Almost four months and we still don't know what could have happened to little Émile. The two-and-a-half-year-old boy has been missing since July 8, when his mother dropped him off at his grandparents' for a summer holiday in Haut-Vernet (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur). A few hours later, after taking a nap and playing with his cousins, he vanished into thin air.
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His grandfather was loading the car to take the grandchildren to play in the huts, when he turned around to see that Émile was no longer playing in the garden. Since then, the police have been mobilized to find him, but the investigation has stalled. The boy's family, very religious, have decided to remain hopeful. One of them is Marie, his mother.
A novena for Emile's return
In a message posted on Facebook this Wednesday, 1 November, the mother of the family launched a call to prayer for All Saints' Day, as well as a novena. This is a sequence of prayers and proofs of piety organized over a nine-day period.
When believers perform a novena, they hope to obtain divine graces in return. Marie explained:
We're starting this novena tomorrow to ask for Emile's return and an end to this ordeal.
Read more:Missing French toddler: Retired prosecutor gives his chilling theory on what happened to Émile
A very religious family
Not for the first time, Émile's family put their hopes in God's hands. Two months after the tragic disappearance, they had indicated that they were not resigned to the situation. Colomban, the boy's father, explained:
We can only imagine the worst, but we can't help hoping.
Émile's mother added:
We're not afraid to ask God for a miracle.
In September, they travelled to Marseille to pay their respects at Pope Francis' mass.
Although they have decided to limit their outspokenness since the tragedy, they did agree to confide in Familles Chrétiennes at the end of the summer. They explained:
We were looking for a mainstream medium that would also understand our motivations as Christian parents. It's often said that Jesus helps us carry the Cross, but we really felt it.
Read more:Missing French Toddler: Neighbours shocked by Émile's parents' reaction to his disappearance
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.
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