Why did Blaise Pascal become connected with the Port-Royal convent?

Blaise Pascal’s connection to the Port-Royal convent began in 1646, following an illness that afflicted his father. During this time, Pascal encountered two disciples of the abbé de Saint-Cyran, the director of the convent who had introduced the austere moral and theological principles of Jansenism to the community.1

This encounter led Pascal to embrace a more profound, inward expression of [religion], eventually winning his family over to this spiritual life. While he continued his scientific pursuits for several years, he experienced a transformative, mystical conversion on November 23, 1654, which he viewed as the start of a new life.1

In January 1655, Pascal entered Port-Royal. Although he never became one of the solitaires (hermits) who lived there, he maintained a close association with the convent for the remainder of his life. He wrote exclusively at the request of the community and never again published under his own name, producing his two most famous works, Les Provinciales and the Pensées, during this period.1