Confraternities and archconfraternities
Archconfraternity of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Conversion of Sinners
Archiconfrerie du Tres Saint et Immacule Coeur de Marie pour la conversion des pecheurs · Archiconfrerie du Coeur Immacule de Marie refuge des pecheurs · Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners · Archconfraternity of Notre-Dame des Victoires · Our Lady of Victories Archconfraternity
Fr Charles Desgenettes founded it at Notre-Dame des VictoiresSt Therese of Lisieux was enrolled in itGregory XVI raised it to an archconfraternity
Private association of the faithful of the Catholic Church (association privee de fideles), attached to the Basilica of Notre-Dame des Victoires, Archdiocese of Paris. The basilica's prayer intentions are entrusted to the Benedictine Sisters and volunteers there.More than 1,680,000 individual members enrolled since its origin, plus more than 21,000 affiliated communities across the world, stated on the basilica's own Archiconfrerie page. Around 37,000 ex-voto plaques cover the basilica walls. Nineteenth century accounts reporting 22 million members by 1870 almost certainly count cumulative enrollments rather than living members.
At a shrineBelongs to Private association of the faithful of the Catholic Church (association privee de fideles), attached to the Basilica of Notre-Dame des Victoires, Archdiocese of Paris.
A few minutes' work
Free online form. There is no payment field, no fee, no suggested offering and no Mass offering anywhere on the enrollment form or the Archiconfrerie page. The basilica's donations page is entirely separate from enrollment.
Enroll nowThere is a live online enrollment form part way down the main Archiconfrerie page, headed Inscription Archiconfrerie, with a submit button reading Demande d'inscription (request for registration); you fill in title, surname, first name, date of birth, address, postcode, town, country, email, telephone, a Type d'inscription field, and optionally spouse and children details for the family register, and the only real obstacle for an English speaker is that every field label and the submit button are in French.
A priest facing an empty church in 1836 heard the words consecrate your parish to the most holy and immaculate Heart of Mary, did it, and the church has been full ever since. The archconfraternity he founded asks very little of you: one Hail Mary a day for the conversion of sinners. That is the whole daily commitment. Members also try to be at Mass on the first Saturday of the month in union with the basilica. The Cure of Ars and the parents of St Therese of Lisieux were both on this register, which is part of why so many people still want their own name on it.
Where it comes from
3 December 1836, the date the basilica's own page gives for Fr Charles Desgenettes hearing the words consecrate your parish to the most holy and immaculate Heart of Mary while saying Mass at the Lady altar of Notre-Dame des Victoires. He wrote the statutes of a Marian prayer confraternity for the conversion of sinners at once and consecrated the parish at Vespers on Sunday 11 December 1836. The page states that the Archconfraternity was recognised by Pope Gregory XVI on 24 April 1838. Notre-Dame des Victoires received the title of basilica from Pius XI in 1927.
What you promise
Translated literally from the basilica's page, members commit on registering to: pray each day at least one Hail Mary in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the conversion of sinners and for the intentions of the Church and of the Pope; take part in the life of the Church; and so far as possible take part in the Eucharist on the first Saturday of the month in union of prayer with the Archconfraternity. There are three registers to choose between. One, individual registration of a baptised person on the register of those affiliated to the Archconfraternity. Two, registration of a family on the Familles Sainte Therese register, where family means parents married in the Church together with baptised children who have not yet founded their own household; a spouse and adult children must give formal consent beforehand to the parent making the registration, minor children are told once they are old enough to understand, and the commitments are held jointly so that if one member of the family lapses the others may offer their prayer in substitution. Three, registration of Christian communities, parishes, congregations, institutions and affiliated prayer associations on the register of communities, after their bishop agrees.
What the Church attaches
Your name is kept on the register of a basilica where, on the first Saturday of every month, Mass with choir and organ is sung at 11h, Marian prayer for the conversion of sinners and the healing of the sick is offered with the Archconfraternity at 12h, Eucharistic adoration continues until 14h15 and the rosary is prayed at 14h30. The page stresses that this has gone on without interruption since 3 December 1836. The historic indulgences granted by Gregory XVI and his successors attach to the Archconfraternity, though the page itself publishes no indulgence list. The Cure of Ars is among those inscribed on the register.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.