PARAY
LE MONIAL
and The
Sacred Heart
of Jesus
Place of the
Apparitions
Of the
Sacred Heart
to St.
Margaret
Mary
Paray le Monial is a small town in the Bourgogne region of eastern France. It is the place where the Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque. The apparitions and subsequent devotion to the Sacred Heart took place in the late 17th century. St. Margaret Mary’s spiritual director was St. Claude de la Colombiere. Both consecrated themselves to the Sacred Heart and promoted the devotion with much suffering. This devotion was strongly opposed in and out of the Church and suppressed in many places. In 1856, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Church and exhorted the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart (1875). St. Margaret Mary was canonized on May 13th, 1920.
The
Apparitions
Since
childhood
St. Margaret
was formed
by the
Blessed
Virgin. When
she was ill
she did many
corporal
penances
with great
charity. In
1671, she
entered the
Visitation
Convent. One
day while
she was
before the
Blessed
Sacrament,
Jesus
allowed her
“to rest for
a long time
on His
Divine
Heart,”
revealing to
her “the
marvels of
His love and
the
unexplainable
secrets of
His Sacred
Heart” (
Dec. 17th,
1673, Feast
of St. John
the
Apostle).
Jesus said:
“My Divine
Heart is so
passionate
of love for
humanity and
in
particularly
for you that
it is not
able to
contain
itself in
the flames
of this
ardent love.
It’s
necessary
for you to
be enriched
with His
precious
treasures .
.I have
chosen you.
. “ And
taking her
heart, He
placed it in
His “like a
small
particle
consumed in
the burning
furnace.”
Since that
day the
Sacred Heart
appeared to
her
regularly,
especially
on First
Fridays.
Jesus said:
“Here is the
Heart which
has so
deeply loved
men, it has
spared
nothing even
exhausted
and consumed
itself to
show them my
love and in
return all I
receive from
the majority
of them is
ingratitude.”
First
Fridays
Jesus: “
I promise
you in the
excessive of
the mercy of
My Heart,
that His
omnipotent
love will
grant to all
those who
receive Holy
Communion on
the first
nine Fridays
of
consecutive
months, the
grace of
final
penance.”
(Benedict XV
at her
canonization)
“Sadly, we
can say,
Devotion to
the Sacred
Heart has
diminished
in some
people; from
now on, may
it flourish
more each
day, may it
be regarded
by all as an
authentic ,
excellent
and secure
devotion
which our
times demand
according to
the Second
Vatican
norms.”
(Pope Paul
VI).
The
Chapel of
the
Visitation
The
Chapel is
located in
the
Monastery of
the
Visitation -
Rue de la
Visitation
71600. This
is the
actual place
where the
apparitions
of Jesus to
St. Margaret
Mary took
place in
1673. Here
are housed
relics of
the Saint.
In the
Area
The
Sacre Coeur
Basilica
(Sacred
Heart) was
built by the
Cluny monks
in the 11th
century.
Today it is
a very
active
center for
pilgrimages
and great
religious
celebrations.
As well, the
Chapel of
la
Colombičre
is close by.
Here are
housed
relics of
St. Claude
de la
Colombičre,
confessor of
St.
Margaret,
who along
with her
ardently
spread the
devotion to
the Sacred
Heart. He
was
canonized on
May of 1992.
More
on the
Revelations
of the
Sacred Heart
to St.
Margaret
Mary>>>
