The Childhood of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was the fifth child of seven born to Claude and Philiberte Alacoque in east central France on July 22, 1647. She was their only daughter. She took a vow of chastity at the age of 4, not fully understanding the meaning of it, and she renewed this vow at the moment of consecration at every Mass she attended after that. She herself credits the grace of God as to the reason for her sanctity, for she knew that only through His grace was she able to be so pious at such a young age. She was chosen by God to show the world how to practice the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and through this God gave her extraordinary graces from a very young age.

On March 17, 1918, His Holiness Pope Benedict XV said of her, “the pious daughter of St. Francis of Sales received from Jesus Himself the mission of making known the riches of His Divine Heart that men might come to know it as a fount of grace and model of virtue.”

A Saint with Great Piety

At just 3 years old, her parents only needed to tell Margaret a behavior was a sin against God and this was enough to stop her from doing it. Love for God and a fear of offending Him was deep within her heart long before she understood her faith or had any revelations about the devotion to His Sacred Heart. Even before she was formally taught how to pray as the religious in monasteries do, the Holy Spirit gave young Margaret the ability to pray contemplatively for hours. She would find quiet places in her home to pray and would also pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the church with stillness and reverence.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Lost her Father at age 8

When Margaret was 8 years old her father died, and this caused many problems. He was a royal notary, and although they were in good financial circumstances when he was alive, after his death she and her mother were subject to much suffering by relatives who controlled their household and finances for them.

Not long after her father’s death, Margaret had her first communion. This fundamentally changed her. She says that after her first communion she desired to pray much more than she did to play.

She said, “Whenever I wanted to join in the games of my companions, I always felt something which called me and drew me aside into some little corner, leaving me no peace until I had followed it.”

Childhood Illness Cured with the Virgin Mary’s Help

Not long afterward she fell ill with a mysterious illness that caused her a form of paralysis. For four long years poor Margaret was unable to walk. She tells us in her writings that her bones ‘pierced’ her skin during these long painful years of her childhood. No remedy helped her at all in this time. Then one day she consecrated herself to the Virgin Mary for the rest of her life, promising to become one of Mary’s daughters. When she did this she was miraculously and instantaneously healed.

More Childhood Sufferings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

So as not to scandalize her relatives, Margaret does not go into detail of who or what was done specifically, but in her writings, we come to understand that her suffering at home was very beneficial to her soul and her growth in virtue. During this time, she was kept under lock and key, with no access to her hat or coat without permission from the three relatives in the house. Margaret lived in a village that was quite far from the church. She was only allowed to go if all three of her benefactors consented, and often one did not. If she cried over it, they would accuse her of having another reason for wanting to leave and would not allow it. She was accused of lying about wanting to go to the Mass, and as a teen, she was even accused of making secret plans to see young men.

So as not to scandalize her relatives, Margaret does not go into detail of who or what was done specifically, but in her writings, we come to understand that her suffering at home was very beneficial to her soul and her growth in virtue. During this time, she was kept under lock and key, with no access to her hat or coat without permission from the three relatives in the house. Margaret lived in a village that was quite far from the church. She was only allowed to go if all three of her benefactors consented, and often one did not. If she cried over it, they would accuse her of having another reason for wanting to leave and would not allow it. She was accused of lying about wanting to go to the Mass, and as a teen, she was even accused of making secret plans to see young men.

Poor Margaret spent much time in tears in the back garden, or in the stable, or in another secluded place at her home over the inability to go to Mass and being wrongly accused. She habitually prayed to God or to the Virgin Mary for help.

She tells us, “I do not wish to blame those persons by what I am about to say, nor do I think that they did wrong in causing me to suffer. My God did not permit me to have this thought but wished that I should regard them as instruments employed by Him for the accomplishment of His Holy Will.”

It is true that God often gives sufferings to the ones he loves to help them climb the ladder of virtue so that they may become holier. Margaret had to endure many sufferings as a child to prepare her for her future to come.

She could have Married

As she grew up, Margaret had may offers of marriage, which she took as a temptation of the devil, because she knew God had chosen her and set her aside for His own purpose, even though she did not yet know the mission He had for her life. Her decision not to marry caused her mother great pain.

For a period of time, Margaret lived the society life and wore the gowns young ladies would wear. This caused her great sadness because she knew this was not God’s will. And later in her life she deeply regretted this time because she saw how much this sinfulness harmed her relationship with God.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Becomes a Nun

In 1667, at the age of 20, Margaret finally made the decision to enter the convent. In 1673, when she was just a novice (not yet a nun), Jesus visited St. Margaret Mary Alacoque at her convent in Paray-le-Monial, France.

Jesus told St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to promote the devotion of His Most Sacred Heart. He explained the Devotion to His Sacred Heart and how He wanted people to practice it.

Jesus told St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, “You must not keep these graces to yourself, nor be sparing in distributing them to others, for I have willed to use your heart as a channel for conveying them into souls according to My designs. By this means many will be saved from the abyss of perdition.”

Jesus gave her the Sacred Heart Devotion

Jesus told St. Margaret Mary Alacoque how deeply and infinitely He loves us, through His Incarnation, through His Passion, and through the Holy Eucharist, which is the adorable Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus gave St. Margaret Mary Alacoque the image of His Sacred Heart to share with the world as a sign of His love for us. Jesus also promised many graces and blessings to all who venerate the image of His Sacred Heart and who go to Mass, make a confession, and receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of a month for nine months in a row. This is called the First Fridays devotion, and those who complete it are given 12 beautiful promises by Jesus. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque died in 1690 at the age of 43. After her death the devotion to the Sacred Heart was adopted by the Jesuits, and 75 years later it was officially recognized by the Church.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!