Élisabeth Arrighi Leseur (16 October 1866 – 3 May 1914), born ''Pauline Élisabeth Arrighi'', was a French mystic best known for her spiritual diary and the conversion of her husband, Félix Leseur (1861–1950), a medical doctor and well known leader of the French anti-clerical, atheistic movement. The cause for the

beatification Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...

of Élisabeth Leseur was opened in 1934. Her current status in the process is that of a

Servant of God Servant of God () is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression ''Servant of God'' appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in ...

Life

Élisabeth was born in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to a wealthy

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and Aristocracy (class), aristocracy. They are tradition ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

family of

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

n descent. She had had hepatitis as a child, and it recurred throughout her life with attacks of varying severity. Well-to-do by birth and marriage, she was a part of a social group that was cultured, educated, and generally antireligious.Ruffing RSM, Janet K., ''Elizabeth Laseur: A Strangely Forgotten Modern Saint'', in ''Lay Sanctity, Medieval and Modern'', Ann W. Astrell, ed.
/ref> The attachment of the couple was strong, though overshadowed by the childlessness of the marriage and their ever-growing religious disagreement. Rather conventionally religious in her younger years, Élisabeth Leseur was prompted by the attacks of her husband against Christianity and religion to probe deeper into her faith. She thus underwent a religious conversion at the age of thirty-two. From this time on, she saw her major task in praying for the conversion of her husband, while remaining patient with his constant attacks on her faith. When she was able, she worked on charitable projects for poor families and funded other charitable activities. Largely unknown by her husband, she had a vast spiritual correspondence for many years. She was concerned about the "poor" or the "least," but her deteriorating health restricted her ability to respond to this concern. In 1907 her health deteriorated to the extent that she was forced to lead a primarily sedentary life, receiving visitors and directing her household from a

chaise longue A chaise longue (; , ) is an upholstered sofa in the shape of a chair that is long enough to support the legs of the sitter. In modern French, the term ''chaise longue'' refers to any long reclining chair, such as a deckchair. In English, ...

. In 1911 she had surgery and radiation for a malignant tumor, recovered, and then was bedridden by July 1913. She died from generalized cancer in May 1914.

Spirituality

From the beginning, she organized her spiritual life around a disciplined pattern of prayer, meditation, reading, sacramental practice, and writing. Charity was the organizing principle of her asceticism. In her approach to mortification, she followed Saint

Francis de Sales Francis de Sales, Congregation of the Oratory, C.O., Order of Minims, O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard state, Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became n ...

who recommended moderation and internal, hidden strategies instead of external practices.Ruffing R.S.M., Janet K., "Physical Illness: A Mystically Transformative Element in the Life of Elizabeth Leseur", ''Spiritual Life'', Vol.40, Number 4, Winter 1994
/ref>

Legacy

After her death, her husband found a note by her addressed to himself, that prophesied about his conversion and him becoming a priest. In order to get rid of such "superstition", Félix left for the Marian

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) 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 its Château fort, a ...

, wanting to expose the reports of the healings there as fake. At the Lourdes

grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...

however, he experienced a religious conversion. Félix subsequently published his wife's journal, ''Journal et pensées pour chaque jour''; and due to its favorable reception, a year later in 1918, published some of his wife's letters under the title of ''Lettres sur la Souffrance''. In 1924 Fulton J. Sheen, who would later become an archbishop and popular American television and radio figure, made a retreat under the direction of Fr. Leseur. During many hours of spiritual direction, Sheen learned of the life of Élisabeth and the conversion of Félix. Sheen subsequently repeated this conversion story in many of his presentations.* Sheen, Fulton J. (part 40 of a recorded catechism, available online] A cause for Leseur's

was formally opened on 2 July 1951, granting her the title of

References

Sources

* Duhamelet, Genevieve. Élisabeth Leseur, 1866–1914; le miracle de l'amour chrétien. Paris: Lethielleux, 1959. * Leseur, Élisabeth . ''The Secret Diary of Élisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest''. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2002. * — —. ''Selected Writings''. Ed. and trans. Janet K. Ruffing. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2005. * Maas, Robin
A Marriage Saved in Heaven: Elisabeth Leseur's Life of Love
* Raoul, Valerie. "Women's Diaries as Life-Savings: Who Decides Whose Life is Saved? The Journals of

Eugénie de Guérin Eugénie de Guérin (; 29 January 1805 – 31 May 1848) was a French writer and the sister of the poet Maurice de Guérin. Her ''Journals'' (1861, Eng. trans., 1865) and her ''Lettres'' (1864, Eng. trans., 1865) indicated the possession of gif ...

and Elisabeth Leseur." ''Biography'' 24:1 (Winter 2001): 140-151. * MacNeil, JJ
Elisabeth Leseur: Servant of God
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leseur, Elisabeth 1866 births 1914 deaths 19th-century French diarists French people of Corsican descent French religious writers Writers from Paris French Servants of God Women diarists Women religious writers Deaths from breast cancer in France 20th-century French diarists