Margaret Alacoque was born on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, July 22, 1647 in the diocese of Autun, France. When she was confirmed in 1669 at 22 years of age, she took the name of Mary. Margaret Mary grew up in a profoundly wholesome Christian environment. Her father entered into eternal life in 1655 when he was 41. Her older brothers were sent to a Benedictine boarding school. Margaret was sent to an Urbanist Poor Clares of Charolles boarding school. Her mother, Philibert Lamyn Alacoque continued to reside in her house although the home was jointly owned by her husband's brother, Toussaint Delaroche. Toussaint took over the management of the house and treated Philibert as if she were a household servant. When Margaret was 11, she took ill and left Charolles for home. There she remained ill for four years. She promised that if the Blessed Virgin would cure her illness, she would some day be one of the Blessed Virgin's daughters. No sooner had she promised, she was cured. Her devotion to the Blessed Virgin began deeply and immediately. She and her mother were subjected to vicious, daily, painful humiliations by her father's family with whom they lived. Her father's family tried to marry her off, unsuccessfully. Her mother took ill with "deadly," facial Erysipelas with no recourse (to medical or familial attention) no assistance or medicines-- only the care of Margaret Mary. Margaret prayed to Our Lady, her refuge. She held her trust and her courage in the Lord while her mother was ill. Shortly, after many prayers, Margaret's mother made a complete recovery despite the anticipated outcome of Erysipelas. Her father's family continued to marry her off. They insisted she dress in a most ostentatiously vain manner and be extremely sociable. While the father's family hoped to marry off Margaret, they virtually became non-existently verbally vicious. Margaret Mary led a very pious life instructing the young, tending to the repulsively sick which she loved as Jesus. As her father's family became impatient to marry her off, one of her maternal uncles became aware of Margaret's desire to become a nun. So, he persuaded her to put her in contact with her cousin who was an Ursuline nun. Although her brother, Chrysostom and family wanted her to get married, they acquiesed into Margaret's wishes to become a nun. Nine years passed before she asked admittance to the Visitation Monastery at Paray-le-Monial. Upon entering, she encountered some opposition to her behavioral tendencies which hurt her feelings. But, she rebounded with the aid of spiritual, constructive criticism from St. Francis de Sales. Margaret overcame many tendencies to "self-will" along her novicial path-- especially towards her aversion to cheese. Margaret's Mom and brother, maternal uncle were present as she became a novice. Margaret became a nun on November 6, 1672. Margaret grew in holiness, and experienced interior locutions with Jesus. She spent much time before our Lord in contemplation and before the Blessed Sacrament. She became the Mistress of Novices. Sister Margaret experienced several meetings with Jesus. He informed her of what He desired of her. Jesuit superior, Father Claude de La Colombière, became the confessor to the nuns in her order. Father Claude helped Sister Margaret to establish devotion to the Sacred Heart by means of a "Reparation of Honour" consisting of Communions on the Nine First Fridays and honoring the Sacred Heart wherever it is exposed. Father de La Colombière died in 1682. His Spiritual Retreat was published shortly afterward. In it, he wrote how he was moved by an instrument of God to help propagate the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. This instrument of God was Sister Margaret Mary. Throughout her time in the monastery, Sister Margaret held a particular devotion toward the holy souls in Purgatory. Devotion to the Sacred Heart began to spread with help from a superior, Mother de Saumaise. Margaret Mary did not see the fulfillment of her hope of establishing devotion to the Sacred Heart in her lifetime on a large scale. However, the devotion became very renouned after her entering into eternal life in 1690. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us †

 

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