The Sanctuary of the Holy Infant Jesus of Beaune

At the Sanctuary of the Infant Jesus, there is a treasure to be discovered. This is the specific place of worship for the Infant Jesus. The story of the Holy Infant Jesus of Beaune started at the beginning of
the 17th century.

In 1619 the Carmelite nuns from Dijon settled in Saint Stephen’s Priory of Beaune. That same year, on February 7th, MARGUERITE PARIGOT was born. At the age of 11, she entered the Carmelite order. Her ardent devotion to the Infant Jesus led her to make a pact with her two Mothers
(Mother Mary of the Trinity and Mother Elisabeth of the Trinity, Mother  Superior and Mother Mistress of the Carmelite convent in Beaune) to establish an eternal link between their souls. Here is part of the text, probably written by Venerable Marguerite herself:

« Jesus, Mary, Joseph,

On Friday, the fourteenth of January of year 1639, at midnight, we offered ourselves and dedicated ourselves without division and in complete union to the Holy Infant Jesus and we gave ourselves to Him to honor His Holy Infancy and the first twelve years of His Divine Life on
earth, the moment of His Holy Birth… »

On May 7, 1639, Marguerite laid the first stone of the little chapel dedicated to the Infant Jesus and she then saw the Holy Infant Jesus as if he were two years old. He was ravishingly beautiful and he took the stone she was holding with his divine hand and placed it together with his in the place that had been prepared:

« My little bride, » He said to her, « I am founding this little temple with you for my love for you, I will always be present there and will answer the prayers made to me there. I will love it and take great delight in it because this is where your body will rest after your death. I will fill with my blessings all those who will honor my childhood there and turn to me in their needs.”

The Infant Jesus revealed himself to her heart entrusting her with a mission : make the world know about the treasures of the Divine Childhood of the Savior and His Sorrowful Passion in the following manner: in 1636, as Marguerite was 17 years old, the plague and the wars resumed, and the Infant Jesus gave Marguerite the means to fulfill her mission.  Founding a family that honors his childhood would be the remedy to stop the enemy.  « Draw from the treasures of my childhood and nothing will be refused to you ».

On 24 March 1636, she founded the Family of the Holy Infant Jesus. This worship spread very quickly, because of the sufferings of the people and the dangers caused by the wars that wreaked havoc upon Burgundy, and indeed graces were effectively obtained.

In December 1643, Gaston de Renty offered Marguerite and the Carmel the statue of the INFANT JESUS, King of Grace. Devotion to the Infant Jesus continued even after Marguerite’s death on May 26, 1648.

The French Revolution of 1789-1793, the destruction of chapels and the determination to destroy the order of God resulted in the Carmel being closed.

In 1792 the Carmelites were expelled from St. Stephen’s Priory. It was not until 1804 that they moved to the Rue du Rempart to resume their community life. On November 26, 1836, the Carmelites moved to their present location at 14, rue de Chorey.

The cult of the Infant Jesus was revived thanks to the intervention of Abbot Chocarne in 1873: during a pilgrimage at Lourdes, a stranger, an angel, appeared to him and told him about a miraculous Infant Jesus in Beaune, whose image he was shown, assuring him that marvelous graces were obtained at his feet.

Cloistered life continued until 2001 when the Carmelites left the Carmel of Beaune.  Thereafter, the Community of the Beatitudes maintained their presence from year 2001 to 2011 then followed by the Fraternity of the Holy Childhood from 2011 until 2012.

On October 15, 2014, his Lordship Roland Minnerath established the former Carmel of Beaune as the Diocesan Sanctuary of the Infant Jesus. From September 1 of the same year, the Carmelite Sisters of the Infant Jesus settled there to support the spiritual inspiration of this place. On January 3, 2016, the Shrine was officially opened by His Lordship Roland Minnerath, Archbishop of Dijon.

Father Amelotte in his book, « The complete biography of Sister Marguerite of the Blessed Sacrament, first edition 1654 », writes:

« I am not afraid to promise the humble that they will have great communications from Jesus Christ, and rare secrets of his Mysteries, to such a point that they may not have experienced in any other circumstances .

And in order not to leave this knowledge fruitless, I will seek in the light of faith the means of benefitting from so many treasures he filled his Bride with, and through her this Convent, his Order and the
whole Church. The wise of the world will take this story for a girl’s fancy, but faithful souls will discover in it the wonders of Providence and of the Holiness of Jesus Christ. »