About St. Margaret Mary

You might notice that the central figure in my logo is the Sacred Heart. That is in reverence to St. Margaret Mary, my patron saint. In fact, Jesus appeared to her and chose her to champion the cause of spreading devotion to His Sacred Heart.

Childhood

St. Margaret Mary was born in Burgundy, France, on July 22, 1647. Her family was somewhat wealthy but faced hardship when Margaret was 8 years old and her father died. At that point she was sent to a school run by the Urbanist Sisters at Charolles. She impressed the sisters with her devotion, but had to go back home at age 10 when she suffered a four-year bout with rheumatic fever.

When she got home, her family home and farm were being run by some of her father’s relatives. During that time, Margaret and her mother were treated almost like servants. More devastating for her, she was not allowed to attend church as often as she wanted. Fortunately, when her oldest brother became of age, the ownership of the property reverted to him, as the primary heir, and so things improved for her.

Religious Life

At age 20, Margaret decided to enter the convent. She eventually became a member of the Order of the Visitation, which was founded by St. Francis de Sales. It was in the process of joining the order that Mary was added to her name.

Starting in December of 1673, Jesus appeared to Margaret Mary several times over an 18-month period. He called her to live in His love so that her example would inspire devotion to His Sacred Heart . Jesus also asked her to establish the practice of this devotion, including regular participation in Holy Eucharist, at least on the first Friday of each month, and a holy hour of prayer every Thursday night in memory of His agony and isolation at Gethsemane. Additionally, he wanted her to establish the Feast of the Sacred Heart. This link will take you to a page from the St. Margaret Mary parish in Algonquin, IL, that also includes the twelve promises of Jesus for those who are dedicated to His Sacred Heart.

Rejection to Acceptance

When Margaret Mary first shared her experiences with her Superior, she was reprimanded. Shortly after, Margaret Mary became very ill. In a prayer, her Superior asked that she be spared and promised to believe her visions if she would survive. So when Margaret Mary became well, her Superior brought in theologians to meet with her. Unfortunately, they also did not believe. They thought she was delusional.

Finally, Father Claude de la Columbiere did believe her, and wrote about her. It is believed that sharing Fr. Columbiere’s writings after his death is what finally caused many of her order to finally began to believe, as well. As such, her convent began to recognize the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 1686, which soon spread to other Visitation sisters. Pope Clement XIII approved the feast for the whole Catholic Church in 1765.

Sainthood

Margaret Mary is quoted as saying on her deathbed, “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.” (see article, para. 7) She died in 1690. Pope Pius IX beatified her on September 18, 1864. and Pope Benedict XV canonized her on May 13, 1920.