ORDINE DI NOSTRA SIGNORA DELLA CARITÀ DEL RIFUGIO. - It was founded by s. Giovanni Eudes at Caen (Normandy) in 1641, with the principal aim of the rehabilitation of fallen women, to whom the religious bind themselves by a special fourth vow. The O. was approved by a brief of Alessandro VII of 2 Jan. 1666 and confirmed by decree of Benedetto XIV of 26 Sept. 1741.
The religious follow the Rule of s. Agostino and the Constitutions of the Visitation, adapted to the particular purpose of the Institute. The fundamental devotion is the cult of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and the sisters wear its emblem on their habit; the habit is white with a black veil. At present the O. has 35 monasteries with about a thousand religious in France, England, North America, Spain, and Italy. The monasteries are autonomous, but many of them have recently formed a federation in accordance with the apostolic constitution Sponsa Christi; the centre of this federation is the monastery of Chevilly-Larue, near Paris. From the O. di N. S. della C. del R. arose in 1835 the Suore di N. S. Pastore (v.) through the work of s. Maria Eufrasia Pelletier.
Since the Rule forbids the residents to become religious in the same Order, each monastery has a special section for repentant women, called “Magdalenes,” who lead there a monastic and penitential life.