Mary of Saint Euphrasia, Saint

MARIA di SANT'EUFRASIA, saint. - Rosa Virginia Pelletier, foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, b. at Noirmoutier (Vendée) on 31 July 1796, d. at Angers on 24 Apr. 1868. In 1814 she entered the Institute of Our Lady of Refuge at Tours, founded by s. Giovanni Eudes, and had the opportunity to acquire firsthand experience of that work of redemption for fallen and abandoned young women.

contradictions in transforming that refuge into a radiating and governing centre of a distinct religious institution, and in 1835 she obtained pontifical approval for II. Admirable were the fruits gathered and admirable its spread in civilized lands and in the missions. At her death, she left 2,376 sisters in 120 houses, inhabited by 962 Magdalenes, 6,272 endangered young women, 8,433 orphans and protected girls, boarders and externs. She was beatified on 30 Apr. 1933; canonized on 2 May 1940. Feast on 24 Apr. 1933; BBL.: H. Pasquier, La vie de la rêv. mère Marie de Ste Euphrasie, 2 vols., Paris 1894; C. Portais, La vén. mère Marie de Ste Euphrasie, 2 vols., ibid. 1898; M. L. Handley, Suor M. Eufraxia Pelletier, Rome 1940. Celestino Testore