Julie Billiart, Virgin and Religious

Mary Rose Julie Billiart was born in northern France. She was exceptionally gifted, but with little education at the age of seven, she memorized the catechism and taught the children in her village its lessons. She celebrated her First Communion at the age of nine, ordinarily reserved for adults. Because of a robbery, then later a shooting of her father, she became partially paralyzed and confined to bed. She spent several hours a day praying, and catechizing young children gathered at her bed. She had to escape persecution for her faith and eventually began the Sisters of Notre Dame. She is the patron of those suffering from illness or impoverishment.