Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche

The Messenger of Infinite Love on the Way to Beatification


The detailed biography chronologically presents the external and internal events in the life of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche. The documents relating to the biography of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche and the Work of Infinite Love are intended to systematically compile evidence of the support given to the Work of Infinite Love by the "prelates of the Church," i.e., by ecclesiastical dignitaries, during her lifetime and after her death.

 

This is Chance No. 1 from Challenge 26/33.

 

The notes and letters of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche are available entirely in the original French or partially in an English translation. The writings about Louise Marguerite and the work of Infinite Love are written in many different languages; the most important are French, English, Italian, German, Spanish, and Polish.


As a participant in Challenge 26/33 – Chance No. 1, you will gain insight into the original documents of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche, the literature about her and the Work of Infinite Love, and the dissemination of this spiritual treasure. Additionally, you will receive a small gift from the Bethany of the Sacred Heart Monastery in Vische as a token of your appreciation.

 

If you would like to participate in the translation of these documents and the compilation of the original quotations and text passages, please contact

 

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Detailed CV of

Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche

1868


  • 15 March: Birth in St. Germain-en-Lay (near Versailles, France) as the second daughter of Ferdinand Claret de la Touche (tax inspector) and Marie Louise Cousin
  • April 11: Private baptism at the parents' home by Abbé Guillement
  • October 14: Additional baptism ceremony in the parish church by Abbé Devrais. Baptismal name: Marguerite Céline
  • As an infant: life-threatening illness – healing after mother’s vow

 

1872 1874


  • Severe bronchitis – healing after invoking Mary

 

1875


  • Death of father at the age of 47

 

1877


  • Marriage of the mother to the widower Alberto Tyrbas de Chamberet, who brought an 11-year-old son (Armand) into the marriage.
  • Family settlement in Valence
  • First mystical experience

1879


  • March 30: First Holy Communion
  • 2-3 weeks later: Vow of eternal virginity
  • Private lessons by Mademoiselle Plantier (drawing, literature, dance)
  • From the age of 15: Introduction to social life (parties, dance, theater performances)

 

1886


  • Spring: Meeting with the novelist Péladan
  • Summer: Scarlet fever – healing on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary after confession and consecration to Mary

 

1887


  • Beginning of the love affair with Mr. N., officer of the garrison of Valence
  • Conflict of conscience due to the vow of chastity
  • June 12: End of the romantic relationship due to Mr. N's compromising behavior.
  • September: Reading of the biography of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (by Fr. Cepari) in the grandmother's house in Provins
  • Decision to enter the monastery
  • While waiting for adulthood: social life, spiritual reading and preparation for entry into the monastery
  • During the waiting period after reaching adulthood (at the mother’s request): physical and mental suffering

 

1889


  • Engagement of the older sister Mathilde to the doctor Dr. Clavier
  • Mystical experience in Sacré-Coeur (Paris) regarding the conversion of her future brother-in-law

 

1890


  • January 6: Marriage of Mathilde Claret de la Touche and Dr. Clavier
  • February 6: First visit of Marguerite Céline to the Convent of the Visitation of Romans (on the recommendation of Father Raymond)
  • After Easter: retreat in the monastery
  • September: Pilgrimage to Paray-le-Monial (accompanied by Mademoiselle Plantier)
  • September 26: Reconsecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  • After the pilgrimage: Conflict of conscience due to the mother's demand for marriage – renewal of the vow of chastity

1890


  • November 20: Entry into the Monastery of the Visitation of Romans (France)

 

1891


  • January 17: Admission to the postulate
  • May 18 – 23: Retreat
  • October 4-7: Preparatory retreat for clothing
  • October 7: Investiture. Religious name: Louise Marguerite


1892


  • January 20: Last Sacraments (due to pneumonia) and conditional religious vows (in case of death) – Healing
  • October 17: Religious vows

 

1893


  • July: Mystical experience “Deus caritas est”
  • November: Retreats and mystical experiences

 

1894


  • 15 – 24 August: Retreats and mystical experiences


1895


  • April: Bronchitis
  • August 2: Vow of complete devotion
  • End of October: Life-threatening situation due to severe pneumonia (involving heart, liver, kidneys)
  • 27 October: Last Unction and Viaticum (by monastery chaplain Toupin) – Novena to the Sacred Heart in Paray-le-Monial – Recovery

 

1896


  • June 4 (Evening of Corpus Christi): Meeting with Fr. Alfred Charrier SJ
  • June 6: Confession to Fr. Alfred Charrier SJ, who from then on was her spiritual director until 1910

 

1897


  • November: Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche joins the community of professed sisters and remains assistant to the novice mistress

 

1898


  • January: Order from Chaplain Toupin (in consultation with Fr. Alfred Charrier) to receive Communion daily – contact ban with Fr. Alfred Charrier on the order of Superior Maria Aloisia


1899


  • Interior view of the “Little House”, which Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche would later recognize in Vische, Italy, near Turin, and which would become the first place where the order was founded

 

1902


  • 5 June (eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart): Beginning of the mystical commission to Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche for the special mission of priests
  • After an inner vision and on the instructions of Fr. Alfred Charrier SJ, she painted the “Image of the Merciful Jesus” (Misericordiam Volo), which still hangs today in the chapel of the motherhouse in Vische.

 

 1903


  • May 16: Father Alfred Charrier SJ takes possession of the writings of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche to publish them as a book.
  • November: Prayer to Jesus, the Eternal High Priest

 

1904 - 1905


  • 25 October 1904 – November 1905: Writing of the “Autobiography” on the orders of her spiritual leader

 

1905


  • March 3: Pope Pius X grants indulgences to the prayer to Jesus, the Eternal High Priest, by handwriting (Church Book of Indulgences: n. 659).

 

1906


  • March 6: Due to anti-Catholic laws, all religious orders in France are dissolved and expelled. Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche flees with her community to Revigliasco, Italy, Diocese of Turin.

 

1906 – 1909


  • The exiled Visitation Sisters find refuge in the mansion of Count Beria d'Argentina and his wife.


1907


  • May 16: Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche is elected Superior.
  • Fr. Auguste Hamon SJ recommends the written presentation of the main ideas from the mystical experiences of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche on the special mission of priests.

 

1908


  • From 31 May: Intensive travel (France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria) in search of a new domicile

 

1909


  • January: The community of sisters moves from Revigliasco to Mazzè, Diocese of Ivrea. "La Torretta" becomes their second residence until 1912.
  • September 5: Father Poletti recommends the revision of the writings on the special mission of priests by Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche.

 

1910


  • Spring: The booklet “Heart of Jesus and Priesthood” is published without an author, edited by Fr. Alfred Charrier SJ
  • May 12: Re-election of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche as Superior
  • End of June: The booklet “Heart of Jesus and Priesthood” is presented to Pope Pius X.
  • July 1: Letter of thanks on behalf of the Pope by Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (Cardinal Secretary of State)

 

1911


  • Christmas Eve: Fr. Alfred Charrier SJ performs the “Act of Adoration and Devotion to Infinite Love.”
  • May: Bishop Matteo Filipello presents the “Statutes of the Priestly Union” and the “Call to Priests” to Cardinal Casimiro Gennari and Pope Pius X.

 

1912


  • May 2: The community of sisters moves from Mazzè to Parella in the diocese of Ivrea, where the Visitation Sisters remained until 1918.

 

1913


  • March 25: Confirmation of the Priestly Union by Bishop Matteo Filipello
  • May 8: End of the time as Superior of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche
  • August 6: Out of obedience to Bishop Matteo Filipello, who is now her spiritual director, and to her superiors, she leaves the community of Parella to go to Rome, accompanied by her fellow sister Marguerite Reynand.
  • August 11: Conversation in Turin with Father Alfred Charrier SJ and Bishop Matteo Filipello. Disclosure of the plan for the "Booklet of Infinite Love."
  • Delays on the way to Rome
  • November 2: Arrival in Rome
  • November 21: Renewal of vows

 

1914


  • 29 January: Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche and Marguerite Reynand have an audience with Cardinal Cosimo Gennari (Prefect of the Council Congregation) regarding the founding of the Congregation of Sisters and the Priests' Union
  • January 30: Death of Cardinal Cosimo Gennari. Approval of the foundation and granting of founding authority to the Bishop of Ivrea.
  • February 5: Private audience of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche and Marguerite Reynand with Pope Pius X.
  • February 15: Presentation of the situation to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (Cardinal Secretary of State)
  • February 17: Departure from Rome

1914


  • March 19: On the advice of the Congregation for Religious in Rome, Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche founded a new religious community in Vische (near Turin, Diocese of Ivrea) whose goal was prayer and devotion to the Church and the priesthood.
  • March 25: First Holy Mass in “L’Alberetto”, the “Little House” in Vische

1914

  • November: Nephritis and dropsy

 

 1915

  • March: Increasing symptoms of illness in Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche (dropsy)
  • May 12: Acute worsening
  • May 14 (day after Ascension Day, 3 p.m.): Death of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche

1916


  • May: Pope Benedict XV confirms the founding of Vische (“for testing”) under the name “Visitation of the Sacred Heart”
  • September 6: Episcopal decree establishing the monastery of the Visitation of the Sacred Heart

 

1917


  • February 26: At the express wish of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche and by order of Bishop Matteo Filipello, the lay branch of the work is founded with the title “Friends of Bethany of the Sacred Heart”.

 

1918


  • April 24: Confirmation of the new name of the order founded by Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche by decree of the Bishop of Ivrea: “Bethany of the Sacred Heart”.
  • June 7: Bishop Matteo Filipello establishes the “Friends of the Priestly Federation of the Sacred Heart” by decree.

 

1932


  • March 25: Reburial of the remains of Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche from the cemetery of Vische to the monastery of Bethany of the Sacred Heart


1933


  • October 31: The Tribunal for the Beatification Process is established in the Chancellery of the Diocese of Ivrea.
  • December 8: In a pastoral letter, Bishop Matteo Filipello announces the opening of the beatification process to the priests and faithful of his diocese, as well as to the members of the Work of Infinite Love.

 

1948


  • December 8: Founding of the Secular Institute of the Missionaries of Infinite Love

 

1953


  • December: Transfer of the process to the Congregation of Rites in Rome

 

1973


  • December 1: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints issues a decree recognizing all the writings of the Servant of God, Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche.

 

1994


  • Papal recognition of the Secular Institute of the Missionaries of Infinite Love

 

2006


  • June 26: Pope Benedict XVI confirms the degree of heroic virtue. Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche may now be venerated privately as a Venerable Servant of God (Venerabilis Dei Servus) and included in prayer intercessions.

 

2007


  • May 14: The remains of the Venerable Servant of God, Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche, are transferred to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Vische.