Gojoz, Jeanne-Bénigne

GOJOZ, JEANNE-BÉNIGNE. - Mystic, b. at Vieux, near Champagne (Ain), on 20 July 1615, d. at Turin on 5 Nov. 1692. She entered at the age of 20 the first monastery of the Visitation of St. Mary at Annecy. Chosen by the foundress, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, she went with her to Turin in 1638 to found a monastery there, with which the Congregation of the Visitandines made its entry into Italy.

The place of her burial is unknown; the searches made after the French Revolution, and recently, have remained fruitless. She was favored with the highest gifts of prayer. Among these are clearly recognizable: contemplation, arid mystical union and ecstatic union, the reparative life and transforming union. During her most edifying life and one of recognized virtue, she had, according to her own testimony, frequent communications from God, whose content, concerning "the enchantment of Divine Love," instructions on the Mysteries, on Grace and on the exercise of the virtues, G. entrusted to writing (about 800 small sheets, manuscripts, at the Visitation of Turin) or confided orally to Mother Maria Elisabetta Geltrude of Provana of Leyni.