Saint Emily de Rodat

Also known as

• Marie Guillemette Emilie de Rodat
• Emilie de Rodat

Memorial

• 19 September

Profile

Raised by her grandmother. Educated at Maison Sain-Cyr, Villefrance, France, and at age 18, she became a teacher there. Drawn to religious life, she joined three different orders, but was not comfortable with any of them. In 1815 she began tutoring poor children on her own time, and by 1816 had founded a free school with three assistants and 40 students. This formed the foundation of a teaching institute that has since become the Religious Congregation of the Holy Family of Villefranche. Within her life they had established 38 institutions, and were caring for women in unfortunate circumstances, orphans, prisoners, retirement homes for aged religious, and the elderly in general.

Born

• 6 September 1787 at Chateau Druelles, Rodez, Aveyron, France as Marie Guillemette Emilie de Rodat

Died

• 19 September 1852 in Villefranche, Aveyron, France of cancer

Venerated

• 19 May 1901 by Pope Leo XIII (decree of heroic virtue)

Beatified

• 9 June 1940 by Pope Pius XII

Canonized

• 23 April 1950 by Pope Pius XII

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Hagiography Circle
• Kirken i Norge
• Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler, edited by Michael Walsh
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• Sisters of the Holy Family

Readings

I was sixteen years of age when I learned to know Our Lord. This experience overwhelmed me and I wanted God and only God. - Saint Emily de Rodat

MLA Citation

• “Saint Emily de Rodat”. Saints.SQPN.com. 12 August 2010. Web. 22 May 2013. <http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-emily-de-rodat/>