SAINT JULIE BILLIART

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SAINT JULIE BILLIART
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• Mary Rose Julie Billiart was born in Belgium in
  1751. Her uncle, the village school teacher,
  taught her to read and write. She especially
  loved to study her catechism.

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In fact, when she was just seven, Julie would
explain the faith to other little children. She
had a great love for the Eucharist, too.
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When her parents became poor, she worked hard to
help support the family. She even went to harvest
the crops. Yet she always found time to pray, to
visit the sick, and to teach catechism.
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An attempt on her fathers life caused her to
become paralyzed and eventually lose her ability
to walk.
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Many years later she was cured by a
miracle.
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When the French Revolution broke out, Julies
reputation for holiness made her the object of
the revolutionists anger. In spite of
persecution and personal suffering, Julie
retained her unshakeable confidence in the good
God.
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She fled to Compiegne where, in a vision, God
showed Julie her future work, the foundation of a
religious group marked by the Cross.
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On February 2, 1804, Julie Billiart and Françoise
Blin de Bourdon vowed themselves to God as
Sisters of Notre Dame and promised to devote
themselves to the education of young girls,
especially the poor, and to the formation of
teachers.
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"Oh, how good is the good God." This well-known
expression came from the heart of Julie
Billiarts experience.
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Julie Billiart died on April 8, 1816, only 12
years after the founding of her religious
community. She was canonized on June 22, 1969.
The Church celebrates her feast day on May 13.
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She is often called the Smiling Saint.
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"Ah, qu'il est bon le bon Dieu!"