May 23 | Saint Jane Antide Thouret

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine standing completely alone in front of angry government officials. They tell you to strip off your uniform, abandon your entire way of life, and go back home to live quietly like everyone else. If you say no, you won't just be arrested.

You will be brutally beaten, maybe even killed. What would you do? Would you give in to save yourself? Today's saint didn't. When she was ordered by the authorities of the French Revolution to abandon her religious habit and return to a secular life, she bravely looked them in the eye and refused. For her incredible courage, she was badly beaten, but she did not break. Today, we are talking about an unstoppable force of nature, Saint Jane Antidae Thoret.

Jane was born in the town of Sancy, France, in the year 1765. She didn't come from money or power. In fact, she was born into a poor family. When Jane was 16 years old, tragedy struck her family when her mother passed away. That meant Jane had to immediately step up and take charge of running her entire household. She clearly had a heart for serving others, because by the time she was 22, Jane packed her bags and headed to Paris. There, she joined the Vincentian sisters, dedicating her days to caring for the sick in the city's hospitals.

Everything seemed to be falling into place, but history had other plans. The French Revolution broke out. During the revolution, priests and religious brothers and sisters were heavily targeted. Why? Because the revolutionaries thought that these religious figures were secretly teamed up with the wealthy, upper-class members of society, known as the bourgeoisie. Because of this assumption, religious men and women were hunted down, banished, beaten, or killed. Or even killed? This brings us back to that terrifying moment from our intro. Jane was ordered to ditch her religious habit and go back to her hometown to live a normal, secular life.

She courageously refused and took a terrible beating from the authorities for it. Jane eventually did return to her hometown of Sansei, but not to live the quiet, secular life the government demanded. Instead, she went right back to doing what she did best. She cared for the sick people in her town, and boldly started a brand new school for girls.

Unfortunately, the government's persecution of religious people only got worse, and Jane was forced to run for her life, fleeing across the border into Switzerland. When even Switzerland wasn't safe enough, she had to pack up and flee to Germany. She was a refugee on the run, but her spirit never faded.

Eventually, Jane was able to make her way back to Switzerland. In 1799, despite everything she had been through, she founded a hospital, another school, and an entirely new religious community called the Daughters of St. Vincent de Paul. Earlier, in 1797 in Benzon, France, she had also founded a school for young girls, and a community known as the Thaurit Sisters. This woman simply could not be stopped from helping people. Her courage and fortitude lasted her entire life, right up until she died of natural causes in 1828, 30 years after she founded her community.

Her order outlived her, eventually expanding into both France and Italy. In 1934, Jane was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XI. This week, inspired by Saint Jane, look around your own house. Are your parents stressed? Is there a sibling who needs help? Don't wait to be asked. Jump in. Do the dishes, help make dinner, or help someone with their homework. And more importantly, remember her unbreakable courage. When people pressure you to abandon your beliefs or stop doing the right thing, stand your ground.

You might not face an angry mob of revolutionaries, but sometimes standing up to peer pressure takes the exact same kind of bravery. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.