The Messenger of the Heart of Christ

In the heart of the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV (1638–1715), France was still bearing the wounds of the religious wars. Meanwhile, within the Church, a stern and austere spiritual current was spreading — Jansenism. This movement, far removed from the spirit of mercy, tended to instill fear rather than love of God in the faithful. At the same time, following the guidelines set by the Council of Trent, new religious communities were flourishing. Among them was the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, founded in Annecy in 1610 by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal. The two founders saw their Order as a gift born from the very Heart of Jesus and Mary — the fruit of Christ’s sacrifice.