Sister Jeanne-Marie Peret (1672 – c.1688 – 1760)
Eldest in a family of twelve children, Jeanne-Marie was placed in residence at the age of 12 years at the Visitation of Moulins and entered the novitiate at 15 against the advice of her father who threatened to deprive her of her dowry. Jeanne prayed fervently to St. Francis de Sales to support her vocation. At their next meeting, the father accepted the choice of his daughter who made her profession immediately.
With an intense prayer life, she “received her most precious gifts of the Lord, His holy presence became habitual to her” Her prayer life was a strong treasure, face to face with her Lord.
But in 1695 Jeanne contracted a disease that kept her feverish almost continuously for three years. She survived, but lost the ability to walk and swallow solid food. In 1699 she could no longer eat and or sleep, tormented by constant migraines. In 1700 her condition worsened even with phases of paralysis and seizures. While some treatments brought occasional relief, nothing healed over time despite the intervention of several doctors. In October 1701, the community began a novena to Father Francis Regis whose cause for beatification was opened. Sr Jeanne surrendered to God, prepared to die. On 13 November she heard loudly, “you will heal,” yet there was no one in the hospital at that time.
Father Régis appeared to her in a dream and told her “God loves you, God is following you, God pursues you.” Her condition worsened so Sr Jeanne began a novena , received extreme unction and felt a great inner joy. She asked the Lord for a sign: to be able to go to the choir to Holy Communion, while she had not left her bed for six weeks . And now the next day, the last day of the novena, she was able to receive the Eucharist kneeling and then experienced the real presence of Christ who seized and completely healed her.
A report was drawn up, but she refused to leave the monastic enclosure to go to Autun to file it with the bishop , the postulator of the cause then assisted the process.
Cured, Sr Jeanne was appointed mistress of boarders. Equipped with a beautiful voice and knowing music, she trained and supported novices in singing.She was then infirmarian for more than thirty years,
God revealed his love for Sister during the octave of the Blessed Sacrament, where during her prayer, she was “invested with the divine presence, completely forgetting herself; she seemed to be surrounded by a globe of fire whose sparks falling on her heart made the flames of holy love blaze forth.” Her prayer that day lasted nearly three hours, without her noticing. Her assistant in the infirmary, surprised to see her so long absent, saw that she was “perfectly still, bathed in tears and with an inflamed face”. This gift of tears accompanied her throughout her religious life in prayer but especially after each communion.
Her Superior decided to name her Mistress of Novices, which was also a great surprise for her.
Sister Jeanne Marie went to eternity in 1760.