Saint Claude la Colombiere
Saint Claude La Colombière (born February 2, 1641 AD in Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Isère, France; died February 15, 1682 AD in Paray-le-Monial, Saône-et-Loire, France) was a French Jesuit priest who was the spiritual director of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque at Paray-le-Monial and became the apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which she received in visions. He is credited with spreading the devotion that would eventually become a universal Catholic feast. He was beatified in 1929 and canonized in 1992. His feast day is February 15.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Claude la Colombiere
| Saint Claude la Colombiere | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | February 15 |
| Profession | Jesuit priest; spiritual director; preacher |
| Rel. Affiliation | Society of Jesus (Jesuits) |
| Patronage | Spiritual directors; Jesuits; devotion to the Sacred Heart; France |
| Attributes | Jesuit habit; Sacred Heart image; lily; quill (his writings) |
| Birthplace | Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France |
| Death Place | Paray-le-Monial, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France |
| Cause of Death | Tuberculosis; exhaustion from imprisonment and exile |
| Primary Shrine | Shrine of Saint Claude La Colombière, Paray-le-Monial, France — his relics enshrined at Paray-le-Monial, the great Sacred Heart pilgrimage centre |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Claude La Colombière was born in 1641 near Lyon and entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1659. He was ordained a priest in 1669 and became known as an outstanding preacher and spiritual director. In 1675 he was sent as superior of the Jesuit community at Paray-le-Monial, in Burgundy.
At Paray-le-Monial he encountered the Visitation nun Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, who had been receiving mystical visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus since 1673. Her visions included a mission to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart, and in 1675 Jesus showed himself to her and said: Behold this Heart which has so loved men. Her superiors were skeptical, but Claude recognized the divine origin of the visions and became her spiritual director and strong supporter. He consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart and began to spread the devotion. His role was later described by Pope Pius XI as being that of the "apostle of the Sacred Heart."
In 1676, Claude was sent to London as chaplain to Mary of Modena, the Catholic wife of the Duke of York (later King James II of England). In 1678, he was imprisoned during the anti-Catholic hysteria stirred by Titus Oates's false "Popish Plot" and suffered harsh treatment before being expelled from England. He returned to France broken in health.
He died at Paray-le-Monial on February 15, 1682, at the age of 41, of tuberculosis aggravated by the hardships of his imprisonment. Margaret Mary Alacoque was present at his death. He was buried at Paray-le-Monial, which became (and remains) a major pilgrimage center for the Sacred Heart devotion.
Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1929; Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1992.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Death location: Paray-le-Monial, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Notable location: The town where he served as spiritual director of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque; where she received her great revelations of the Sacred Heart; his shrine is here (Paray-le-Monial, Saône-et-Loire, France)
Notable location: Where he served as chaplain to Mary of Modena (Duchess of York) and was imprisoned on suspicion of involvement in the Titus Oates Plot; expelled back to France (London, England)
Notable location: His birthplace near Lyon (Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Isère, France)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Shrine of Saint Claude La Colombière, Paray-le-Monial — his relics in the Jesuit church at Paray-le-Monial, the Sacred Heart pilgrimage center.
- Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Paray-le-Monial — the Romanesque pilgrimage basilica near which he lived and ministered.
Feast day
February 15
Veneration
Saint Claude La Colombière is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on February 15 (Optional Memorial).
Prayers
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