La Salette Sisters

The Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette share the charism of reconciliation with the La Salette Priests and Brothers. Like the Farthers and Brothers, they share their charism in collaboration with lay people.

The roots of their community of sisters began with Miss Henriette Deluy-Fabry who was born in Marseille in 1828. After a series of pilgrimages to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, she decided to become a religious of La Salette by founding a new congregation inspired by the triple spirit of sacrifice, of the apostolate and of prayer.

She was encouraged by Pius the IX in 1866. On December 20, 1872, the first seven religious “Reparatrice” (in English “Amenders”), went up to the Shrine. Soon they accompanied the Missionaries of La Salette into Belgium and Poland. They were given, in the Grenoble area, the management of a house for the handicapped, the responsibility and care of an Adoration Chapel, and a dispensary.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a new missionary drive began. The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette were founded by Fr. Celestin Crozet, M.S., Superior General of the La Salette Missionaries from 1926-1932. Their community was approved by the Bishop of Soissons in his diocese in 1930. They worked with the Missionaries of La Salette in France (at Our Lady of the Hermitage, at Chalon-sur-Saone, and Alai Francheville), in Switzerland, in Belgium, in Canada and in the United States and Italy.

Union for Service:

Since two orders of Sisters had been founded from the time of the Apparition, in 1955, the unification of the two branches began upon the request of the Reparatrice Religious. The unification was approved by Rome on the eve of the closing of the Second Vatican Council in 1964.

In 1997, a community of the Sister Messengers of Our Lady of La Salette, was given recognition by the Bishop of Benguela in Angola. They were united with the Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette in 2004.

Today the Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette are about 170 strong and serve in eight countries (France, Brazil, Madagascar, Philippines, United States, Poland, Angola and Myanmar). They answer the call of Christ to a life in community, prayer, self-offering, and active presence among those who are in need. Through their lives, they witness to the call of Christ to reconciliation and conversion.