A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Alacoque Marie
ALACOQUE MARIE,
A nun in the convent of the Visitation, at Paraile-monnial, in the province of Burgundy, who was born about the middle of the seventeenth century, was celebrated tor her sanctity throughout all France. She, in conjunction with Claude de la Colombiére a famous Jesuit, and confessor to the duchess of York, wife of James, afterwards James the Second of England, gave a form to the celebration of the solemnity of the heart of Christ, and composed an office for the occasion.
The renowned defender of the bull Unigenitus, John Joseph Languet, afterwards archbishop of Sens, was an ardent admirer of this holy fanatic, and published, in 1729, a circumstantial account of her life. She imagined that Christ appeared to her in a vision, and demanded her heart, which, when she gave him, he returned enclosed in his own, "Henceforth thou shalt be the beloved of my heart." With such wild imaginings the book of the visions of Marie Alacoque is filled, but at the time they were written they had an astonishing effect. In 1674, she declared that her divine bridegroom had showed to her his heart, and told her that he was determined, in these last days, to pour out all the treasures of his love on those faithful souls who would devote themselves to an especial adoration of it; and commanded her to acquaint Father la Colombia, his servant, that he should institute a yearly festival to his heart, and promise, to such as should dedicate themselves to it, eternal happiness. The Jesuits immediately complied with this celestial mandate, and in all parts of the world, fraternities were formed, and passion-masses, and nine-day devotions, were instituted to the honour of the heart of Jesus. In all Spain there was not a nun who had not a present from the Jesuits of a heart, cut out of red cloth, to be worn next the skin. The display of a burning zeal for making proselytes was regarded as the peculiar characteristic of the true worshipper of the heart.