The Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross was born in 1838, at Chavanod, a little village of Savoie, in the South East of France. In the nineteenth century, Savoie, like the rest of France, was deeply affected by the consequences of the Revolution of 1789 and the rigours of Jansenism. Ignorance and misery prevailed along with exploitation of the poor. The situation of girls was particularly difficult and it was a great preoccupation for certain zealous and devoted priests. Father Mermier, who would in the course of time be the Founder of the Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales, was one of them and he searched for ways and means to remedy this evil.
At this time, there lived at Chavanod, in the service of the presbytery, a pious, energetic and devoted person: Claudine Echernier. She was a native of Feternes, a small village of Chablais, and belonged to an extremely poor family. Having lost her mother at the early age of 15, she had to bring up her little brothers and sisters and could leave her home only when she was 27 years old.
In the presbytery of Chavanod, she began to gather around her children and young girls of the parish, in order to teach them reading, writing and catechism. Nearly ten years thus spent by, during which Claudine had a very good influence in the parish. She had even taken the initiative for the first parish mission given at Chavanod by the Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales contributing to the expenses of this mission from her savings. The following year it was Father Mermier, who came to preach the parish retreat at Chavanod and Claudine Echernier approached him regarding her spiritual life. In fact, she felt growing in her a desire to be away from the presbytery in order to lead a more perfect life. She thought of settling down in Annecy, but she was advised not to leave Chavanod and to continue to teach the little girls. She rented then a room in the neighboring farm and withdrew there while continuing gratuitously her service among the poor young girls for almost two years.
It was then that some young girls, drawn by her example and desirous to imitate her, asked to share her life. Fr. Mermier on his side, had a plan for founding a Congregation of poor girls who “would apply themselves to their own sanctification while procuring, at the same time, the Glory of God and the salvation of their neighbour”. (F.A. Vol. 1, Pg. 65). The intuition of Fr. Mermier and his apostolic sense enlightened by the Holy Spirit and stimulated by the needs of the times, permitted this nucleus of young girls gathered around Claudine, to become the first community of the Sisters of the Cross.
Thus was born, in extreme poverty and great simplicity, a Congregation of a new type for those times. It permitted in fact poor young girls to live a consecrated life in the midst of the world, either continuing their work at home, or with their masters, or living together in community. They could thus help one another in their work, be witnesses of the Gospel in their milieu, and be educators of the poorest. “The great difference that exists between them and the other existing associations is that, they are obliged to live in the midst of the world, to go, and to do all that is done in society, except evil and begging.” Wrote Fr. Mermier. (F. A. Vol. 1, Pg. 46)
Little by little this Congregation formed sisters as workers, nurses, catechists and teachers for poor villages. By their services and the example of their lives these sisters “set the tone” in their parishes and helped others to come out of their condition of ignorance and poverty. At the time of the death of Claudine Echernier in 1869 there were nearly 300 sisters in the Congregation.
Mgr. Rey, Bishop of Annecy, encouraged the foundation, by a letter dated 21st of August 1838, and he officially recognized the Congregation on the 4th of November 1841. The first Constitutions were approved by Mgr. Louis Rendu, the new Bishop of Annecy, on the 9th of August 1843. His Majesty King Charles Albert, the King of Sardinia, granted to the Congregation legal status as a Charitable Association by his Letters Patent of the 28th of August 1843.
The name ‘Daughters of the Cross’, approved by the Church signifies the special call to live more intensely the mystery of the Cross, “summary of our faith, foundation of our hope, rule of our life.” (F.A. Vol. 1, Pg.84). By the grace of this mystery, the sisters experience an ever growing joy in identifying themselves with Christ, in His merciful love: “He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (N.R.S.V. Phil.2/7)
Father Mermier gave to the new Congregation two models:Christ, obedient unto death on the Cross, and Mary, the Mother of Compassion, in her total participation in the Mystery of Christ the Redeemer
On the 30th of November 1932 the Congregation became an Institute of Pontifical Right, and received its new Constitutions in 1932, “ad experimentum”. Then in 1943 it received its final approbation. In 1969, responding to the call of the Church for the renewal of religious life, in the light of the origins, and after the experience lived by each Sister of the Congregation, these Constitutions were revised and the Chapter of Renewal formulated the Decrees which became the Charter of Life for the Congregation. On 25th December 1986, CONGREGATIO PRO RELIGIOSIS ET INSTITUTIS SAECULARIBUS (Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes), Rome, has granted the Decree of Approbation of the present Constitution entitled ‘RULE OF LIFE OF THE SISTERS OF THE CROSS’.
