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We will let Pauline speak, as often as possible:

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« Feeling a greater desire to glorify God, I said to myself: if I were not a woman, I would have integrate « Jesus Company » to work for the salvation of my brethrens » 

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In 1831; Pauline Jaricot recovers from of a serious illness, during which she had much time to pray and meditate.

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« I felt two quite different desires in my soul. On one side, I wished to glorify God and save souls and I long to devote to temporal works and on the other side I wished eagerly to stay hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament »

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One day as I was oscillating between these two desires of prayer and action, the thought of glorifying the Lord was stronger, a very strange interior voice told me: « if you cannot enter Jesus Company, why can’t you found Mary Army ? » 

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Abide by her obedience vow, Pauline went to Avignon to refer to her spiritual director and afterwards make a spiritual retreat

« During a week, I forgot everything and commit myself to the hands of my Good Lord »

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Will Pauline found a religious Congregation, as many were founded at that time ?

Gather some of her fellows which will have a simple believer status, some poors maids, daughters of Jesus-Christ Church for as long they wanted, but not forming a congregation, isn’t that sufficient ? Here is the intuitive, innovating and creative spirit of Pauline.

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NAZARETH HOUSE

Coming back to Lyon, she settled in Nazareth, a little house ,near Fourvière chapel, hired by his brother Phileas in order to give a resting place to the Hotel-Dieu Hospital Sisters and later bought by her sister Sophie Perrin.

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« I called six hospital sisters, still living in Nazareth House, a few Living Rosary partners and some devout friends of mine ,working in St Polycarpe factory to come and live with me.A small herd ,composed of about 20 persons ,was the first group I convened by my side. They were called «Mary’s daughters » We ought to start a life during which we’ would pray the Lord, believe in him ,obey and love him, committing ourselves unreservedly to Jesus and Mary’s hands. We placed ourselves under Our good Mather ‘s coat. Mary’s name was written on her seat in the refectory .We served her always first ans her portion was for the poors. Every day, we attended poor people and divided Mary’s portions among them. »

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« Please accept, my good Master, that my spiritual family doesn’t do any’thing but to love you and devote oneself to help lonely all the institutions, all physicals and spiritual pains .

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« I wish to turn out humble-hearted and generous souls which could do all sorts of good actions, seizing all the opportunities to dedicate oneself, serve and salvate, help, rescue every people on and all.

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LIFE AT LORETTE HOUSE

Nazareth House was at the end too small. The founder of Faith Propagation Society received a lot of visitors and Living Rosary was growing. The small family then moved to a big house, not far from the first house, on Fourvière hill, near Mary Chapel. Pauline called it LORETTE, in memory of one of the most famous pilgrim places of the time.

On the 15th of August 1833, Assumption Day, Sisters went down in procession from Nazareth House to Lorette House, which became « Mary’s Daughters »Convent and Living Rosary’s Central Office .

Father Rousselon was promoted Lorette’s chaplain and Father Bettemps in charge of the Living Rosary.

« I first taught them how to pray: prayer is a powerful motor which every one can feel through the whole world »

 

« As the Rosary partners, Sisters are dedicated to the prayer for sinners ‘conversion, faith upholding in France, Church glory and Faith Propagation in the world. Partners recite every day their beads ten time, standing in Adoration during an hour, once a year they make their way of the Cross ; Mary’s Daughters recite their beads once a day, adore once a day, and make also their Way of the Cross once a day too. »

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« The essence of our rule was to sacrificate to all devotions, to renounce to every personal profit, always showing ourselves humble and devoted servants of God … »

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« To love a soul as I must love all the souls ; and love them all as in a single person »

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« I recommend to you, among all the virtues, child simplicity, spirit simplicity, heart implicity towards God, towards the fellow-creature, simplicity in action, simplicity in humility spirit, such as to appear always inferior to the poors which we must serve »

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« Lorette vocation is first child Spirit and his only rule: humility » ... Pauline will teach, before Thérèse de Lisieux, the « small road of Childhood. » 

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In Lorette House, everybody is plying between the welcome of visitors ,asking advises, transiting missionaries, ill people, regular attendant poor people looking for lunch and consolation, needs of the parish, daily maintenance of the house, and numerous activities of the Living Rosary.

Life was happy and beautiful for God’s Glory and salvation of all.

Her consuming thirst of making all for God’s Glory and her constant attention to everything that happened in front of her, can then allow Pauline to think about another project which obsessed her mind.

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« I felt that a project, that I couldn’t define well, was afoot, whose needs of our century were the very buds. First to give back to the worker its dignity as a man, a husband and a father as well was at stake »

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Pauline will dash off in pursuit of that aim which will take her far away from Lorette and Mary’s Daughters. That pursuit will occupy her until her death. It will end unsuccessfully and that will be a great pain for her, nearly like a « cross »

Her « small flock » had to divide, some sisters joined other communities. Three of them get on animating the Living Rosary, attending to all the poor and ill people ,which came and knocked at their door, until the death ot their Mother.

After Pauline’s death, they had to leave Lorette House and settle in in a small flat, on Tramassac street, still helping the poors, doing the Living Rosary, loyal to their « Mother » until they died, taking into grave Pauline’s heart the forensic pathologist has given them. It is now preserved in St Polycarp’s church.

Our mission as christened people today: to pray and act, following the example of Pauline and Mary’s Daughters