The Virgin Mary responds to the Consecration of France (I)

In 1636, the Blessed Virgin asked through Mother Anne-Marie of Jesus Crucified, a French nun stigmatist whom Cardinal de Richelieu held in high esteem, that France be consecrated to her.

The following year, King Louis XIII of France, "in the secret of his heart", consecrated his person and his Kingdom to Mary, and with the Queen, Anne of Austria, he multiplied prayers and pilgrimages to obtain the heir they had awaited for 22 years.

The Mother of God responded by appearing to Brother Fiacre, a religious from the church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Paris, recently founded by the King in gratitude for his first military achievements. Mary asked for three novenas: one to Our Lady of Cotignac in Provence, another to Our Lady of Paris, and a last one to Our Lady of Victories. The apparition was recognized as authentic and the Virgin Mary's message conveyed to the Queen.

Brother Fiacre finished the three novenas on December 5. Exactly nine months later to the day, Louis XIV was born. The heir received the baptismal name of "Louis Dieudonné" (God-given). As soon as the Queen was certain of her pregnancy, and without waiting for the birth to know if the child would be a boy or a girl, Louis XIII published an official edict on February 10, 1638, which solemnly consecrated France to Mary.

Cf. Encyclopedia Maria tome IV - Beauchesne 1956 - p. 714