 |
| Image: Emily de Vialar |
The following is from Wikipedia:
Emily de Vialar was born on 12 September 1797 to Antoinette Portal and Jacques de Vialar. At a young age, Saint Emily was taught by her mother how to read and was also taught of God’s existence. Emily was born 3 years after the Reign of Terror, in the same year as Pope Pius VI was taken prisoner by French troops. She was the oldest of 3 children and was baptized in secret. At age 7, Emily moved to a boarding school in Paris. After a long journey, her mother got a horrible sickness. Antoinette’s father was trying to cure her as he lived in Paris and was also a doctor. However, on 17 September 1810, at the age of 35, her mother died. Poor Emily was only 15 when her died. She argued with her father daily, who wanted to pursue a religious life. In private, she lived a life of celibacy and prayer.
After many years spent between family tyranny and minor worldly pleasures, Emily decided to turn to God for help. She started helping local poor people in need but her father was furious. He would shout at her for helping out. She also helped with unfortunate women in her town get a better education. On Christmas she and 3 other women founded the sisters of Saint Joseph of the apparition. The congregation spread through Algeria, Tunisia, Greece, Malta, Jerusalem, and the Balkans. Emily and 17 other sisters received a formal approval for the rule of congregation in 1835.
After years, her grandfather had died and left a huge fortune for Emily and her brothers. And with that money, she decided to open her congregation. With that, she left her father’s house on Christmas Day, 1832.
