Julie Billiart (1751-1816)

Feast Day: April 8
Canonized: June 22, 1969

From a young age, this future saint showed a strong interest in religion and helping the sick and poor. By age seven, she memorized the catechism and taught it to other children. Her early peaceful life turned turbulent when her family’s business failed. By age 21, she witnessed an attempted murder of her father. Weakened by such traumas, an illness left Billiart paralyzed by her early 30s.

St. Julie Billiart

For the next two decades, she taught catechism lessons from her bed, offered spiritual advice and attracted visitors drawn by her holiness. When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, she hid fugitive priests, which placed her in danger and forced her to flee her home. In 1794, Billiart met Francoise Blin deBourdon, later known as Mother St. Joseph. Together they founded the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, an order dedicated to the Christian education of poor children and the training of religious teachers.

Under Billiart’s direction, the order flourished and she became its Superior General. During a mission in 1804, a priest ordered Billiart to walk — and she did after being an invalid for 22 years. She died in Belgium at age 66. She is a patron against poverty, bodily ills and disease.

BRIAN FRAGA is a Legatus magazine staff writer.