Creation of a place for memory prayer and mission
Pauline Marie Jaricot’s home

Pauline Jaricot, an outstanding life

Pauline Jaricot, an almost forgotten name. An outstanding life. A young woman born in Lyon in a wealthy trading family, who became within a few years one of the greatest figures of the Roman Catholic Church of the 19th century.

The life of Pauline Marie Jaricot began in Lyon on July 22 1799. After having gone through the illness and after the death of her mother,
at the age 16, she decided to spend her life serving God and humanity. She then took up the way of life and clothings of workingwomen of her time and devoted herself entirely to her call.

She was searching for a means of raising up enthusiasm on a project which could actually help missions, and found a simple idea: the setting up of groups of 10 persons, which in turn could form a new group, and so-on, tens becoming hundreds, hundreds becoming thousands; each member of a group volunteering for a daily prayer and a weekly gift. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith was born, and it rapidly became successful. Already 2000 members in 1821.

When she was 26, Pauline initiated a prayer institution, the "Living Rosary". It gathered men and women from various origins to regularly tell their beads. This was a new way of learning how to pray, evangelize, and to live in communion. 10 years later, according to Pauline’s principle, more than a million people had joined the Living Rosary.

Pauline, always claiming her independence, went wherever she felt the needs were the highest, and thus carried on with her missionary work. In 1826 she initiated itinerant popular libraries, and in 1831 the congregation of the Daughters of Mary.
A few years later, wishing to improve the condition of the working classes and to allow a new evangelization, she undertook an ambitious industrial project and built up the factory "Our Lady of the Angels".
Unfortunately, crooks filtered the factory, took the money and left Pauline ruined and down hearted. Until her death in 1862, she spent the end of her life in Lyon in total poorness.

Pauline Jaricot’s home: Lorette

In 1832 Pauline Marie Jaricot acquired an estate 42, montée Saint Barthélémy, with an exceptional situation on the hill side between the Saint John cathedral and Fourvière, a unique view over Lyon and its outskirts.

The Lorette house was built on roman ruins, and the first documents dating back to the beginning of the 16th century refer to a building called "house of Breda" describing two main independent buildings side by side, flanked by a tower and surrounded by meadow down to the foothill.
Throughout the centuries the mansion has had several owners and a few famous hosts.
Such as King Henry the IVth who lodged his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrée Marquise de Monceau there, a few days before her solemn entry in Lyon on September 4, 1595.
In 1832 the house is purchased by Pauline Marie Jaricot, together with several pieces of land for various religious communities.
She had a chapel dedicated to Saint Philomena as well as outbuildings; she also had the house re-handled to host the main office the "Living Rosary Institution".

She named this house "Lorette" in memory of the Lorette sanctuary in Italy where the walls of the Annunciation house are installed.
In 1851 after the bankruptcy of the " Our Lady of the Angels" factory, in order to pay back her creditors, she opened a toll staircase giving access to the Fourvière sanctuary which was only a simple chapel topped by a golden statue of the Blessed Virgin by Fabisch.
After her death in 1862 the Fourvière Commission, engaged in the erection of the Basilica, purchased the house. In 1975 the Fourvière Commission sold the house to the Pontifical Mission Societies.

200 years after Pauline Marie Jaricot’s birth, the PMS decided to give a new life to her house of Lorette by launching a large renovation program. Their will is to keep the patrimonial interest of the site as well as to establish the spiritual heritage of Pauline Jaricot and give a new momentum to the missionary work of the Church.

The project

The wish of the Pontifical Mission Societies is to make Lorette’s House a place for memory and prayer, as well as a diocesan, national and international mission.
 A place for memory: an "interpretation" center will be set up in the house for visitors to discover and learn about the life and work of Pauline Marie Jaricot, this with the help of the latest technology.
 A place for prayer: a religious community, will settle here permanently, thus insuring prayer, Eucharisty and an intense spiritual life on the site
 A place for evangelization: a rest center open to all will be a witness of todays mission in France and in the world.

the works

The renovation works include
 For the house: the water tightness, the renewal of the facades, the fitting of a new roof, the restitution of the inside, plus the electricity, the plumbing and the heating system, as well as a room to welcome the visitors and an elevator.
 Outside the underpinning of the retaining wall, halls and the staircases, the facades of the chapel and the renewing of the garden and the terraces. The work started in 2003 and should end in spring 2005.

the financing

2.5 million Euros are necessary to cover the costs of the house of Lorette’s renovation. Half will be covered by the Pontifical Mission Societies out of its own funds, the other half out of subsidies and grants gathered during a campaign of mobilization on Pauline Jaricot’s action.

Working budget (Amount)
Outside Work 1 026 000 €
Inside Work 1 475 000 €
Total 2 501 000 €

Financing budget
Dotations PMS 1 800 000 €
Grants and subventions 701 000 €
Total 2 501 000 €

Letter from John Paul II on the bicentennial of Pauline Jaricot’s birthday «Pauline Marie Jaricot launched "The Propagation of the Faith" in Lyon. As the Pope Leon XIII wrote to Julia Maurin on June 13 1881 "By her faith, her confidence, her strength, her gentleness, her serene acceptance of all her crosses" Pauline showed herself to be a real disciple of Christ.
In order to carry on her work of evangelizing people as far as the end of the world, I encourage the catholics of France to know better this exceptional call which beautify the long tradition of the witness of Christ, ascending up the martyrs of Lyon and Saint Irénée».

Pontifical Mission Societies

The mission today, through the Pontifical Mission Societies is still living.Everywhere in the world, it helps improve the daily life of the local churches and populations by bringing material aid so well as prayers and announce of the Evangile.
Every year, thanks to generous catholics all over the world, almost 175 million $ are given to dioceses in bad need.

They back-up the project of the house of “Lorette”

A supporting committee, gathering important people of the worlds of religion, economy and Institutions has been set up to maintain the project and to show its international importance.

President of the committee: His Eminence, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation
for Evangelisation of People

His Eminence, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Archbishop of Cracovie
His Eminence, Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris
His Eminence, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Archbishop of Santiago, Chile
His Excellence Mgr Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, Primate of France
His Excellence Mgr Paul Josef Cordes, President of Pontifical Counsel « Cor Unum »

Mrs Abdou Diouf
His Excellence Mr Pierre Morel, Ambassador of France near the St Siège
His Excellence Mr Benoît Hablot, Chief of the diplomatic and geostrategic mission in Asia south western
Mr Gérard Collomb, Senator, Mayor of Lyon
Mrs Anne Marie Comparini, President of Rhône-Alpes Région
Mr Michel Mercier, President of the General Counsel of the Rhône department

Mrs Alain Mérieux
Mr Bertrand Collomb, President of Groupe Lafarge
Mr Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, President of Groupe SEB
Mr Bernard Maurel, President of Martin-Maurel bank, Vice-president of the French Association of Banks
Mr Vincent Montagne, Head Manager of Groupe Média Participations

The friends of Lorette which gather all the persons who are interested in the project.

Adresse :

Association Française
des œuvres pontificales missionnaires
Union d’Associations Diocésaines
12, rue Sala 69287 Lyon cedex 02 France
Tél : +33 4 72 56 99 55 - Fax : +33 4 72 56 99 69
e-mail : solidarite@opm-cm.org