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Born to Antony Bichier, lord of
Agnes, and Marie Augier de Moussac. From ages ten through nineteen she was
educated at a convent at Poitiers, France. When her father died, she
returned home to keep her family's property from being confiscated by the
state. She won the court battle to retain the property, and she and her
mother moved to La Guimetiere.
The town still suffered the effects of the French Revolution; it didn't
even have a priest, much less religious communities. Jeanne Elizabeth
gathered the remaining faithful together to pray, read Scripture, and sing
hymns. Lived for a while with the Carmelites and the Society of Providence
to learn about religious life firsthand.
She soon heard of Saint Andrew Fournet, who practiced a similar ministry
in a nearby city; in 1797 she met him, and asked for his help. The two
quickly became friends, and together founded the Daughters of the Cross of
Saint Andrew to care for the sick and the poor, and to help educate the
people of rural France. Jeanne Elizabeth was the first superior of the
community, and by 1830 the community had sixty houses scattered throughout
France. A men's congregation, Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betherran was
formed alongside the Daughters.
Born: July 1773 at La Blanc, France
Died: 26 August 1838 of natural causes
Canonized: 1947 by Pope Pius XII
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj40.htm
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