St Mary Euphrasia – Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

Saint Mary Euphrasia

St Mary Euphrasia

A women ahead of her time

St. Mary Euphrasia was born Rose Virginie Pelletier on the island of Noirmoutier, off the coast of France, on July 31, 1796. Her parents were imprisoned on the island during the French Revolution. She grew up in the turbulent aftermath of that revolution. Her father was a medical doctor who provided care for other inhabitants of the island as well as for their captors. Her mother fed the hungry and cared for the sick. Thus, as a young girl, St. Mary Euphrasia witnessed that faith is expressed in action. In later years she would advise her novices concerning those in their care, “It is not enough that you love them, they must know that you love them.”

As a teenager, St. Mary Euphrasia attended boarding school in Tours, France, and became familiar with the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge who resided nearby. This Order had been founded by St. John Eudes in 1641. She was particularly attracted to the ministry of these sisters who cared for girls and women in difficult situations. Some of the girls were abandoned by their families or orphaned, some were forced into situations of prostitution in order to survive. The sisters provided shelter, food, vocational training, and an opportunity to turn their lives around. St. Mary Euphrasia entered the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge in Tours at the age of 18 and was given the religious name Mary Euphrasia.

Forming the Sisters of Saint Magdalen

While leader of the community at Tours, St. Mary Euphrasia formed a contemplative group for women who were past residents of their homes and who wished to live a contemplative life. Initially known as the Sisters of Saint Magdalen, they continue to live their identity as contemplative sisters within an apostolic congregation.

In 1829, St. Mary Euphrasia traveled to Angers, France, at the request of the bishop to establish a home in his diocese. Soon bishops from other cities started requesting the sisters to establish communities to minister to women and girls in their diocese. St. Mary Euphrasia responded readily to these requests. To better serve this purpose, she felt a need to expand the mission to wherever it was needed. She envisioned a governance structure that would allow the Congregation to expand globally.

St. Mary Euphrasia needed approval to reform the Congregation to be under one general government. This was given by the Church in 1835, resulting in the establishment of the new Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

On April 3, 1835, she became the first leader of the new Congregation. From that day forward all existing and new communities would be under the Mother House in Angers, France.

Mary Euphrasia beatified in 1940

St. Mary Euphrasia served as Congregational Leader for 33 years. By the time of her death in 1868, she had established 110 convents around the world. St. Mary Euphrasia was beatified on April 30, 1933. She was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1940. Her feast day is April 24.