St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (18 November): "She Who Prays Always"

About this sermon

Today’s reflection highlights the remarkable journey of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769–1852)—a woman of noble birth whose life was marked by dramatic upheaval, deep faith, and relentless commitment to God’s will. From surviving the devastation of the French Revolution, to rebuilding a destroyed convent, to traveling across the ocean at nearly 50 years old to evangelize in the American frontier, her story is one of astonishing resilience. Born in Grenoble, France, Rose Philippine felt called to religious life at a young age. Despite her family’s resistance, she entered the Sisters of the Visitation at 19—just years before the Revolution expelled nuns, shuttered convents, and plunged the nation into chaos. Forced back home, she spent nearly a decade living her vows privately, caring for the poor and suffering. Once peace returned, she helped restore her former convent—only to face more upheaval that led her to join the newly formed Society of the Sacred Heart, founded by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. After years of service in France, she finally fulfilled her long-held dream: missionary work in the New World. Arriving in Louisiana in 1818, she confronted harsh conditions: poverty, extreme weather, language barriers, and frontier hardship. Yet she pressed on, founding schools, establishing convents, and evangelizing tirelessly. When she later served among the Potawatomi people in Kansas, they affectionately named her “The Woman Who Prays Always.” St. Rose Philippine Duchesne died in 1852 at age 83. Her incorrupt body, discovered at her exhumation, testifies to her sanctity. Canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988, she remains a model of perseverance, missionary zeal, and complete surrender to God’s will. May we ask St. Rose Philippine Duchesne to intercede for us, that we may follow her courage and trust in God—especially in times of uncertainty and trial. ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Opening blessing 00:13 – Introduction: Feast of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne 00:40 – Early life and noble upbringing in France 01:23 – First calling to religious life 02:18 – Entrance into the Visitation convent 02:57 – French Revolution forces her return home 03:32 – Life in exile and service to the poor 04:52 – Return to the ruined convent after the Revolution 05:16 – Joining the Society of the Sacred Heart 06:07 – Educating young girls in France 06:57 – Call to missionary work in America 07:35 – Journey to New Orleans in 1818 08:01 – Establishing the first Sacred Heart house in America 08:43 – Harsh frontier conditions and perseverance 09:51 – Mission to Kansas at age 72 10:26 – Nickname: “She Who Prays Always” 10:58 – Final years and holy death 11:44 – Lessons from her suffering and courage 13:00 – Spiritual application for today 14:20 – Closing prayer and blessing Please remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.us for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.us/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintRosePhilippineDuchesne #CatholicSaints #CatholicHomily #TraditionalCatholic #CatholicHistory #AmericanCatholicHistory #SacredHeartSisters #MissionarySaints #FrenchRevolutionHistory #CatholicFaith #Catholi