Anne de Xainctonge

The Worthy Anne de Xainctonge , was the founder of the Société of the Sisters of Holy Ursule of the Blessed Virgin, born with Dijon the November 21st 1567 (the same year as Saint François Dirty), died with Dole the June 8th 1621.

Biographical summary

She was the girl of Jean de Xainctonge, lawyer and adviser with the Parlement of Dijon and Marguerite Collard, both of noble birth and virtuous life. Window of the Hotel of Xainctonge Anne could see the College of the Jésuites and note the quality of completed work by the Fathers. It is during a Mass celebrated in their church, whereas it had been struck with the sight the beginners receiving the Holy Communion, that the idea came to him from its future work for the education of the girls. She considered that such an occupation was appropriate for nuns, enabling them to reconcile working life and contemplative life. To found a female order not cloister, to open public schools of girls where education would be free and nonpaying, were then new ideas to which the prejudices of the time as well as the blind love of his/her parents were opposed deeply.

Thanks to the councils of the Fathers Jesuits Villars and Gentil, it surmounted all the obstacles and résussit to be opened, June 16th 1606, with Claudine de Boisset and another companion, its first convent with Dole in Franche-Comté (then Spanish territory ). The Compagnie was founded with Notre Dame as general, Sainte Ursule as lieutenant and the rule of Saint Ignace as bases improvement.

During fifteen years Anne was an alive model of all the religious virtues. She founded new houses as its company developed, in the East of France and in Suisse. After its death its reputation of “heroic holiness” and the graces which it obtained by its intercession allowed the opening of a procedure of beatification which could not succeed because all the documents had been destroyed at the time of the many wars of this period, then at the time of the French revolution. The lawsuit in beatification was renewed thereafter and Anne de Xainctonge was declared Vénérable the November 24th 1900.

Quotation

“the sisters will not carry large torches which throw one day shining in the Church, but of small lamps which will light the young girls, the maidservants, the poor and the women, to make known and adore God by his divine Fils Our Lord” (Constitutions 15).

See too

Company of the Sisters of Holy Ursule of the Blessed Virgin

External bond

biographical Note on the site of the house of the Ursulines of Turns.

Source

Encyclopedia Catholica (Public domain).

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