Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (Rosa Virginia)

 

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Rosa Virgínia grew up loving nature; she liked to play with her friends. She was very delicate and faithful in friendship. One day a colleague offered her a drawing of a rose on which she wrote: “Rose, I never found you with thorns!”

At age 11, he made his First Communion.

He was a happy, pious, dynamic and naughty child, a leader by nature. Difficult things attracted her, she liked to take risks!

While saying his evening prayer, he examined his conscience and asked God for forgiveness for his misdeeds. Rosa Virgínia Pelletier is the sixth of seven children of the couple Julian Pelletier and Ana Mourain.

The parents were from the Vendée, a region in the west of France where the population is mostly monarchical and very religious.

We are in 1794, in full revolution. The Church was persecuted and the couple was suspected of helping a priest to escape persecution and as a doctor, Dr. Pelletier treated monarchists and republicans indifferently, for which reason on 11.02.1794 they were arrested and the doors of his house in Soullans sealed. They were taken on foot to the Castle of Noirmoutier which served as a prison. Their five children between the ages of 3 and 10 were taken in by relatives and neighbors. They are judged on 05/10/1794 and released. But they are obliged to remain on the island, to be at the service of everyone, exercising their profession.

It was in this family environment, and in a politically troubled climate, that Rosa Virgínia was born   on July 31, 1796 and was baptized clandestinely. Post-Terror's only child, because the parents had not yet been authorized to go look for their children. Only on 11/18/1796, Dr. Julien Pelletier can return to Soullans in search of the 5 children brutally left two years ago.

The disturbances calmed down, but the island was marked by years of violence. Rosa Virgínia, always prayed 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Marys and 5 Glories... for the Church remembering the time of persecution.

 

She had a strong temper, so one day, a nun at the College where she studied, had this dialogue with her:          Rosa, you will be an angel or a demon!

• No! I will be Religious!

• You, with that temperament?!

• I know very well that I will have to fight, to correct myself, but I will be Religious!

1810 - Rosa Virginia is 14 years old. His mother, due to the situation of emptiness in which the family lived, marked by the political situation and the death of Mr. Pelletier decides to leave Noirmoutier, return to Soullans to be with his family and entrust Rosa Virgínia to a friend, Madame Chobelet, director of the boarding school of the Christian Association in Tours to complete her studies. The decision was imposed on Rosa Virginia and this will be a deep wound for her.

 

Rosa Virgínia had to leave her roots: - the house where she was born, her island, her friends, her mother... A rupture in her life, a suffering that crushed her, as she herself would say later: "Truly me I was very unhappy I cried a lot. I didn't understand why they sent me so far from my family..." With the announcement of her mother's death on 11.06.1813, (Rosa Virgínia had never seen her again) she states: "I thought dying of pain! "Then I turned seriously to God, I felt loved by Him, with an indescribable personal love..." At school he behaved in an exemplary way. There she found a teacher when she was still young, who supported her a lot in her decision about her vocation and with whom she maintained a deep friendship throughout her life.

 

From the windows of the school, Rosa Virgínia could see another one that caught her attention. He discovered that it was a “Refugio de Nossa Senhora da Caridade”, that is, a school for young people with moral and social difficulties, among others, and was run by nuns who had been founded by St. John Eudes in the 17th century. The more Rosa got to know them, the more enchanted she became, and she felt very deeply the call of Jesus who was calling her to dedicate her life to the service of those girls and women.

He then decided to respond with all his generosity despite the lack of understanding by the director of the College and, above all, the lack of authorization on the part of his tutor, as he was a minor. He finally obtained a license to enter, with the condition that he would only make Profession when he reached the age of majority.

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On October 20, 1814, he entered the novitiate. When it was time to change her baptismal name, as was customary at the time, she chose to call herself Teresa, but the Superior suggested that she choose the name of a lesser-known Saint... Rosa Virgínia looked in the book of saints and found the name of a saint he had never heard of, he chose this name: Sr. Maria de Santa Eufrásia. During the Novitiate, he devoted himself to reading and studying the Bible, which helped him a lot throughout his life, as he always knew how to find the right biblical answer.

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On September 9, 1817, he made his religious profession. He devoted himself with joy and enthusiasm to working with young people. Those who suffered the most were those who deserved the most attention and affection.

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When she was 29 years old, she was named Superior of the Community. Then you can give full rein to your apostolic action. Among others, he was asked to make a Foundation in the city of Angers. Full of joy and enthusiasm, she left ahead of the founders. The house they went to live in was a ruined factory. In Angers they experienced many difficulties. They didn't have money for flour, they didn't have beds, they slept in the attic on piles of straw. To buy candles to light themselves, they made bunches of carrots that a young woman would sell in the square... Despite everything, it was her motto never to close her doors to a young woman who came to ask for help. He said that although they were in great need, they had a miraculous providence watching over them. God made this providence present, particularly through the Count of Neuville, who gave up everything he had in favor of the nascent Work. This great benefactor, being very rich, ended up dying in extreme poverty!

 

God speaks through events, the Work grows and young forces are needed to dedicate themselves to such a great mission. The Convents were all autonomous, the Sisters could not move from one house to another, nor could they help each other. It was urgent to find a way to help each other. God inspired Mother Mary of Santa Eufrásia with the idea of a central government and it is for this cause that they will debate and go through great suffering until they get the approval of the Holy Father.

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From then on, a new Congregation emerged: Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. This Congregation will develop rapidly and spread across the five continents. When she died, aged 72, from cancer, Mother Maria Eufrásia left 110 houses open and flourishing on five continents.

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Her missionary sense was so great that she said: “I no longer want people to say that I am French, German, American or English, I come from every country where there are people to be saved!”

 

He left many writings, especially letters that always had a very personal and very affectionate nature.

Some of his phrases, which became famous and are authentic life mottos:   

"One person is worth more than the world!”

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart!”

"Nothing is impossible for love!"

"To do God's will I would go all over the world!"

"Love never says enough!"

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He spent his whole life doing good, being at the side of those who needed it most, especially the young women for whom he had a very special affection.

He died on the 24th of April and that is why we celebrate his feast on that day.

Before he died, he told us not to worry, because with God he would help us more.

He left as an inheritance to his spiritual daughters the zeal for people's salvation.

She was canonized on May 2, 1940 by Pius XII.

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