Sacré-Cœur de Jésus-Christ

This Sacré-Cœur de Jésus-Christ arrived for some slight restoration before it was situated on a plinth in the entrance hall to our Retreat. It came from the Maricolen Convent in Antwerp, and is probably the finest example of the Sacred Heart statue we have ever installed. Standing four feet high, it is a combination of carved wood with a fine skim of plaster. This has created an ethereal and lifelike effect. The halo is made of antique polished brass. Made in 1860, the statue is exceptionally heavy.

The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Ordo Carmelitarum Discalceatorum), is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. The order was established in the 16th century, pursuant to the reform of the Carmelite Order by two Spanish saints, Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross. The heart of the Carmelite charism is prayer and contemplation. The Sacré-Cœur de Jésus-Christ statue, apart from careful storage in a temperature controlled atmosphere, has only ever been in the company of the Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo, Maricolen, Antwerpen.