Over two hundred years ago in France - on August 29 1766 - a baby girl was born to Theodore Chavoin and his young wife, Jeanne. They called their daughter Jeanne-Marie. No one knew it then but she was to do something very special with her life.
When Jeanne-Marie was only four years old there was terrible trouble across the country of France. History books now refer to that event as the French Revolution because it was as if life in France was turned upside down
A new government took over and people who once had power were now
hunted down and many were killed. There was much hatred and violence
even against the Catholic Church. All
priests were expected to take an oath
of loyalty - not to God or the Pope, but
to the government. Those who refused were in danger of losing their lives.
In the small village of Coutouvre where the Chavoin family lived no one was killed or hurt but their parish priest. Fr Guillermet, was a very good man and did not wont to take the oath - so he. was arrested and forced to leave. the. country instead. The people would toke it in turns to offer their home for secret Masses to be said by other faithful priests and to hide the sacred vessels. The Chavoins did this too.
One day a priest in need of help came to Coutouvre. He was very frightened and distressed. He had taken the oath to the government but now he was sorry he had done so. No one would have anything to do with him - the faithful Catholics were ashamed of him and those who were on the side of the government would have handed him over to them. He had to find somewhere to hide.
It was the Chavoin family who decided to care for Monsieur Alex. They took him into their home and so Jeanne-Marie and her sister learned to show kindness to people whom no one else would help.
Over two hundred years ago in France - on August 29 1766 - a baby girl was born to Theodore Chavoin and his young wife, Jeanne. They called their daughter Jeanne-Marie. No one knew it then but she was to do something very special with her life.
