GIOVANNA ANTIDA THOURET, saint. — Born at Sancey-le-Lond (Doubs) on 27 Nov. 1765, died at Naples on 24 Aug. 1826. Formed in compassion toward the poor and the sick, in goodness and self-denial, at the age of 16 she began to feel a strong religious vocation. After bitter struggles with her father, she donned the habit of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. Her novitiate was interrupted for health reasons, and she was sent to Burgundy and to Langres to recover; but the outbreak of the Revolution forced her, upon returning to Paris, to lay aside her habit and leave the house. After indescribable sufferings she reached Besançon, crossed into Switzerland, and, returning to Lancey, opened a school despite many difficulties, while also refusing to take the oath to the constitution.
After Robespierre had fallen and a relative calm had come, on 11 Apr. 1799 she opened a school for girls on the Rue Martelots in Besançon, which achieved excellent results. Soon several young women joined her, thus initiating the Charity (v.), which, with other houses, spread to many cities of France. Having withdrawn to Dole, she was able to devote herself more effectively to the organization and development of her work; for its dissemination she went to Naples in 1810 with seven religious, where, through bitter struggles, she succeeded in opening a new house. On 23 July 1819 Pius VII approved the new Institute, but Msgr. de Pressigny, bishop of Besançon, imbued with Gallican errors, refused to recognize the constitutions approved by Rome, forbade T. to return to Besançon and to consider herself superior of the houses in the diocese, claiming that he himself was the superior general of the Institute. T. died without having witnessed the unification of her work, which took place only after the death of de Pressigny; but the Institute she founded is today one of the largest and most widespread in the exercise of its many works of charity.
T. was beatified by Pius XI on 23 May 1926 and canonized on 14 Jan. 1934.