The Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has recognized the heroic virtues of the Servant of God, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon (Julia Teresa Tallon, 1867–1954), foundress of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate.
In a meeting this morning, June 18, with the Prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Pope Leo XIV approved the Decree of Heroic Virtue, declaring the New York-born foundress Venerable and advancing her cause for beatification and canonization. In response to this decision, Mother Maria Catherine Iannotti, General Superior of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, said, “We are overjoyed that the Holy Father has recognized the heroic virtues of our Foundress! This is a wonderful day for us as her cause comes a step closer to beatification and canonization.” Mother Maria Catherine acknowledged the work of those serving Venerable Mother Tallon’s Cause: “Of course, this could never have taken place without the hard work of our postulator, Dr. Waldery Hilgeman, his associates Dr. Emanuele Spedicato, and Msgr. Brian Taylor of the Archdiocese of New York, who wrote Mother’s biography for the Positio.”
Born Julia Teresa Tallon in Hanover, NY, on May 6, 1867, the new Venerable was the daughter of Irish immigrants, Peter Tallon and Bridget Duffy, from County Meath and Sligo, respectively, who married in the U.S. and settled in Upstate New York to run a hops farm. The youngest of their eight children, Julia was baptized in St. Mary’s Church in Clinton, NY, and received her First Holy Communion and Confirmation in St. Bernard’s Church in Waterville, NY.
From her earliest years, Julia was known to manifest a thirst for God and proved to be a zealous catechist. Concerned for the religious training of the children of the migrant workers on her father’s farm, she would gather them in the fields while their parents were working and teach them prayers, stories from Scripture, and the truths of the Faith. As a child, she was no stranger to hardships. She and her sister Jane were the only Catholics in their class at school and suffered at the hands of bullies who taunted them because of their faith. Julia taught her sister that it was more important to forgive than to hold grudges and fight back.
These experiences, a deepening faith life after her reception of First Holy Communion, and a desire for a consecrated religious life in the service of others saw her pursue a vocation. Despite initial opposition from her mother, who sent her to Utica, NY, to expose her to society and all that it had to offer to distract her, Julia entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross in South Bend, Indiana, in 1887 at the age of 19. For 33 years, as Sister Mary Berchmans, she taught in various schools of the Congregation. As a teacher, her heart was stirred for those young people who were either slow in study, neglectful or neglected, truant, or facing difficulties, leading her to spend her time and energy drawing them close to the Heart of Christ through her loving concern.
During a retreat in 1900, and through a further inspiration in 1908, she felt that God was asking her to found a new religious institute where women would be trained to greater spiritual perfection while being engaged in a missionary apostolate in the parish setting, visiting homes to reach out to Catholics who had forgotten God’s love for them and the beauty of the faith. After 13 years of waiting and suffering for what she called “The Grand Cause,” Sister Mary Berchmans began the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate on August 15, 1920, in New York City with the permission and blessing of Cardinal Hayes. From this time on, she was known as Mother Mary Teresa.
During her lifetime, the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate served in the Archdiocese of New York, the Archdioceses of Milwaukee, Chicago, and Hartford, and the Dioceses of Brooklyn, Albany, Scranton, Metuchen, and Syracuse, as well as for a brief time in the Dominican Republic. She guided the nascent Community until her forced retirement in 1951 and died at the Motherhouse of the Community in Monroe, NY, on March 10, 1954.
Commenting on Mother Mary Teresa’s legacy for today, Mother Maria Catherine noted two of the foundress’ sayings: “Make every soul count” and “Make much of God.” “Both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have reminded us of the dignity of every human person,” Mother Maria Catherine continued. “We hear in their reminders the echo of Venerable Mary Teresa’s voice! Today, people are in such need of knowing their dignity as children of God; of their importance in His eyes; and of their call to know, love, and serve Him here so as to be happy with Him in Heaven.”
The next step in this process is beatification, in which Venerable Mary Teresa Tallon will be declared Blessed. For this to occur, a proven miracle through her intercession must be approved by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
For more information on Venerable Mother Mary Teresa Tallon:
Contact person: Mother Maria Catherine Iannotti, PVMI
General Superior
Cell phone: (landline) 845-783-2251
Email: mothertallon@gmail.com