The Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( la, Ordo de Annuntiatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis), also known as Sisters of the Annunciation or Annonciades, is an enclosed religious order of

contemplative In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word '' ...

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s founded in honor of the

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ang ...

in 1501 at

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, ...

by Joan de Valois, also known as Joan of France, daughter of King

Louis XI of France Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

, and wife of Louis, the

Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...

, later King

Louis XII of France Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the time ...

History

Origins

After Joan of Valois husband Louis gained the throne of France in 1498, he obtained an

annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning al ...

of their marriage from the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

, on the basis of their having been forced into the marriage by Joan's father. After being freed from her marriage, Joan retired to

, where in 1501 she succeeded in founding a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Angel

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...

to the Blessed Virgin Mary.Rudge, F.M. "The Orders of the Annunciation." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 18 Aug. 2014
/ref> The Rule of Life she wrote for her community is entitled ''The Ten Virtues of the Blessed Virgin'', the imitation of which she proposed as the aim of the order. It was confirmed by

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

and, on 8 October 1502, the first five members received the veil, the foundress herself taking

solemn vows A solemn vow is a certain vow ("a deliberate and free promise made to God about a possible and better good") taken by an individual during or after novitiate in a Catholic religious institute. It is solemn insofar as the Church recognizes it a ...

on 4 June 1503. She died in 1505.

Expansion

The Franciscan friar who had assisted Joan in the foundation, Gilbert Nicolas, (whose name was changed by brief of Pope Alexander to Gabriel Maria) was appointed

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lake ...

of the monastery by her, and, after revising the Constitutions of the Order, presented them for confirmation in 1517 to

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

, who then placed the Order under the jurisdiction of the Friars Minor. Under Nicholas' guidance, new monasteries of the Order were founded in

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albigé ...

(1507),

Béthune Béthune ( ; archaic and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department. Geography Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated south-east of Calais, ...

(1516),

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

(1517),

Rodez Rodez ( or ; oc, Rodés, ) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron, region of Occitania (formerly Midi-Pyrénées). Rodez is the seat of th ...

(1519),

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectu ...

(1520), Chanteloup (1529), and

Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...

(1530). The rapid expansion of the Order was due primarily to the patronage of the

Archduchess Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

Margaret of Austria, who had been betrothed in her infancy to the future King

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (french: l'Affable; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13.Paul Murray Kendall, ''Louis XI: The Universal Spider'' (Ne ...

and brought up at the French royal court. When she became Governor of the Netherlands, she showed great interest in the Franciscan Order and the Order founded by Joan, whom she had known personally. Beginning in 1610, the Ministers Provincial of the Franciscan friars in France conducted a reform of female communities of the Franciscan Third Order Regular, which established for them enclosed monasteries and allowed the taking of solemn vows, which previously had been barred to them due to the more apostolic way of life they had followed. Mother Mary of Christ, O.V.M., "Historical Brief", the Annunciade
/ref> In this way a number of communities of Franciscan Sisters were added to the Annonciade nuns.

Persecution

The

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

proved to be a difficult period for the monasteries of the Order, with many of them damaged, burned, and abandoned. The history of one house of the Order serves to illustrate the turmoil they faced. In May 1635, Catherine Bar, and the nuns of the monastery in

Bruyères Bruyères () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. The town built up around a castle built on a hill in the locality in the 6th century. It was the birthplace of Jean Lurçat, in 1892. History In World Wa ...

were forced to flee before the Swedish army. After briefly settling in

Badonviller Badonviller (; ) is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. Geography Climate Badonviller has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Badonviller is . The aver ...

, they were instructed by the Minister Provincial to move to

Commercy Commercy () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The 18th-century Lorraine historian Nicolas Luton Durival (1713–1795) was born in Commercy. History Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that tim ...

, where they opened a small school for girls. Some nuns, exhausted by hardships, fell ill along the way with the plague. Only six nuns of the original community of twenty survived. The survivors found shelter with a community of

Benedictine nuns , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

Rambervillers Rambervillers () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Inhabitants are called ''Rambuvetais''. Geography The town is built on the banks of the Mortagne, some to the west of Saint-Dié and to the north-e ...

and joined them in 1639. Bar then took the new

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign ...

of Mechtilde of the Blessed Sacrament. She later went on to found the

Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are a congregation of sisters that follow the Rule of St. Benedict and have a Eucharistic charism. They are located at their monastery in Clyde, Missouri. History The original monastery was founded ...

in her hometown of

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (; german: Sankt Didel), commonly referred to as just Saint-Dié, is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Saint-Dié is located in th ...

in 1660. Three of the nuns from that original monastery, however, found their way to the hospitality of a friend of their former monastery living in Burey-en-Vaux. With her help, in 1647 they re-established their community in

Vaucouleurs Vaucouleurs () is a commune in the Meuse department, northeastern France. It is situated on the river Meuse, approximately from Toul and Commercy. History Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville (1225/33 – 21 October 1314) also known as ...

. Prior to the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, there were 45 Annonciade monasteries, mostly in France and Belgium. The French houses were suppressed during the turmoil. According to tradition, three nuns from the

Villeneuve-sur-Lot Villeneuve-sur-Lot (; in the Languedocien dialect of Occitan language: ''Vilanuèva d'Òlt'' ) is a town and commune in the southwestern French department of Lot-et-Garonne. The commune was formerly named ''Villeneuve-d'Agen''. Villeneuve-sur-Lo ...

monastery were executed during the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...

for their faith.Villeneuve-sur-Lot
/ref> Fleeing restrictions on and persecution of religious orders during the Third Republic, a monastery existed at Saint Margaret's Bay (Kent, England) from 1903 until 1976. A photograph of the facility appears on St Margaret's Village Archive website.Liste des monastères
/ref>

Monastery life

Les anciens couvents de Lyon - 047 - Sœur Annonciade

Their present-day mission as nuns is first and foremost

contemplation In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word ...

and giving praise to God. Hours are designated for

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

and silence."The Nuns of the Annunciade", The Annunciade
/ref> Today the Order numbers around eighty nuns living in seven monasteries in France, Belgium and Costa Rica. A new foundation is under way at the Marian Shrine in Licheń, Poland.

Monasteries

The Order currently (2015) has four monasteries in France and one each in Belgium, Costa Rica, and Poland: * Monastère de l’Annonciade,

, Lot-et-Garonne, France, was re-established in 1863 on the site of an Annonciade monastery established in 1624. * Monastère de l’Annonciade, 38, rue J.-F. Marmontel,

Thiais Thiais () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The name Thiais comes from Medieval Latin ''Theodasium'' or ''Theodaxium'', meaning "estate of Theodasius", a Gallo-Roman landowner. The ...

Val-de-Marne Val-de-Marne (, "Vale of the Marne") is a department of France located in the Île-de-France region. Named after the river Marne, it is situated in the Grand Paris metropolis to the southeast of the City of Paris. In 2019, Val-de-Marne had a ...

, France, established in 1926. This convent publishes much of the literature produced by this order and serves as its central archives. * Monasterium Magnificat,

Westmalle Westmalle is a village in the Belgian province of Antwerp which is part of the municipality of Malle. History See history of Malle. Tourism Westmalle is primarily known for the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle of the Order of Cistercians of the St ...

, Belgium, established in 1965 by merging Tienen (1629), Geel (1853), and Merksem (1898), the three small monasteries existing in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

. * Monastère de l’Annonciade, Brucourt,

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

, France, established in 1975 by six nuns from Thiais. On October 8, 2014, the cornerstone for a new monastery was laid at Caen-Grentheville, Calvados, France. * Monastère de l’Annonciade, Peyruis,

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the w ...

, France, established in 1980 and transferred in April 2007 to

Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...

, Costa Rica, now known by the Spanish name Monasterio de la Anunciada. * Monastère de l'Annonciade,

Saint-Doulchard Saint-Doulchard () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. It is on the outskirts of Bourges. History In Roman times, it was named Ampeliacum, which literally means "the vineyard hillsides", where they gr ...

, near

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

, France, established on 16 June 1988 by eight sisters from Thiais. * Monastery of

Menton Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border. Me ...

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, ...

, France, was established in 2000 but closed in 2012. * Grablin Forest, Poland. While their monastery was being built, the sisters resided at the Licheń Shrine established in 2009, although the Order had had a presence in Poland since the 1970s.RYS HISTORYCZNY (in Polish)
/ref>

Confraternity of the Annunciation

In 1517 Gabriel Nicholas obtained Church approval for the merger of two previously existing religious fraternities into a

confraternity A confraternity ( es, cofradía; pt, confraria) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most c ...

called the Way of Peace (''Chemin de Paix'') known today as the Confraternity of the Annunciade, the Way of Peace. The Order of Peace may be joined through affiliation to one of the monasteries of the Order.

Notes

External links

Official site of the Order of the Annunciation

Text of the original 1517 Rule in Latin and English

The Annonciade website
in English French, Polish, and Spanish
Les Annonciades, à l’école de sainte Jeanne de France
(1:13) in French from Kto La chaîne KTO, télévision catholique
Polish Annonciade convent website
(in English)
The Rule of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(35 pdfs)
YouTube Channel Marie Noviciat
featuring videos on this order
YouTube Channel for l'Ordre de l'Annonciade

Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of the Sisters Annunciates of the Holy-Heart Institute Heverlee
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of Audiovisual Collection of the Sisters Annuntiaten van Heverlee
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of Annuntiaten - Huldenberg
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
{{Authority control Congregations of Franciscan sisters History of Catholicism in France 1501 establishments in France Christian organizations based in France Religious organizations established in the 1500s Catholic religious orders established in the 16th century