In the summer of 1799, a healthy baby girl was born as the seventh child to the happy couple Antoine and Jeanne Jaricot. Baptized the day she was born, little Pauline would one day heroically serve the Savior Whose sacramental waters quietly cleansed and claimed her soul.

As a young teenager in the start of 19th century France, Pauline Jaricot lived in the aftermath of the godless French Revolution, where very little thought was given to the soul and religion was openly mocked if not persecuted. In this deadly atmosphere, beautiful Pauline grew up vain and easily distracted with worldly amusements. But God’s grace moved quickly and firmly in her life and before she was even 18 years old, Pauline had endured severe trials that in the end led to a deep conversion and change of heart.

Hers was a strong heart and, being the born leader that she was, Pauline’s zeal for God immediately set to work. Before long, she had organized several Catholic lay apostolates - some of which became famous worldwide. These groups had a variety of charitable focuses including: helping poor factory girls; prayers of reparation for the conversion of France; collecting money for Catholic Missions; helping the sick and needy; supporting good literature to counteract the anti-Catholic media; a spiritual union and focus of praying Our Lady’s Rosary. (There is in fact a plaque in New Orleans, Louisina, that testifies that their diocese - young and struggling in the early 1800’s - was aided by this money collected for the missions and "was among the first to benefit from her apostolic zeal.")

The most renowned of Pauline’s apostolates was "The Universal Living Rosary"- which, as their name suggests, focused on praying Our Lady’s Rosary and meditating on its mysteries. Founded in 1826, the society grew quickly and obtained many spiritual blessings for its members and France. Such success came also with great sufferings and Pauline was generous in following Christ’s footsteps of labor and love.

As time went on though, Pauline’s health began to suffer. This did not slow down her enemies though - and there were still those that wanted to see the Universal Living Rosary association come to an end.

By the age of 36, Pauline was on the brink of death. She had dedicated nearly the last twenty years of her life to the service of God and now her health was almost completely gone. She was resigned to God’s Will and had entrusted her association of the Living Rosary to Our Lady and to the newly discovered martyr St. Philomena, to whom she had a great devotion. Whatever may happen to her work once she was gone, Pauline was accepting the hard truth that this illness may be her last… and the end of her labors.

At this crucial and climactic point, Pauline herself relates the events, as well as her perspective, of what would become her most memorable, life-changing journey….

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"It would be well-nigh impossible to describe the sufferings I endured for the past ten years. I do not pretend to give a scientific explanation of all I went through. I merely state what I felt and what I heard the doctors say.

"Up to March, 1835, I was as a rule able to bear my pains in such a way that those around me had no idea of what I was going through. After the Revolution [of 1831], however, the disease showed unmistakable signs of aggravation. As my malady chiefly affected the heart, in proportion as it increased, the palpitations became more violent, so that they could be heard at a distance. On these occasions, my sides heaved with the agony I endured. A slight movement or change of position was sufficient to send the blood rushing violently back to my heard, thus causing imminent risk of suffocation. My breathing seemed to cease and the beatings of my pulse became imperceptible, so that the most drastic remedies had to be applied to restore some degree of heat to my frozen limbs. The abnormal dilation of my heart compressed the lungs, and breathing became a positive torture. As a consequence, I was compelled to lie perfectly still, lest the over-charged blood vessels should burst.

"In the part of my chest where the palpitations were most violent, a cavity was gradually formed. The food that I attempted to swallow fell into this hole, causing still further danger of suffocation. The doctors now made two openings in my side, in a vain effort to check the progress of the disease and with a view to lessen the danger of suffocation. I was thus reduced to such a state of pain and exhaustion as made it clear that death could not be far off.

"During these awful years of torture, I had some short intervals of relief. The most appreciable of these was at the end of a novena made to St. Philomena. The body of this Virgin Martyr had been recently discovered in the Roman Catacombs, and the marvels wrought by means of her precious relics were so extraordinary that the name of Philomena was on every tongue. At the mention of this dear name, I experienced intense joy and longed to kneel at the shrine of this illustrious Virgin. But alas! Such a thing seemed impossible, for her sanctuary was far away in Naples and I was unable to bear the least fatigue.

"Yet I felt inspired to go to the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart at Paray-le-Monial, not to ask for a cure, but to settle the affairs of my soul. Utterly worn out with pain, I said to myself: ‘I survived the fearful shock and excitement of the bombardment, and though weeks and months have passed, I am still alive. Surely there is some hidden plan of God’s Providence in all this.’

"I knew that the Association of the Living Rosary was praying for me. So, placing my trust in God and these good prayers, I resolved on a step which, had it been known, would certainly have been deemed pure and simple madness. In fact I had some scruples about the matter myself. I did not wish to do anything that my conscience did not fully approve of.

"So I therefore elicited from the doctor the information that my state was so desperate that nothing I might do mattered much one way or another. This declaration set my scruples at rest.

"When I mentioned the project I had at heart, I met at once with opposition. Though he was not aware of it, I heard the doctor say in a whisper: ‘Let her alone, let her go, she will not go far.’ "

Wasting no time, Pauline set out in a carriage bound for Paray-le-Monial. She was accompanied by a young lady friend, a confidential servant, and her chaplain. The few who knew of this venture said: "She will not reach the first resting place alive." Those who traveled with her feared that every jolt of the carriage would cause her death. But by God’s grace, the frail young woman arrived safely at her journey’s end and settled the affairs she had so much at heart.

Then she said to herself: "This first journey did not kill me, so let me go to Rome and get the Holy Father’s blessing." This was something she yearned for intensely.