The Order of the Virgin Mary

The Order of the Virgin Mary or the Annonciade was founded by Saint Joan of France in 1502, the second daughter of Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy. From a very young age Joan had an intense prayer life, strongly influenced by the Franciscan spirituality: she had an ardent love for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

In the castle of Lignières (central region France), the Virgin Mary made this promise to her: "Before your death, you will found a religious order in my honor."

She was briefly married for state reasons to her cousin Louis d'Orléans, who became King Louis XII and soon repudiated her. The former Queen Joan of France was then given the title of Duchess of Berry. The "Good Duchess," who was to die young, founded the Order of the Annonciade with the help of her Franciscan confessor, Father Gilbert Nicolas–this confessor had his name changed to Brother Gabriel-Maria by the pope of the time because of his zeal for the Virgin Mary.

Saint Joan died on February 4, 1505, at the age of 40. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on April 28, 1950. In order to write the founding texts of the Annonciade, Joan disclosed to Father Gabriel-Maria the Virgin Mary’s advice for her Order: "Have everything you find written about me in the Gospel put into a Rule."

The Annonciades only have to live the life of the Virgin Mary as we find it described in the Holy Gospel. The vocation of the Annonciade sisters can be summed up as follows: Imitate the Virgin Mary in order to please Christ. Christ’s pleasure is accomplished by imitating the Virgin Mary as often as possible. At the school of Mary, the life of the Annonciades is built on a deep love of the Word of God, centered on the mystery of the Eucharist and nourished by the meditation on the Passion of Christ.

Adapted from Vie Monastique

See The Annonciade