was known as "the little brother who wears brown," as he continued to wear the habit of the Franciscan friars. It was not until 1994 that he assumed an official role within the Community of the Lamb.
His love for the poor played a decisive role in his life. After repeatedly requesting permission from his superiors, from 1982 to 1993 he was sent on mission to the streets alongside two Franciscan brothers.
During the 11 years he spent preaching and living alongside the poor of the streets, he never failed to attend the chapters of the Community of the Lamb in the French Pyrenees, becoming for the brothers and sisters a true spiritual father.
The community noted that his health had been in decline since last January, which allowed many brothers to accompany him, including spiritually, during this final stage of his life.
"Until the very end, in a way that edified us all, Brother Jean-Claude laid down his life, drawing on his last reserves of strength to offer each and every one of us his smile, a word of friendship, his kind gaze, and his fraternal and paternal attention," read the statement released following his passing.
The brothers and sisters of the Community of the Lamb highlighted their deep union with Jesus and the Gospel as well as their love for St. Francis of Assisi. "Gospel, Gospel, Gospel!" the friar used to say.
They also gave thanks for his life, which was "filled with the light of the Gospel," and for the gift "that he was and will always continue to be, for all those he accompanied with his faithful friendship: a father, a brother, a friend."
Currently, the Community of the Lamb consists of approximately 170 sisters and 40 brothers, present in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Chile, and the United States. Currently, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop emeritus of Vienna, is the bishop responsible for the community.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
