Jeanne Delanoue

Infobox Saint
name= Saint Jeanne Delanoue
birth_date= birth date|1666|6|18|mf=y
death_date= death date and age|1736|8|17|1666|6|18|mf=y
feast_day= August 17
venerated_in= Roman Catholic Church


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birth_place= Saumur, France
death_place= Fencet, France
titles= Foundress
beatified_date= November 8, 1947
beatified_place=
beatified_by= Pope Pius XII
canonized_date= October 31, 1982
canonized_place=
canonized_by= Pope John Paul II
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Jeanne Delanoue (Saint Joan of the Cross) (June 18, 1666 – August 17, 1736) is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church from France and founder of the order Congregation of St. Anne of Providence.

Biography

Early life

Jeanne was born in Saumur in Anjoú, France, as the youngest of twelve children. Throughout much of her childhood and early life she was described as egotistical, thinking only of herself. Her parents owned a drapery store which she took over at the age of 25 when her mother died. She provided accommodations to pilgrims who were visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Ardillier. However, her only intent was to make money off of them which was apparent when she opened her store on Sundays, an uncommon practice during that time.

Conversion

On Pentecost 1693, Jeanne encountered a woman named Francoise Fouchet, who predicted Jeanne would one day care for the poor. This prediction was met with skepticism, but as time passed, caring for the less fortunate is exactly what Jeanne did. She soon began caring for orphans and lived a spiritual life. As she converted her ways, many doubted her sincerity but she was not discouraged. Jeanne, along with other women who shared her vision of helping the needy, founded the order Sisters of Saint Anne of Providence of Samur. The order was formally recognized in 1704.

Jeanne Delanoue died on August 17, 1736 at Fencet, France of natural causes.

Legacy

The order Jeanne founded was renamed "Congregation of St. Anne of Providence" on December 3, 1964. She was canonized in October 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

External links

* [http://www.christdesert.org/cgi-bin/martyrology.dynamic.5.cgi?name=jeanne_delanoue Christ Desert Monastery Bio]
* [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintj2b.htm Jeanne of the Cross Delanoue] at Patron Saints Index
* [http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19821031_delanoue_en.html Vatican biography]