According to writer William Bush, the number of Christian martyrs greatly expanded in the early years of the French Revolution.
Thousands of Christians were killed by the guillotine, as well as by mass deportations, drownings, imprisonments, shootings, mob violence, and "sheer butchery".
In 1790, the French Revolutionary government passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which outlawed religious life.

The community of Carmelite sisters at Compiègne, a commune in northern France, 35 km north of Paris, was founded in 1641, a daughter house of the monastery in Amiens.
The community grew rapidly, and "was renowned for its fervor and fidelity".
It was supported by the French court from its beginnings, until interrupted by the French Revolution, which was hostile towards religion and the Catholic Church.
Shortly after Bastille Day, on August 4, 1790, government officials, with armed guards, interviewed each sister at their convent in Compiègne and forced them to choose between breaking their vows or risking further punishment.
They all refused to abandon their lives of obedience, chastity, and poverty.
They were allowed to stay at the convent, becoming wards of the state, which entitled them to receive government pensions.
The revolutionary government, at the end of 1791, required all clergy to swear a civic oath supporting the Civil Constitution or risk losing their pensions and becoming destitute.
At Easter in 1792, the government plundered churches and interrupted services; it was the last Easter the sisters celebrated at Compiègne.
Mother Teresa of St. Augustine, the convent's prioress, suggested to the community that they commit themselves to martyrdom, and offer themselves as a sacrifice for France and for the French Church.
She almost missed participating in the sacrifice she proposed because she had to return to her family's home in Paris to care for her elderly, widowed mother.
She returned to Compiègne four days before their martyrdom and along with the rest of the sisters, was arrested.

In August 1792, the government ordered all women's monasteries closed; the seizure and removal of the Compiègne convent's furnishings occurred on September 12, and the sisters were forced to leave the convent and re-enter the world on September 14, the end of their cloistered community.
Mother Teresa made arrangements for the 20 sisters living in the convent at the time to hide in the city in four separate apartments and find civilian clothes for them to wear, since the wearing of habits and religious apparel had been outlawed.
They were dependent on the charity of friends, and "courageously continued to practice community prayer", despite the government's orders.

In 1794, after the Reign of Terror began, the government searched the sisters' apartments for two days; they found letters revealing their "crimes" against the Revolution, which included hostility to the Revolution, strong sympathies to the monarchy, and evidence that they continued to live as a community of consecrated Christian women.
They also found two letters written by "the unfortunate" Mulot de la Ménardière to his cousin, Sister Euphrasia of the Immaculate Conception, containing unfavorable criticisms of the Revolution.
Mulot was accused of helping them and of being a non-juring priest, even though he was married, and was arrested and imprisoned with the sisters.
On June 22, the sisters and Mulot were arrested and locked up in the former convent of the Visitation, an improvised jail for political prisoners in Compiègne.
On July 10, 1794, they were transferred to the Conciergerie Prison in Paris to await trial.
The sisters recanted their civic oath while in prison.

During their trial on July 17, 1794, in which they received no legal counsel, Sister Mary-Henrietta tried to force the prosecutor to define the word "fanatic", one of the charges against them.
She pretended she did not know what the word meant, thus getting him to admit their fanaticism was due to their religion, which made them "criminals and annihilators of public freedom".
Mother Teresa claimed f
According to writer William Bush, the number of Christian martyrs greatly expanded in the early years of the French Revolution. Thousands of Christians were killed by the guillotine, as well as by mass deportations, drownings, imprisonments, shootings, mob violence, and "sheer butchery". In 1790, the French Revolutionary government passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which outlawed religious life.
The community of Carmelite sisters at Compiègne, a commune in northern France, 35 km north of Paris, was founded in 1641, a daughter house of the monastery in Amiens. The community grew rapidly, and "was renowned for its fervor and fidelity". It was supported by the French court from its beginnings, until interrupted by the French Revolution, which was hostile towards religion and the Catholic Church. Shortly after Bastille Day, on August 4, 1790, government officials, with armed guards, interviewed each sister at their convent in Compiègne and forced them to choose between breaking their vows or risking further punishment. They all refused to abandon their lives of obedience, chastity, and poverty. They were allowed to stay at the convent, becoming wards of the state, which entitled them to receive government pensions. The revolutionary government, at the end of 1791, required all clergy to swear a civic oath supporting the Civil Constitution or risk losing their pensions and becoming destitute. At Easter in 1792, the government plundered churches and interrupted services; it was the last Easter the sisters celebrated at Compiègne. Mother Teresa of St. Augustine, the convent's prioress, suggested to the community that they commit themselves to martyrdom, and offer themselves as a sacrifice for France and for the French Church. She almost missed participating in the sacrifice she proposed because she had to return to her family's home in Paris to care for her elderly, widowed mother. She returned to Compiègne four days before their martyrdom and along with the rest of the sisters, was arrested.
In August 1792, the government ordered all women's monasteries closed; the seizure and removal of the Compiègne convent's furnishings occurred on September 12, and the sisters were forced to leave the convent and re-enter the world on September 14, the end of their cloistered community. Mother Teresa made arrangements for the 20 sisters living in the convent at the time to hide in the city in four separate apartments and find civilian clothes for them to wear, since the wearing of habits and religious apparel had been outlawed. They were dependent on the charity of friends, and "courageously continued to practice community prayer", despite the government's orders. 
In 1794, after the Reign of Terror began, the government searched the sisters' apartments for two days; they found letters revealing their "crimes" against the Revolution, which included hostility to the Revolution, strong sympathies to the monarchy, and evidence that they continued to live as a community of consecrated Christian women. They also found two letters written by "the unfortunate" Mulot de la Ménardière to his cousin, Sister Euphrasia of the Immaculate Conception, containing unfavorable criticisms of the Revolution. Mulot was accused of helping them and of being a non-juring priest, even though he was married, and was arrested and imprisoned with the sisters. On June 22, the sisters and Mulot were arrested and locked up in the former convent of the Visitation, an improvised jail for political prisoners in Compiègne. On July 10, 1794, they were transferred to the Conciergerie Prison in Paris to await trial. The sisters recanted their civic oath while in prison. 
During their trial on July 17, 1794, in which they received no legal counsel, Sister Mary-Henrietta tried to force the prosecutor to define the word "fanatic", one of the charges against them. She pretended she did not know what the word meant, thus getting him to admit their fanaticism was due to their religion, which made them "criminals and annihilators of public freedom". Mother Teresa claimed f
Martyrs of Compiègne