Important Reliquary, 1st Class, 3 Saints, St Jean de Chantal, St Francis De Sales, St Mary Alocoque from Monastery of Visitation at Paray Le Monial

Important Reliquary, 3 Saints, St Jean de Chantal, St Francis De Sales, St Mary Margaret Alocoque from Monastery of Visitation at Paray Le Monial

This beautiful reliquary was created by the monks of the Monastery of La Visitation at Paray Le Monial where Saint Margaret Mary Alocoque began her monasterial life at the age of 24 in 1671 as she was born in 1644.

She received several visitations whilst at the monastery and the inscription on the reverse of the reliquary refers to one of them. As a result she devoted her life to The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the celebration of which continues to this day.

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, VHM (born Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot, Baroness of Chantal; 28 January 1572 – 13 December 1641) was a French Catholic noble widow and nun who was beatified in 1751 and canonized in 1767. She founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. The religious order accepted women who were rejected by other orders because of poor health or age.

When people criticized her, Chantal famously said, "What do you want me to do? I like sick people myself; I'm on their side." During its first eight years, the new order also was unusual in its public outreach, in contrast to most female religious who remained cloistered and adopted strict ascetic practices.

In 1604, her father invited her to come to Dijon to hear the bishop of Geneva, Francis de Sales, preach the Lenten sermons at the Sainte Chapelle. They became close friends and de Sales became her spiritual director. He "...bade her avoid scruples, hurry, and anxiety of mind, which above all things hinder a soul on the road to spiritual perfection." At De Sales suggestion, she divided her time between Dijon and Monthelon so to attend to both her father and father-in-law.

Her shrine is at the Monastery of the Visitation, Paray-le-Monial, Saône-et-Loire, France as is the shrine of Saint Francis de Sales who himself was born in 1567. His life is well documented as a major saint and a doctor of the church.

This beautiful reliquary has two Spanish was seals on the reverse from the monastery as well as a hand written note referring to one of the visitations to Saint Margaret Mary Alocoque.
It is house in a Napoleon II oval black frame with a gilded bronze insert. Inside is a smaller cross with The Sacred Heart of Jesus emblazoned on it and above the heart is a very tiny cross which, I believe, is a part of the Trye Cross of Jesus Christ.

The internal work with the wonderful opalescent pearl flowers and the gilded paperolles is exquisite.

It measures 12 x 11 centimetres and, apart from the small crack in the frame, is in perfect condition and the wax seals are fully intact.

The typical domed glass of the period is also perfect but does make it very difficult to photograph well.

Naturally this beautiful relic will ship with full international tracking. I am happy to accept a layaway plan on this or any other item or combination of items.