Pierre Vigne

Desirous of dedicating himself to the evangelization of the poorest, Pierre Vigne joined the Lazarists (Priests of the Mission) in Lyon in 1700. There, he received a solid formation in "popular missions" and traveled through the countryside to preach. In 1706, he chose to leave the Lazarists to become an independent itinerant missionary, while submitting his ministry to the authority of the local bishops. For more than thirty years, he traversed the roads of the Vivarais, the Dauphiné, and neighboring regions on foot or on horseback, sometimes carrying his confessional on his back to always be available. In 1712, his steps led him to Boucieu-le-Roi. Seduced by the topography of the place, which reminded him of Jerusalem, he conceived and built there, with the help of the inhabitants, a great Way of the Cross of 39 stations, called "The Great Journey" or "The Journey of Calvary," intended to make the faithful meditate on the Passion of Christ. To accompany the pilgrims and maintain this Way of the Cross, Pierre Vigne gathered a group of pious women. On November 30, 1715, in the church of Boucieu-le-Roi, he gave the cross and the religious habit to seven young women (including Marguerite de Nozières), thus founding the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. He entrusted them with a double mission: the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the instruction of children. Concerned with the Christian and human formation of youth, he opened schools and created a "seminary for Regents" to train schoolmistresses. In order to support his spiritual life and his work, he associated himself on January 25, 1724, in Valence with the society of the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Mgr d'Authier de Sisgaud. Despite his incessant travels, he wrote several spiritual works, notably rules of life for his sisters and the Meditations on the most beautiful book which is Jesus Christ suffering and dying on the Cross.

The life of Pierre Vigne was marked by rigorous poverty, overflowing apostolic activity, and long hours spent in adoration before the Eucharist. At the age of 69, while preaching a mission in the village of Rencurel, in the Vercors massif, he was taken ill and had to interrupt his preaching. Sensing his end approaching, he withdrew into prayer. Assisted by a priest and two sisters of his congregation who had rushed to his side, he passed away on July 8, 1740.

His body was brought back to Boucieu-le-Roi to be buried in the chapel of the parish church. An immediate popular devotion developed around his remains. Testimonies from the time report that despite the heatwave and summer storms, his body remained supple, fresh, and intact for four days, exhaling a pleasant odor, which was perceived as a sign of his holiness.

The informative process for his beatification opened at the diocesan level in Valence in 1894. After the examination of his writings and his life, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the heroic nature of his virtues on July 7, 2003, conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The path toward beatification officially opened with the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. It involved the scientifically inexplicable healing of a young Brazilian mother suffering from terminal cancer. The decree authenticating this miracle was promulgated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on April 19, 2004, in the presence of Pope John Paul II.

The beatification ceremony was celebrated by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome, before a crowd of pilgrims who had come notably from France and Brazil. During his homily, the Holy Father highlighted Pierre Vigne's love for the Eucharist and his tireless missionary zeal.

The spirituality of Pierre Vigne rests on two inseparable pillars: the contemplation of Christ suffering on the Cross and the adoration of Jesus present in the Eucharist. For him, the Eucharist is the hearth of love from which the missionary must draw the boldness and charity necessary to go out to his brothers.

Today, the legacy of Blessed Pierre Vigne remains alive through the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament of Valence. The religious sisters continue their mission of adoration and education in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland), as well as in Latin America (Brazil) and Africa (Tanzania). The village of Boucieu-le-Roi preciously preserves his memory: the "Grand Voyage" is still traversed there by many pilgrims, particularly on Good Friday, and a museum there presents the history of the founder and his congregation.