Joan Antide Thouret (1765–1826)

Biography

As a child she had to dedicate herself to herding cattle, which favored her taste for solitude, prayer and detachment from the world. At the age of 16, she had to take charge of the house, taking care of a dozen people, which she did very well, taking advantage of all the resources, and resulting in a more comfortable life for the entire family. Juana decided to dedicate her life to the service of the poor, despite family resistance, who opposed this because she would have to abandon her family obligations, and she joined the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in Paris. Due to the anti-religious laws of her country, Juana had to return to her hometown, where she continued working with the poor and sick. After a time, she was able to found, with some companions who joined her, the congregation of the Sisters of Charity who consecrated themselves to God in the service of the poor. Three years before she died, Juana was sad that her community, due to internal intrigues, was divided into two branches that would only be reunited until 1954. Throughout her life, Juana demonstrated intelligence, breadth of ideas and strong sensitivity, as well as a mature and tender maternal feeling. The irradiation of Joan's holiness must also be measured by the spread of the institute and by the fruits of holiness that have been collected in her daughters, since some of them, like Saint Agustina Pietrantoni, are already canonized, and two others are in the process of beatification.