Author and translator J. Stephen Russell joins Deacon Mark Campbell and Alexia Baker to introduce listeners to Marie Estelle Harpin, a nineteenth-century French seamstress and Eucharistic mystic whose writings have never before appeared in English. Russell's new book, Angel of the Eucharist, translates her collected memoir and letters — a project two years in the making — and presents a saint whose intense love for Christ in the Eucharist, relatable humanity, and striking spiritual insights offer a compelling model of Catholic holiness for women and men alike today.
J. Stephen Russell, retired professor of medieval literature and Catholic author, joins The Catholic Morning Show to share the story behind Angel of the Eucharist, his English translation of the writings of Marie Estelle Harpin (1814–1841).
Who Was Marie Estelle Harpin? Born in 1814 in Santos, France, Marie Estelle was a middle-class young woman who apprenticed as a seamstress. As a teenager, she fell deeply in love with Jesus in the Eucharist, a devotion that utterly transformed her life. Though she faced mockery and alienation early on, her village — and eventually her bishop — came to recognize the beauty and depth of her holiness. She died at only 27 years old. Her bishop ordered her letters and memoir collected and published; the book went through four French editions from the 1840s through the 1880s but was never translated into English until now.
Why Has She Been Forgotten? Russell reflects that causes for sainthood can carry a political dimension, and that candidates from less prominent dioceses can be lost in the shuffle. Interest in Marie Estelle peaked in the late nineteenth century, with brief English and French biographies around 1900, before fading entirely. Her cause was recently revived when the French bishops voted to resume studying her life — the link Russell discovered that drew him into the project.
Her Spirituality Marie Estelle's Eucharistic devotion was extraordinarily intense. With her pastor's permission, she would spend entire nights on her knees before the tabernacle. One of her most powerful quotes from the translation: "Seek the God of comforts, not the comforts of God." Russell notes that her prayer life was rooted in relationship, not petition — not "ordering at the pickup window," as he put it.
Her Humanity Despite her profound holiness, Marie Estelle was deeply relatable: she loved to dance, desired pretty clothes she could never afford, and once nearly stole a trinket before returning it the same day out of conscience. Russell suggests she offers a rich model of Catholic femininity — someone who navigated real temptations while keeping her eyes fixed on Christ.
Where to Get the Book Angel of the Eucharist is available in hardback and paperback. No e-book edition is currently available.
🔗 Purchase on Amazon: Amazon.com 🔗 Purchase from Angelico Press: AngelicoPressBooks.com 🔗 Iowa Catholic Radio: IowaCatholicRadio.com
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