Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA)

GREAT WORKS OF GOD ARE BORN ONLY ON CALVARY

“MY ONLY TREASURE IS THE CROSS”

Since the time of her adolescence, Pauline Jaricot perceived the distress of the working class. While industry flourished, the workers lived in misery. The situation was especially tragic in Lyon. The people in the silk factory worked 17 hours a day for a minimal salary. Their lodgings were poor. The result was the de-Christianization of the working classes. Pauline sensed this economic revolution would give birth to socialism. She begged God to help her find a remedy for the discouragement, immorality and despair which took hold of the masses. What must be returned to man first was his dignity as a child of God, and the dignity of his position as the head of his family so that he might taste the sweetness of family life, the consolations and hopes of religion, and pull himself up from this slavery of work without rest. Her vision was one in which the husband was returned to the wife, the mother to her children, the father to the child and God to the man, whose happiness and end He is.

Pauline was convinced that the workers would regenerate themselves if only there could be found apostles within their midst. She longed to form a Catholic settlement in which the workers would be paid a just wage that would allow them to care with dignity for the needs of their family, and have time for prayer and devotions in order to preserve their faith. The success of those living in this settlement would be the work of the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

To this end, Pauline invested all her capital and formed a core group of wealthy people each of whom would invest 400 pounds. She called this plan “The Bank of Heaven!” These loans repayable in small amounts each year would form an investment to help Catholic charities. A factory with surrounding property was purchased. The enterprise was viable. Pauline put her faith in two swindlers of high society who veiled themselves in piety that they might win her confidence. Pauline was crushed by their infamous betrayal; all that was invested was lost. Pauline was alone, ruined and crushed by the huge debt she owed. She felt a keen responsibility to those who had invested in the Bank of Heaven.

Cardinal Villecourt suggested that she might travel throughout France and try to collect money from the souls whom she had helped and who knew her character. At first, many stepped forward to help Pauline recover her losses. But, at this time, a process began which was to undermine her efforts and destroy her reputation. This marked the beginning of a lifetime of martyrdom for Pauline. Her properties, one by one, were stripped from her. All that remained was Lorette, where she now lived in misery, cold, sickness and starvation. The calumny began in whispers that Pauline was hiding her money, and that she was hoarding the money that was donated to her, enriching herself. Those jealous of her, now began to intervene to stop all her collection of money from any source whatsoever. They denied her title as foundress of the Propagation of the Faith and persuaded even her Living Rosary not to assist her with any funds. Exposed to general humiliations, slander, injustice and complete abandonment, she persevered. God alone knew her sorrows. Pauline was heroically silent in this great trial and her request until her death was that no one let anything be made known about her misfortunes which might cast any blame on her neighbors.

As if this was not enough, the worst happened. The honorable men of Lyon who constituted the Commission of Fourviere, coveted her property of Lorette to integrate their plan to develop a chapel. They made every effort to force her to sell it at a great loss. Pauline refused. This sale would be a huge loss for the poor workers. She fought for ten years to defend her property and the poor. She was ridiculed as “being proud and obstinate.” In all this suffering, Pauline realized that it was her good intentions which made her pleasing to God, and that the crosses which befell her weakness were those chosen by God to sanctify the works which she had the honor to be entrusted with. In all these sufferings, Pauline grew spiritually. Still, she was deeply human and acknowledged fear of this great cross but, with absolute abandonment, she accepted the crucible offered to her by God’s Love, in union with His Passion for the salvation of souls. Pauline valiantly carried this cross until her death.

The heavens seemed deaf to her cries and she was stripped of spiritual consolations. She united her own tribulation to that of the Church and France where impiety ruled and de-Christianization reigned. This thought was a vice, which strangled her heart. ‘LET US PRAY!’ Pauline remained immersed in the fire of this bitter fight and her soul deepened in the wisdom of the Cross. It is through suffering alone that love is tested. Through this test, God is glorified. On Calvary, souls are perfected in love. No greater gift does God have to give to His friends, than the treasure of the Cross. The Saints in Heaven know the value of the cross but we, ignorants on earth, must learn its value. If the souls tested by tribulation knew the gift of God, they would praise Him unceasingly. The Cross is my only Treasure! Pauline died in total destitution, embracing the Cross to her last breath.

Share Your Gift of Faith

For centuries, our cherished Catholic faith has been passed from person to person, parent to child, etc. Each of us carries in our heart a special memory of how God first graced us with the knowledge of the faith and how Our Blessed Mother, Saint Philomena, Venerable Pauline Jaricot and other saints changed our lives and brought us closer to Christ.

In our work in the Universal Living Rosary Association, we see first hand how millions of souls are currently living without that knowledge of God and are living outside of His grace. We have been given a beautiful opportunity to carry out Christ’s work and pass on our faith and blessings to others who would otherwise never be introduced to Our Lord, the Savior of all mankind. Just as we pray for the souls in Purgatory who have no one to pray for them, we should also make it a part of our life’s mission to pass on our faith to as many souls as possible who have no one else to pass it on to them, who don’t know Our Lord and His promise of salvation.

This is the box we send out to the foreign Missions $77.95. It contains Rosaries, Scapulars, Miraculous Medals, Cord & Oil, Newsletters, Calendars, Catechism books, 2 TAN books, large color prints, lists and encouragement for our Promoters.

Please Click here to Share Your Gift of Faith