We dipped into the obscure archives of one of our Monasteries to discover a historical treasure!
The entire story of the beginnings and development of the GUARD OF HONOR OF THE SACRED HEART is available and waiting to be shared.
It so happens that in March 2013, just a year from now, this spiritual movement will be celebrating 150 years since its inspired inception.
In order to prepare for this anniversary, as well as renew our acquaintance and fervor for this organization, we will be sharing, every Friday of the year, a short post on the history of the Guard of Honor.
HISTORY OF THE GUARD OF HONOR
PRAYER
O adorable Heart of Jesus, sole Author, Inspiration and Propagator of your Work of love and reparation, deign again to be the Divine Historian!
The history of the Guard of Honor is nothing else than the history of the infinite mercy of the wounded Heart of Jesus.
How did it come to be established the way it did? There is a long pre-history!
The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded in 1610 by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal in Annecy, (now France). By 1627 there were already 26 Monasteries in existence when a request came to found another Visitation community in Bourge-en-Bresse, France. This 27th house of the Order was to become the cradle, 236 years later! of the Guard of Honor.
So the Bourg Monastery was founded and its first Superior was Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, daughter of the illustrious President Favre, a close friend of St. Francis de Sales. She was a religious of great capacity and rare virtue.
The Monastery of Bourg was also to be favored in its government by Mother Marie-Aimee Blonay who was another early and remarkable Superior.
So the SETTING for the jewel was being created, over time, and would eventually be the seedbed for a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
(Source: Bulletin of the Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart, 1892, French edition)