Louise Marguerite Claret de la Touche

Who they were

Marguerite-Céline Claret de la Touche was born into a middle-class family and, though she tried to live like other girls of her age, felt an inner emptiness. After weighing signs of a possible vocation to enclosed life, she entered the Visitation convent at Romans on 20 November 1890, taking the religious name Sister Louise Marguerite. On 6 June 1902 she began receiving what she believed were messages entrusted to her by the Lord for priests, so that they might tell souls that God is Infinite Love.

Exiled with the other nuns, she came to Italy, where on 19 March 1914 she founded a new Visitation community at Vische Canavese, in the diocese of Ivrea. She put the inspirations she received into writing, the best known being 'The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood.' She died at Vische on 14 May 1915, worn out by nephritis and heart complications. Her teaching gave rise to the Work of Infinite Love, including the Sisters of Bethany of the Sacred Heart; she was declared Venerable on 26 June 2006, and her remains rest in the Shrine of the Sacred Heart at Vische Canavese.

The miracles

The Church has not yet approved a miracle in this cause.

Why that counted as sanctity

Visitation nun who received messages on the Sacred Heart for priests and founded a new community at Vische Canavese; declared Venerable in 2006.