Size:cm
Material:brass
1 class
Wax seal:Religious Congregation of the Holy Family of Villefranche
Memorial:19 September
Profile:
Raised by her grandmother. Educated at Maison Sain-Cyr, Villefrance, France, and at age 18, she became a teacher there. Drawn to religious life, she joined three different orders, but was not comfortable with any of them. In 1815 she began tutoring poor children on her own time, and by 1816 had founded a free school with three assistants and 40 students. This formed the foundation of a teaching institute that has since become the Religious Congregation of the Holy Family of Villefranche. Within her life they had established 38 institutions, and were caring for women in unfortunate circumstances, orphans, prisoners, retirement homes for aged religious, and the elderly in general.
Born:6 September 1787 at Chateau Druelles, Rodez, Aveyron, France as Marie Guillemette Emilie de Rodat
Died:19 September 1852 in Villefranche, Aveyron, France of cancer
Venerated:19 May 1901 by Pope Leo XIII (decree of heroic virtue)
Beatified:9 June 1940 by Pope Pius XII
Canonized:23 April 1950 by Pope Pius XII