Saint Anne Marie Eugenie of Jesus was born on August 25, 1817 in France and died on this date in Paris in 1898. Today, we’d say her family was culturally Catholic; she made her first communion when she was twelve, but otherwise, her parents were not very involved
in their faith. Due to financial issues and the death of her mother, she spent much of her teen years with a rich family friend.
It was during Lent the year she turned nineteen that a homily at the Cathedral of Notre Dame set Anne Marie Eugenie’s heart and soul on fire. She later told the priest: “Your words gave me a faith which henceforth nothing was to shake.”
Anne Marie Eugenie was just twenty-two when she founded what would become the Congregation of the Religious of the Assumption, an order that remains committed today to teaching, parish work, and community development.
Saint Anne Marie Eugenie de Jesus said: “Each of us has a mission on earth. It is simply a question of seeking how God can use us to make his Gospel known and lived.”
Figuring out our mission on earth can seem harder than it is. Consider today’s saint’s words, and ask God what he wants from you. Perhaps the answer will come during a Lenten homily.
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