St John Eudes was a deep promoter of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, not unlike the Sisters of the Visitation, especially those in Paray le Monial, where Jesus appeared to St Margaret Mary. But the relationship between St Eudes and the Visitation Order went even deeper.

Here is part of the story:

“Father Eudes finished a mission and then returned to Caen to take a look at his House of Refuge. He found that Mlle. de Taillefer was still at her post, with the faithful Marie Herson at her side, but the former, in spite of her perseverance could not possibly direct a community. In order to save the house he did what he did not like to do. He asked from his bishop permission to borrow a nun from the Sisters of the Visitation that she might take the place of Margaret Morin, until he could supply a nun of his own. The Bishop first refused, but then gave consent. Mother Margaret Frances Patin, a Visitation nun, accordingly became Superior of the Refuge, and with her brought two other nuns of her order. It was not such an arrangement as a perfectionist would have chosen, but Eudes was not so rigid that he would refuse to employ a makeshift.

Before Father Eudes had completed this arrangement, he was off again on a mission. He had to be, for his affectionate patron, Bishop Cospéan of Lisieux, was demanding in his friendly way a mission at Honfleur. He arrived at Honfleur in the first days of June, 1644, and then after the mission was over, returned to Caen.

At Caen he glanced with satisfaction at his House of Refuge into which the Visitation nuns were now entering. He glanced with even more satisfaction at his Congregation. Its little membership, which had been depleted by the resignation of two priests, was showing signs of an increase. A Father Jacques Finel had recently dared join them when they were at their lowest ebb, and now on August 15th, the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, Nicholas Blouet de Than, a nephew of Monsieur de Camilly, not yet a priest, but determined to become one, followed him. The latter’s adhesion gave Eudes particular joy, because he had come to him at the counsel of Marie des Vallées, who had received concerning him a message from Our Lady.

Father Eudes used some of this time he might have spent vainly in proving that he was not greedy, in giving a gentle guidance to Mother Patin. She was an excellent woman, but because she was, first of all, a nun of her own order, the Visitation, it was hard for her not to try to divert the best recruits that considered entering Eudes’ order into her order. Eudes saw this and yet did not wish to seem to see. Rather than rebuke her, it seemed best to give his own sisterhood a little more prestige so that the recruits would prefer it in spite of Mother Patin’s influence. To this end he decided to confer a clothing on at least one member of his sisterhood, Mademoiselle Taillefer.

He gave her a costume which had been designed by Our Lady and revealed to him by Marie des Vallées, The robe was white, with a white cincture over it; in front hung a silver heart, on which were inscribed the coat-of-arms of the order: Our Lady, holding her divine Son, arbored with lilies. Under the robe, next to the heart, was to be worn a blue cross. He also gave a new name to the order which she now entered. It was the Order of Our Lady of Charity.”

Source:

Their Hearts be Praised: The Life of Saint John Eudes

By Daniel Sargent