“Be a milestone where all those who are tired have the right to lay down their load.”
Early Childhood
Rosalie Rendu was born Jeanne Marie Rendu on 9 September 1786 in Confort, France. She was the eldest of four girls, and with their parents, they lived a simple life in the mountains. Her parents were small land-owners and were well-respected.
When Jeanne was three years old, the French Revolution broke out in France. In 1790, the adhesion by oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was imposed. Many priests, faithful to the Church, refused this oath. They were expelled from their parishes, some were put to death, others had to hide to avoid prosecution. The house of the Rendu family becomes a refuge for these refractory priests. Concern of what might happen to them was not the overriding concern while serving others.It is in this atmosphere of solid faith, constantly exposed to the danger of denunciation, that Jeanne Marie is educated. She made her first communion one night, in the cellar of her house, by the light of a candle. This exceptional climate forged her character
Following the death of her father and baby sister, at age 9 Jeanne helped her mother look after the family. She was sent to a boarding school for two years to get a good education. While there, during the walk in the city, Jeanne discovered a hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick. Her mother gave her permission to spend some time at the hospital, and Jeanne soon felt called by God to become a Daughter of Charity.
Her Works
On May 25, 1802, two years after the reopening of the novitiate which had been closed by the revolutionaries, Jeanne entered the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity and received the name Rosalie. She was 16 years old. She was quickly sent to the house of the Daughters of Charity in the Mouffetard district to serve the poor. At the time, this was the most miserable neighborhood in the capital, which was in full expansion. Poverty in all its forms, psychological and spiritual misery, disease, insalubrious slums, and destitution were the daily lot of the inhabitants trying to survive. Jeanne Marie, did her “apprenticeship” there by visiting the sick and the poor.
Her closeness to the harsh reality of the inhabitants allowed her to understand their needs and to create a whole network of works to meet them. To help all those who suffered, she opened a dispensary, a pharmacy, a school, an orphanage, an oratory for young workers, a house for the elderly without resources…
She lived through three epidemics of cholera and smallpox and two revolutions (1830 and 1870), during which she came to the aid of all without distinction:
She often repeated to her sisters:
“A Daughter of Charity is like a milestone on which all those who are tired have the right to lay down their burden“
“I am a Daughter of Charity, I have no flag, I come to the aid of the unfortunate wherever I meet them“
She was also one of the first to fight against child labor and despite the obstacles, she opened the first nurseries to educate them and allow humble women to work to feed their families.
“Why forbid poor women -as if it were a fault-, what women from wealthy backgrounds do when they entrust their children to nannies, sometimes far away, to have more freedom?“
As well as assisting the disadvantaged in the streets and in their homes, Sister Rosalie showed great courage and leadership during the bloody uprisings that took place in France in 1830 and 1848. During the battles, Sister Rosalie would risk her life by climbing up on the barricades to help wounded soldiers, regardless of which side they were fighting on.
Her dedication and kindness contributed to her fame. Her reputation quickly spread to all the districts of the capital, and beyond, to the provincial cities. Donations poured in quickly, the rich could not resist this persuasive woman; even the sovereigns who succeeded one another at the head of the country did not forget her. Bishops, priests, ambassadors, writers and generals were often seen in the parlour of the community. Students aspiring to great careers: in law, in medicine, students of the École Normale and the École Polytechnique, each one coming to Sister Rosalie for advice, information, a “good work” to accomplish.
Sr. Roslie Rendu and Fredrick Ozanam
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam accompanied her on her visits to the most destitute, which later led him to found the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. She taught Frederic Ozanam and his group how to visit the poor. She would give them advice on the Christian way to go to the poor, to respect them and to consider them as brothers and sisters, rich in humanness. With her they learned to see Christ in the poor.
Her Death and Beatifiction
Although her health was always fragile, Sister Rosalie never rested; she preferred to keep serving the poor. Eventually, her huge workload – combined with her age and increased frailty – broke her resistance and she became progressively blind during the last two years of her life. Sister Rosalie died on 7 February 1856, after a short illness. The emotion was considerable in the neighborhood, in all social circles in Paris and in the provinces. After the celebration of her funeral in the church of Saint Médard, a huge and very emotional crowd followed her body to the Montparnasse cemetery. They came to express their admiration for the work accomplished and their affection for this extraordinary Sister.
Sister Rosalie Rendu was beatified by Saint John Paul II in 2003. Her feast day is February 7th.
“In an era troubled by social conflicts, Rosalie Rendu joyfully made herself the servant of the poorest, to give back to each one his dignity, by material help, by education and teaching of the Christian mystery, pushing Frederic Ozanam to put himself at the service of the poor. Her charity was inventive. Where did she find the strength to do so much? It was in her intense life of prayer and in her unceasing prayer of the rosary, which never left her side. Her secret was simple: as a true daughter of Vincent de Paul, like another nun of her time, St. Catherine Labouré, she saw in every man the face of Christ. Let us give thanks for the witness of charity that the Vincentian family never ceases to give to the world” – Saint John Paul II
Quotes from Blessed Sr Rosalie Rendu
“Be a milestone where all those who are tired have the right to lay down their load.”
“The poor will call you names. The coarser they are, the more worthy you must be of them. Remember that these rags hide Our Lord from you “
“If you want someone to love you, love first, and if you have nothing to give, give yourself!“
“Hunt down poverty in order to give humanity its dignity.”
“A Sister will go ten times a day to see those who are sick, and ten times a day you will find God there…”
“Never have I prayed so well as in the streets.”