JAVOUHEY, Anne-Marie, Blessed. — Born at Jallanges in Burgundy on 10 Nov. 1779; died in Paris on 15 July 1851. A woman of the highest moral qualities, during the Revolution she began, while still fifteen years old, to hide non-juring priests and assist them in their clandestine ministry.
In 1806 she founded at Chalon-sur-Saône a religious congregation for the care of the sick and the education of youth, whose mother-house was transferred in 1812 to Cluny in the diocese of Autun and later to Paris. From 1817 the congregation also engaged in missionary work. The Blessed went to Senegal and then to French Guiana, where she carried out a grand-scale apostolate for the redemption of Negroes, work that was highly praised even by the French government. Famous is the remark of King Louis-Philippe: «Madame Javouhey! but she is a great man.»
In the consolidation of the Institute she had to endure great difficulties, during which her firmness and humility shone forth especially. She was beatified by Pius XII on 15 Oct. 1950.