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Claire Ferchaud, daughter of peasants, born in Rinfillières in the heart of the former "military Vendée" on May 5th, 1896, was baptized the very day of her birth.
From her childhood, the Child Jesus accompanies her on a daily basis and becomes her companion for many years. He trains her, educates her, corrects her and helps her to forge a strong soul, entirely devoted to the Sacred Heart.
The Child presented himself to her so simply that for a long time she did not know how to be privileged and thought that all children lived the same thing.
"The most distant memory that still remains vivid in my mind is this: being still in the cradle, long before uttering a single word, therefore long before the awakening of reason, I remember the continual presence of a Child, of marvelous beauty, who stood by my cradle, was that my good angel? Or just a child of the family? Later, I will recognize in the same features the sweet and lovable Child Jesus.
But, at two years and below that age, it was enough for me to see Him to be wise and happy without thinking that He could be a Supernatural Being, I was soaked in this presence well before knowing it, so this state was quite natural to me, which is why for a long time I will not think of saying thank you to my darling Jesus."
Text extracted from Claire Fechaud, volumes 1 and 2 published by Téqui
Originally from Puy Saint-Bonnet (49), Claire goes to school in Loublande (79) until the age of 12 just after her First Communion. She then had to take care of her parents sheeps in her native hamlet of Rinfillières.
Claire Ferchaud's childhood home
The vocation of Claire Ferchaud begins with the war of 14-18. In 1916, while the First World War was raging, Claire made a retreat in Saint Laurent sur Sèvre, with the Sisters of Wisdom, and her mission became clearer: that of reminding France of its divine vocation by asking for the affixing of the emblem of the Sacred Heart on the tricolor flag; France, eldest daughter of the Church has denied her faith, to the Gospel, she has substituted secular laws.
"To strike my senses and make me understand the guilt of France better, Jesus takes the following image: His Heart is pierced, not only by the traditional wound, with which we are accustomed to represent Him, but with multiple strokes of the penknife , and in the middle, a large wound seems to separate the heart in two from which the blood flows freely.
This plague, the Savior explains to me, epitomizes the official atheism of France; the Masonic hordes have lacerated her Christian title. The Master's invitation is pressing; France must be reminded of its desire: to paint, embroider or engrave in the folds of its flag Its Sacred Heart.
If the first gesture of the Missionary is to plant the Cross on the pagan earth which he treads for the first time, likewise the Sacred Sign on the standard of France will be the act of faith which will pierce the vault of Heaven to a new Pentecost on France. (...)
Sin, in its multiple aspects of outrages against the divine Majesty, is dissected before my eyes. It is the unfolding of all human miseries and Jesus will particularly express his sadness over the Priest who descends from mediocrity to infidelity.
Jesus has no difficulty in moving my heart: hasn't sin always been my terror? The garden is therefore prepared to receive the seed.
The soul of a work takes shape, without being developed yet, it reveals itself syllable by syllable and each word is etched in my mind forever. The Church and France are more deeply embodied in my soul."
Quote from Claire Ferchaud, volumes 1 and 2 published by Téqui
ND de la Garde chapel in Rinfillières built
by Claire's grandparents in 1862.
At Christmas 1917 with the blessing of the Bishop of Poitiers, Claire Ferchaud founded a community of “Expiatory Virgins” bringing together five nuns in Loublande. She integrates it herself by taking the name of “Sister Claire of Crucified Jesus ”.
For this foundation, she received the support of Monsignor Humbrecht, Bishop of Poitiers, who came to inaugurate and bless the chapel of her convent on June 12th, 1918. On the entrance door stands a statue of Saint Michael watching which becomes the protector of this home.
Nowadays, a continuous flow of priests and pilgrims come to pray at the site.
Convent of Sister Claire
Prayer to the Sacred Heart
after Claire Ferchaud
Ô Heart of Jesus, crushed because of our sins,
Heart saddened and martyred by so many crimes and faults,
Heart, victim of all iniquities,
I love You with all my soul and above all things,
I love You for those who despise You and forsake You,
I love You for those who outrage You and prevent You from reigning,
I love You for those who abandon You alone in the Holy Eucharist,
I love You for the ungrateful souls who dare to profane Your Sacrament of Love by their insults and their sacrileges.
Heart of Jesus, forgive sinners: they do not know what they are doing!
Heart of Jesus, support all those who propagate your Holy Name!
Heart of Jesus, support all who suffer and struggle!
Heart of Jesus, let society be inspired in everything by your Holy Gospel, the only safeguard of justice and peace!
Heart of Jesus, may families and nations proclaim your rights!
Heart of Jesus, reign over my homeland!
Heart of Jesus, may your kingdom come through the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
This prayer received the Imprimatur of Mgr Charles, Bishop of Verdun, and following the request of Cardinal Lépicier, the blessing and approval of Pius XI on April 26, 1930
To Madam Heavenly Mother, All-White Virgin.
Mommy All good! If therefore you are all good, there is nothing left of you, for rigor, look... and take pity on my distress. Since You are All Good, forget my sins and allow your powerful help to overflow from your bosom. Look, Mom look at my isolation, I have no one who can take up my case and bring justice to me. I am delivered, not to human creatures because if they realized the processes used by them to crucify me, they would not want to be so cruel...but I am the weak being...this lamb trembling before the wolves of hell. Stand up, Ô Mother, and stop hell... disarm the demons, free your little lamb... let it enjoy its freedom for a while to leap into life in the Church. Mom... You who gave life to the world through the gift of your Jesus, have mercy on the one who has also received a gift of life and cannot produce it... Have mercy on those who are in the network of my suffering. Bless the patience and faith of those who are waiting... Mom! Mom ! if You want it... yes, if You ask God, He will listen to you, Ô daughter of the father... He will give you, Ô Spouse of the Holy Spirit, He will fill you, Ô Mother of the Beautiful Lamb.
Mom, listen to the sweetness of your name in delivering me... Mom! Make me live in the Church, Mom speak for me to the Pope!
Mom with arms always open, in my distress I throw myself on your heart... fold your arms over me and save... oh! Save me.
Claire 7-8 Dec. 1940 -
Claire Ferchaud's mission is to be discovered in the light of the Gospel: She will follow Christ in total obedience to the Church.
Like the Savior, her work will experience immense influence and she herself will experience the ordeal of some people's mistrust. Claire will follow the authorities in the Church which at certain times will not give credit to what she receives from Christ.
HER MISSION FOR FRANCE:
On January 1st, 1917, Claire sends a letter to President Raymond Poincaré requesting to save France through devotion to the Sacred Heart. After sending a second letter on January 16th, she was received in audience by the president on March 21st, 1917. She went there after a night of adoration a few days earlier at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre. .
During a 20-minute interview, the young peasant asks the personal conversion of the President and the affixing of the Sacred Heart on the national flag. The President is courteous, Claire will give obvious and moving proofs to Poincaré on the authenticity of her mission. However, he will do nothing.
The following May 7th, Claire wrote to 15 French generals (including Foch, Lyautey, etc.) to renew her request, which was rejected for administrative reasons.
The pennant of the Sacred Heart, reproduced in millions of copies, is nevertheless worn in private by many soldiers, and Marshal Foch consecrates during a private ceremony the French and allied armies to the Sacred Heart on July 16th, 1918 Claire Ferchaud's faithful will point out that it was he who won the final victory a few months later.
The news of the apparitions and of Claire's mission spread and caravans begin to arrive in Loublande for Mass, where crowds will gather for the next two years.
MISSION OF EXPIATION:
Faced with this failure, Jesus will ask for reparation by substitution:
The Flag which would have been sanctified will be symbolically represented before God by Expiatory Souls whose distinctive character will be to live spiritually this “Heart of Jesus crushed by the sins of men, by the faults of France”. Thus at Christmas 1917 with the blessing of Monsignor Hombrecht began the work of expiation to prepare the foundations of the Perpetual Mass.
MISSION FOR PERPETUAL MASS:
The confidence of the project of the perpetual mass in Loublande was made by Claire in 1922 to Father Lémius, ex-provincial of the OMI (Oblats of Mary Immaculate).
The abruptness of his response cuts short:
"You do not belive it ! The Church will never accept such a thing!"
In 1935, Claire remarked:
"You told me that the Church would never accept. See Lourdes!
- It's true, answered Father Lemius, it's a step in the right direction, but wait.
-Waiting, always waiting and then dying. What fire devastating the earth will it take for the shroud of my Requiescat in pace to turn into an altar corporal?
Indeed, from April 25th to 28th, 1935, the Jubilee of the Redemption ended in Lourdes with a triduum of uninterrupted masses, under the presidency of Cardinal Pacelli, legate of Pope Pius XI and future Pius XII.
In this marvelous initiative, born in the fervent heart of a humble British priest who had never had any contact with her, Claire will always see there the beginnings of the Perpetual Mass which some then considered unthinkable:
"The Lourdes Triduum moved me to the very depths of my being. Were these three days of consecutive Masses not the living image of the expected work? Priests fully occupied with God, satisfying His Justice by the Perpetual Mass on a single Altar; respond to crying sin, howling its hatred: forgiveness, forgiveness, by the divine Blood."
The Triduum of successive Masses in Lourdes filled Pope Pius XI with enthusiasm, who then wrote that Lourdes had become during these three days the largest Eucharistic throne in the world.
Pius XII became Pope will be very favorable to this Great and beautiful projecthe will say, but Poitiers will block everything. However in 1964, thanks to Cardinal Ottaviani and with “the joyful assent of Paul VI” the Chapel closed in 1940 by Monsignor Mesguen will be reopened and will become a public Oratory. Currently relations with Poitiers have improved and Monsignor Wintzer comes and celebrates at the Chapel.
Since then we pray to Our Lady of Rinfillières to obtain perpetual mass.
Claire Ferchaud, before her trip to Paris to see the President of the French Republic, Raymond Poincaré (March 21st, 1917).
In the background: his father (on the right), and on the left: Abbé Audebert. The seated sister is the abbot's niece.
May 5th, 1896: Birth of Claire Ferchaud in Rinfillières, (Deux-Sèvres), and Baptism, that same day, in the Church of Puy-St-Bonnet, her parish.
May 12th, 1907: First Communion at Puy-St-Bonnet.
April 28th, 1910: Confirmation at La Chapelle-Largeau.
November 6th to 20th, 1916: Retreat at Maison Montfort, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre.
December 28th, 1916: Interrogation before the Episcopal Commission, in Poitiers.
February 20th, 1917: Departure from Les Rinfillières for Paris.
February 21st, 1917: Arrival in Paris (117, avenue Victor-Hugo, among the Daughters of Wisdom).
from March 15th to 16th, 1917: Night of Adoration in Montmartre.
March 21st, 1917: Audience with the President of the Republic, Raymond Poincaré.
March 24th, 1917: Return to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre (Mother House of La Sagesse).
May 7th, 1917: Letter to the Generals.
Christmas 1917: Arrival of the first 5 companions of Claire in the village of Loublande where Claire has just settled.
June 12th, 1918: Blessing of the chapel of the Sacred Heart house by Monseigneur Humbrecht, bishop of Poitiers, who celebrates the first mass there. Since then the Blessed Sacrament has always remained there.
July 15th, 1918: Arrival of five new companions.
1st Friday in September 1918: Stopping of the external religious demonstrations .
End of September 1918: Mgr Hombrecht is appointed Archbishop of Besançon.
November 1918: Monseigneur de Durfort is appointed bishop of Poitiers.
March 24th, 1920: Decree of the Holy Office
November 18th, 1921: Departure of Father Audebert Father Girard is appointed parish priest of Loublande.
January 1922: His Holiness Benedict XV summons Claire to Rome and sets the date of the audience. But the Pope dies in the meantime.
May 1925: Trip to Rome
December 2nd, 1932: Resignation of Bishop de Durfort.
December 8th, 1933: Appointment of Bishop Mesguen to the Bishopric of Poitiers.
September 20th, 1939: Blessing of SS Pius XII, accepting Claire's holocaust for the Church, the Priesthood and the salvation of souls.
May 10th, 1940: Departure of M. le Curé Girard, replaced by M. le Curé Marsault
October 29th, 1940: Closure of the Chapel to the public and priests, except for the Montfort Fathers.
September 8th, 1964: Cardinal Ottaviani, Secretary of the Holy Office, informs Claire that: The Calvary of Loublande is finished.
November 29th, 1964: Official reopening of the Chapel, which becomes a public oratory.
January 29th, 1972: Claire Ferchaud's death.
