JEANNE ANTIDE THOURET, Saint. - Born at Sancey-le-Lond (Doubs) on 27 Nov. 1765, died at Naples on 24 Aug. 1826. Formed in compassion for 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 took the habit of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. Her novitiate having been interrupted for reasons of health, she was sent to Burgundy and to Langres to recover; but the outbreak of the Revolution forced her, on her return to Paris, to lay aside the habit and leave the house. After unheard-of sufferings she reached Besançon, passed into Switzerland, and, having returned to Lancey, opened a school through many difficulties, refusing moreover to take the oath to the constitution.
After the fall of Robespierre and with the coming of a relative calm, on 11 Apr. 1799 in the rue Martelots at Besançon she opened a school for little girls which gave excellent results. Before long some young ladies joined her, thus giving rise to the Institute of the Sisters of Charity (v.), which with other houses spread to many cities of France. Having retired to Dole, she was better able to attend to the organization and development of her work, for the spread of which she went in 1810 with 7 religious to Naples, where she succeeded, through bitter struggles, 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 the superior of the houses of the diocese, regarding himself as the superior general of the Institute. T. died without having seen the unification of her work, which took place only after the death of de Pressigny, but the Institute founded by her is today one of the most numerous and widespread for the exercise of manifold works of charity.
T. was beatified by Pius XI on 23 May 1926 and canonized on 14 Jan. 1934.
Bibliography
Silverio Mattei