ALL POSTS TAGGED: FRANCE

Hardship and danger can deter some people. But for St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, hardship and danger gave rise to an active and purposeful life.

Basil Moreau was born in 1799, near the end of the French Revolution, a conflict that lasted for ten years and during which time the Church was often suppressed. But Basil’s family was very religious. They prayed together as a family and attended Mass every week.

William Joseph Chaminade was the 14th child born to his parents, and three of his brothers became priests. So it was not a great surprise that he decided to follow that path. He was ordained a priest in 1785. When the French Revolution began, he refused to take an oath that denied the authority of the Catholic Church. Instead, he risked his life by serving as a priest in secret.

There is a popular saying you may have heard: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” This means that if you want people to agree with you or help you, being nice to them is better than being mean or unfriendly. The person who first said that lived more than 400 years ago, and he was a very persuasive speaker — and a saint.

John was born in France in 1160. His parents were wealthy and sent him away to school so that he could receive the best education. He used the money his parents sent him to help the poor. He spent his free time performing other works of charity and paid visits to the local hospital to tend the sick.

Louise was born into a wealthy French family in 1591, but all the money in the world could not stop sadness from touching her life. Her mother died when was young and her father died when she was a teenager. She was raised by her aunt, a nun, and Louise felt called to religious life, but she was discouraged from it. Instead, her priest arranged for Louise to marry a young man named Antoine LeGras, who could provide her with a comfortable life.

Vincent Ferrer, the most gifted preacher of his time, often gave his sermons outdoors because no church could hold the huge crowds that came to hear him speak about God’s love and forgiveness.
 

John Baptist is responsible for many changes in education, things that we take for granted today. But education was not his first choice for a career.

By the time Marie Rose Julie Billiart was seven years old, she had memorized her catechism and would explain the lessons to her young friends. As she grew older she was known by people as the “saint of Cuvilly,” which was the name of her French town. Her family were farmers, and she helped them with farm work to earn money. But in her spare time, she taught religion to children and to workers.

Imagine seeing our Blessed Mother not just once, but eighteen times! That is the blessing Bernadette Soubirous was given for five months in 1858.