St. Joan Elizabeth Bichier des Âges (26 August): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

On August 26, Butler’s Lives of the Saints commemorates St. Joan Elizabeth Bichier des Âges, virgin and co-founder of the Daughters of the Cross. Born in France in 1773, Elizabeth came of age during the upheaval of the French Revolution. After defending her family’s property from confiscation, she dedicated herself completely to Jesus and Mary and intensified her life of prayer, charity, and service to the poor. Under the direction of St. Andrew Fournet, she was told that her vocation was not to flee the world, but to rebuild what religious division and revolution had destroyed: “There are in it many ruins to rebuild and much ignorance to remedy.” Elizabeth instructed children, cared for the sick and needy, helped restore Catholic life, and eventually co-founded the Daughters of the Cross. The congregation spread rapidly throughout France, opening schools and convents and serving rural communities. Her life was marked by hardship, obedience, physical suffering, exhausting travel, and relentless work. Yet witnesses remembered her as kind, resolute, intelligent, hardworking, profoundly humble, and calm in every storm. She died on August 26, 1838, after ten days of agony borne with heroic patience, and was canonized in 1947. St. Joan Elizabeth Bichier des Âges, pray for us. #StJoanElizabeth #CatholicSaints #ButlersLivesOfTheSaints #CatholicHistory #FrenchRevolution #DaughtersOfTheCross #CatholicFaith #SaintOfTheDay #CatholicWomen #SensusFidelium 00:00 St. Joan Elizabeth Bichier des Âges 00:17 Childhood & Compassion for the Poor 00:51 Convent School in Poitiers 01:15 Her Father Dies During the Revolution 01:24 Fighting to Save Her Family Property 02:01 A Life Consecrated to Jesus & Mary 02:31 Prayer, Piety & Good Works 02:48 Keeping the Faith During Religious Upheaval 03:02 Meeting St. Andrew Fournet 03:17 “Many Ruins to Rebuild” 03:33 Serving the Sick, Poor & Children 03:55 A Radical Choice of Simplicity 04:29 The Call to Found a Religious Community 04:54 Formation for Religious Life 05:17 The New Community Takes Shape 05:25 Teaching Children & Caring for the Sick 05:33 Reparation to the Blessed Sacrament 05:50 Founding the Daughters of the Cross 06:07 Trials, Fasting & Austerity 06:31 A Great Test of Obedience & Humility 07:03 Thirteen New Convents 07:20 Expansion Across Rural France 07:45 St. Michael Garicoïts 08:16 Death of St. Andrew Fournet 08:31 Declining Health & Severe Suffering 08:54 Her Holy Death — August 26, 1838 09:02 Canonization & Stories of Her Charity 09:10 Helping a Sick Enemy 09:52 Living the Christian Ideal 10:01 Her Extraordinary Character 10:18 Serenity in Every Storm https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/august/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴