Jeanne Delanoue (Joan of the Cross) (18 June 1666 – 17 August 1736) was the founder of the Congregation of St. Anne of Providence, and is a saint in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Biography

Early life

Delanoue was born in

Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...

, located in the region of Anjoú, France, the youngest of twelve children. Her parents had a shop not far from the shrine of Notre-Dame-des-Ardilliers. Her father was a draper, who died when she was six years old. She helped her mother run the shop selling religious goods, catering to pilgrims to the shrine. She took over the business at the age of 25 when her mother died. She also provided accommodations to pilgrims who were visiting the shrine. A skillful businesswoman, she kept the store open even on Sundays and holydays,"Jeanne Delanoue (1666-1736)", Vatican News Service
/ref> which was considered somewhat scandalous in 17th century France. Her early life was characterized as one of self-centeredness, pride and avarice.

Conversion

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...

1693, Delanoue encountered Francoise Fouchet, a poor widowed pilgrim from Rennes, who predicted that Jeanne would one day spend her life caring for the poor. She greeted this prediction with some skepticism; but as time passed, caring for the less fortunate began to take up more of her time. She began by visiting the poor in her neighborhood. Eventually she closed the family business to commit herself more fully to this work. Her house, near the Loire, had caves and cellars similar to those of wine merchants, in which she provided shelter for orphans, the sick, the aged, and the indigent. Delanoue gave particular attention especially to abandoned single mothers and prostitutes.Duffy, Patrick. "Aug 17 – St Jeanne Delanoue (1666-1736) Founder", ''Catholic Ireland'', 17 August, 2012
/ref> A landslide during the earthquake in 1703 destroyed her home, but undeterred, she found another. Many of the poor could only find shelter in the caves carved out of the

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

along the Loire. She made them as comfortable as she could. In 1704, she was joined by a few other young women who shared her vision of helping the needy. Thus was founded the Sisters of Saint Anne of Providence of Saumur. Her work was endorsed by noted preacher

Louis de Montfort Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest and confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. As well as preaching, Montfort ...

."Jeanne qui es-tu?", Diocèse d'Angers
/ref> Delanoue founded Providence House, which during the famine of 1709, cared for about 100 people.Trochu, F., "Jeanne Delanoue", '' The Oxford Dictionary of Saints''
5th rev. ed., (David Farmer, ed.) OUP, 2011, That same year, Michel Poncet de La Rivière,

Bishop of Angers The Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers ( Latin: ''Dioecesis Andegavensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Angers'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is located in Angers Cathedral in the city of A ...

approved the constitutions of the small congregation. She took the name in religion of Joan of the Cross. In 1715, she established Saumur's first home for the poor. Worn out by her labors, Delanoue died on 17 August 1736 at Fencet, France, of natural causes. At the time of her death there were twelve communities of her sisters, spread throughout France, serving the poor and needy. "The poor and the Lord are all one." -Jeanne Delanoue/Joan of the Cross

Legacy

Jeanne Delanoue was beatified on November 8, 1947 by

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

, and canonized in October 1982 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

.Joseph SJ, P.J., "St. Jeanne Delanoue", Vatican Radio
/ref> Her feast day is August 17. "In Saumur, in 1736, Saint Jeanne Delanoue, virgin. With total confidence in the Providence of God, she first welcomed home orphans, old women, the sick, and lost women, then, with companions, she founded the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Anne-of-Providence." --''Roman martyrology''
/ref> The congregation Jeanne founded was renamed the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne of Providence on 3 December 1964. As of 2021, over 400 members serve the poor in France,

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and

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. ''La Nef ardente'' is an oratorio by Michel Bosc about Jeanne Delanoue.

References

External links