The Bernardines

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Title of certain sisters of the order ofCîteaux who at the end of the sixteenth and in the seventeenth century, made energetic efforts to restore the primitive observance of their rule. They were the Bernardine Recollects (Bernardas Recoletas) inSpain; the Bernardines ofDivine Providence, the Bernardines of the Precious Blood; and the Bernardines of Flines and ofLille, inFrance andSavoy; and some isolated foundations inBelgium and inPeru. The first reform was due to theAbbesses ofLas Huelgas of Burgos, who towards the end of the sixteenth century, had reformed the Abbeys of Gradefes, Perales, and St. Anne of Valladolid, where Jane de Ayala introduced thetrue spirit ofCîteaux. In 1601 St. Anne of Valladolid became the mother-house of the new reform, and in 1606 the constitutions were approved byPaul V. This reform extended as far as the Indies and theCanary Islands.

In 1622 Louise-Theresa-Blanche de Ballon, daughter of Charles-Emmanuel de Ballon, chamberlain of the Duke ofSavoy and later ambassador of this prince inFrance andSpain, began, under the direction of St. Francis of Sales, her near relative, the reform of themonastery of St. Catherine (Savoy). She afterwards went with five sisters to Rumilly and founded the Congregation of Bernardines ofDivine Providence. This reform spread intoSavoy andFrance. The constitutions were printed in 1631. In 1634 Mother de Ponçonnas, who with four otherCistercian sisters ofGrenoble had embraced the reform, having gone toParis to found a new house, had the constitutions reprinted with some changes. Louise de Ballon then had them again printed so as to conform to the first constitutions—an action which caused the separation of theconvents ofFrance andSavoy. Theconvents ofFrance formed what is known as the congregation "of St. Bernard". Mother Baudet de Beauregard who succeeded Mother de Ponconnas in the government of themonastery ofParis, changed the name from Bernardines ofDivine Providence to Bernardines of the Precious Blood (1654). Their rules were approved by theAbbot of Prières, Vicar General of the Strict Observance ofCîteaux, and the Prior of St. Germain-des-Près, as Vicar General of the Cardinal de Bourbon, received thevows of the new community on the 27th of August of the same year.

Themonasteries of the congregation now number (I) Bernardine Recollects, 13; (II) Bernardines founded by Mother de Ballon, 2; (III) Bernardines of Flines, 2; (IV) Bernardines ofLille, 3; (V) Bernardines isolated inBelgium andPeru, 6. The houses ofFrance have been closed by the Government. The Bernardines of today are engaged in teaching and follow a somewhat modified rule.

The Bernardines ofSpain rise every day at three o'clock, and on days of great solemnities at two o'clock. For the office they follow theCistercianBreviary. They fast two days a week from Pentecost to the 14th of September, four days a week from the 14th of September toEaster Sunday, and every day duringAdvent,Septuagesima time, andLent. Meat is allowed three times a week except duringAdvent and the nine weeks beforeEaster Sunday. Their habit consists of a woolen robe and their bed is conformable to the regulations. They live in community in sickness as well as in health. With the Bernardines of Mother de Ballon this rule is still more mitigated. They rise at five o'clock summer and winter. Silence is kept except during the recreation which follows dinner and supper. They fast two days a week fromEaster Sunday to Pentecost, and on Saturday also duringAdvent. They abstain from meat on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of the whole year.

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