Sister Marie du Sacré Cœur Bernaud
Next year, from April 24 to 27, we are organizing an international meeting of the Guards of Honor in Bourg-en Bresse, the cradle of the work. To prepare ourselves for this great event, which is also part of the Jubilee of the 350th anniversary of the Apparitions of Jesus to Saint Marguerite-Marie, we invite you to discover the life of our foundress: Sister Marie du Sacré Cœur Bernaud, a discreet figure who lived in the shadow of her work and who, however, was its tireless linchpin throughout her life.
Birth and childhood
It was in Besançon that Constance was born on October 28, 1825, she was baptized on the Feast of All Saints, which often made her say that “the help of the whole heavenly court was very necessary for her”. She grew up in a deeply religious family where seven other children were happily frolicking. At the age of four, Constante experienced her first ordeal: she contracted an infectious eye disease that kept her away from her siblings’ games and isolated her for a few years. An aunt, who loved her particularly, often took her to the church of Rurey, in a neighboring village to entrust her to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Constance devoted herself to meditation, and exercised her already exceptional voice to sing psalms and hymns that revealed her extreme sensitivity and compassion for others. In fact, forgetting herself, she cared for the poor on the way that led her to school, not hesitating to offer them her snacks. When she prepared for her first communion with her brother Edouard, she already demonstrated great spiritual maturity. She wrote her confession rigorously, omitting none of her sins or even the number. The day before the big day, April 20, 1836, she said to her brother: “Let us kneel down, and ask God for the grace to never make bad communions”
Boarding school and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
At the age of 13, Constance left the family circle to go to boarding school in Langres with the nuns of the Child Jesus, also called “Sisters of Saint Maur”. Her life of faith, already well-established and solid, flourished. The desire to one day be a nun, something she had felt since early childhood, asserted itself. She developed a taste for supernatural things, prayer and sacrifices. Every morning, after washing and before eating breakfast, she found time to do a Stations of the Cross. During recess, which she often led with her mischievous antics, she always escaped for a few minutes to the chapel to visit Jesus in the tabernacle. In the evening, she prayed her rosary on the decade offered by her brother Edouard. One of her teachers, Sister Saint-Louis Baissez, introduced her class to a book “A Month with the Sacred Heart of Jesus” brought back from Paris. Immediately won over, Constance quickly obtained the book and began the exercises of piety every month. This discovery of the devotion of the Sacred Heart and its diligent practice developed in the soul of the young girl a true spirit of compassion with a desire for sacrifices to console the Heart of Jesus. Discreetly, she deprived herself of bread or snacks and of certain entertainments. Her piety attracted the attention of her teachers who understood that God had a special destiny for this young girl. At the end of the two years spent in this boarding school where she was so happy, Constance had in fact acquired the certainty that she would be a nun.
The mysterious ways of the Lord
In September 1840, she returned to her family. Known for her exceptional voice, she was then asked to host a few social evenings. 6 If she lets herself be intoxicated for a while by this sudden success, during the Lent that follows, she pulls herself together and once again wishes to turn towards religious life. While she confides in her confessor in whom she had complete confidence, she is surprised that he postpones her request. But, to her great surprise, her parents, not taking into account her dear desire, decide to marry her! Less than a year after her return from boarding school, Constance, who is not even 16 years old yet, is united to Mr Thieulin, a 28-year-old man. Her husband turns out to be a terribly jealous husband of his young wife’s success. To avoid his wrath, Constance isolates herself and takes refuge in prayer. Every day, she goes to mass and recites the Office of the Blessed Virgin. When Mr. Thieulin dies prematurely after five years of marriage, the young woman’s only consolation is to have brought her husband back to religious practice. She finds herself a widow even though she is only 20 years old. She takes refuge for a while with her family to recover from this unhappy marriage and decides to enjoy her new freedom a little. She leaves to join her older brother in Paris. the Lord puts one of his former mistresses, Madame Saint Isidore, on her path, who takes her under her wing, thus avoiding the pitfalls of an inexperienced young woman.
New itinerary
Constance had been in Paris for 18 months when the revolution broke out in 1848, pitting liberals and republicans against King Louis-Philippe. During a shooting in the street, she narrowly escapes death. She then decides to return to Besançon. It is there that she receives a letter from her cousin, Madame Morel, who invites her to come and stay with her in Belley, near Ars. She leaves the family bosom once again to enjoy the beautiful setting of Bugey. Knowing that Constance had often expressed her desire to become a nun, Mrs. Morel organized a meeting with her sister-in-law, the Superior of the Visitation of Bourg en Bresse. She invited Constance to follow the preparatory retreat for the feast of the Sacred Heart. Arriving at the monastery, Constance felt an immense peace and exclaimed: “how good it is to live here, may I never ever leave!” which did not prevent her from experiencing, immediately afterwards, great inner struggles. She followed the retreat assiduously but still doubted her vocation. The Superior directed her to the Bishop, Mgr Devie, to better discern. Finally after several discussions and novenas, the decision was made to admit Constance as a candidate