Claire Ferchaud was a young French shepherdess who had visions of Jesus and gained national fame as a modern-day Joan of Arc at the height of World War I. Claire experienced her first vision after a childhood trauma in which her mother locked her in a closet to break her stubborn willfulness. She developed her visionary gifts with the aid of spiritual directors and, by the age of twenty, she had come to believe that Jesus wanted France consecrated to the Sacred Heart. She was told to tell the President of France to ask the Bishops to consecrate France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to ask the parliament to place the 'Sacred Heart' image on the white portion of the French flag. It was this sign that would have brought a speedy end to the war, with Catholic justice instead of the horrendously vindictive treaty of Versailles.


Miss Ferchaud had the guidance of a personal spiritual director. In addition she was directed and encouraged by her local Bishop to go and speak with the President of France. So as with Joan, Claire was also found by the Church authorities to be "good, pious and chaste."

Claire finally was given the opportunity to speak personally with the President of France. Because she knew very personal things about him what she had to say to him had a profound but, unfortunately, a short-lived effect.

It is too bad for France that the president did not immediately recommended the change to his country's flag as Claire had directed. Instead he allowed a day or so to pass and by this time his secular and irreligious advisors had convinced him NOT to listen to this 'backward country girl.'

It was unfortunate that Claire was ridiculed in the press and she returned to Burgundy. She did not become bitter nor did she turn her back on God but she entered a small convent where she lived out the rest of her life in prayer and penance.