The Association.

“He permitted me to behold the Association under the figure of an immense army of valiant soldiers, hastening to join Him their Chief, to defend His Father’s glory.” (Words of the Sister.)

I beheld this association under the figure of an army of valiant soldiers, hastening to join their Chief, to defend the glory of His Father. He wished that their name should correspond to the nobility of their undertaking, and for this reason, that they should bear the title of, ‘Defenders of the Holy Name of God.’ He also gave me to understand that each member should wear a badge in the form of across, bearing on one side Sit nomen Domini Benedictum, and on the other Vade retro, Satana. That He would give to this heavenly device a secret virtue to combat against the demon of blasphemy, that every time a member heard a blasphemy uttered, he should repeat the words written on this cross, and in this manner to wage war against Satan, thus glorifying God.”

The Roman association, to which the sister here alludes, is that established by a decree of Gregory XVI on the 8th of August, 1843. The headquarters of this association was at Rome, under the invocation of Peter Caravita, and was placed under the protection of St Louis, King of France. Each member proposed to himself never to utter a blasphemy or an imprecation. Those invested with authority, should try to encourage their dependents to avoid this odious sin. If they cannot prevent its commission, they must, at least, offer an aspiration of praise, such as, May God be praised! May His Holy Name be Blessed! They should recite daily “Pater and Ave” for the conversion of blasphemers. His Holiness has granted many spiritual favours, notably a plenary indulgence once a month, on any day at option, provided the ordinary conditions be fulfilled; and at the hour of death, another plenary indulgence on the invocation of the Holy Name of Jesus, and many other special indulgences are also attached thereto.

An association for the reparation of blasphemy was not a new institution in the Church; thus we see that Sr Mary St Peter was greatly consoled on learning of the existence of a similar association at Rome, and she with good reason inferred from this fact, that the communications made to her on the subject, were of divine origin. Yet, as it was a question of repairing and extirpating this evil, peculiar to our times, which was propagating itself with alarming rapidity, reparation for blasphemy, the only object proposed by the association of Rome, was not sufficient for that of France, where it was necessary to add reparation for the profanation of Sunday.

… to be continued…

Excerpt taken from: The Holy Face and the Work of Reparation, by Sr Marie de St Pierre, & Abbè P. Janvier (ed.), (1884), reprinted in 2026 by A.D. Press.