August 26 | Saint Jeanne Elizabeth des Bichier des Anges

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 being 16 years old. You've grown up in a wealthy, noble family, safe and comfortable. But then, almost overnight, the world completely turns upside down.

The year is 1789, and the French Revolution has just broken out. For a teenager of noble birth, this isn't just history from a textbook. This is real, dangerous life. The streets are filled with absolute chaos. There is a massive societal upheaval, and worst of all, a vicious, growing hatred directed right at the church. Your noble status suddenly puts a target on your back. Practicing your Catholic faith openly could put you in serious danger.

Witnessing these terrifying events didn't make future Saint-Jean-Elisabeth-de-Béchier-de-Angers power. It deeply affected her and sparked a fire inside her soul. She was born into French nobility on July 5, 1773, in Leblanc, France. As we talked about in the intro, the French Revolution exploded right when she was a 16-year-old girl. But the tragedy didn't stop with the revolution. When Jeanne was in her early 20s, in the year 1796, her father passed away.

Following her father's death, Jean and her mother had to pack up their lives and move to a place called La Guimetière. Now, if it were me, I might just want to keep my head down and stay out of trouble. But Jean was built differently. Right in the middle of this intense political upheaval and extreme hatred toward the church, she took a massive risk. She opened a school. She used this school to boldly She was able to teach and defend the Catholic faith while also dedicating herself to serving the poor in her community.

Eventually, Jean's mother passed away, and Jean took the next big step in her journey by entering a Carmelite convent. But her story takes a super interesting twist here. She became close friends with a man named St. Andrew Fournette. Father Fournette wasn't just any regular priest. He was a rebel. He flat out refused to make a mandatory pledge of allegiance to the new revolutionary government. Because he refused to compromise his faith for the government, he was essentially forced to work under the radar.

Imagine an undercover agent, but for God. Taking this undercover priest's advice, Gene first joined an organization called the Society of Providence, but they realized they could do even more. Later on, Gene and Father Fournette teamed up to co-found an entirely new religious order, which they called the Daughters of the Cross. This wasn't just a new order. It was a rescue mission. The primary goal of this religious order was to provide deep faith formation and vital physical care for the sick and the poor who had been left behind by society.

Jean dedicated the rest of her life to this mission. By the time she died on August 26, 1838, the order she helped start had exploded in growth, successfully opening over 60 houses across France. Because of her incredible legacy, she was officially canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII on July 6, 1947.

Your challenge this week is to do something bold for your faith, or for someone in need, even if it feels unpopular. You don't have to start a secret religious order, but you can proudly make the sign of the cross and pray in the cafeteria before you eat, even if people are looking. You can volunteer to help the poor in your own neighborhood.

Find your own under-the-radar mission this week, just like Jean and her friend St. Andrew Fournette. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.