Lucie Coutaz (9 May 1899 – 16 May 1982) was a French clerical worker who belonged to the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and afterwards assisted

Abbé Pierre Abbé Pierre, OFM Cap, (born Henri Marie Joseph Grouès; 5 August 191222 January 2007) was a French Catholic priest, member of the Resistance during World War II, and deputy of the Popular Republican Movement (MRP). In 1949, he founded the Em ...

in setting up the charity

Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...

Early life and career

She was born in

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

, and as a 16-year-old office worker suffered a paralysis caused by

Pott disease Pott disease is tuberculosis of the spine, usually due to haematogenous spread from other sites, often the lungs. The lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae areas of the spine are most often affected. It causes a kind of tuberculous arthrit ...

, from which she recovered after a pilgrimage to

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Château ...

in 1921. Having completed secretarial training, she became a social worker and a union leader in the French Confederation of Christian Workers. The information office where she worked was used as a cover by the French Resistance. In 1943, she agreed to shelter Henry Grouès (alias Abbé Pierre) from the Gestapo, and this began a relationship that would last for almost forty years. The abbé took refuge in North Africa, but returned after the war to seek her out. He was now almoner of the "Maison du Marin" in Paris and asked her to accompany him there. Although reluctant to leave Grenoble, she agreed. His political activities took up so much of his time that she considered leaving.

Post-war

She was awarded the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

with bronze star in 1945. After the war, she continued as secretary to the Abbé Pierre, and she became known as “Mother Coutaz” by the people in need who visited his offices. Some colleagues referred to her as "Lucie la Terreur". The abbé himself said that, without Lucie, Emmaus, which was founded in 1949, would never have existed. During France's exceptionally cold winter of 1954, the charity was almost overwhelmed by its task, and the abbé appealed publicly for assistance, while Lucie Coutaz looked after the day-to-day management. As a result, the first Emmaus communities were created. At the age of 82, she again suffered a paralysis; among her last words were, "Maintenant, mission accomplie." Her book, ''40 ans avec l'Abbé Pierre'', was published in 1988. She is buried close to the abbé (who died in 2007) in the village of Esteville, his former home.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coutaz, Lucie 1899 births 1982 deaths French anti-poverty advocates French Resistance members