Untitled Document

Short biography and establishment of the Generalate

	Rose Virginie Pelletier: foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. Rose Virginie Pelletier was born on July 31, 1796 at Noirmoutier, a small, wave-washed island in the Vendée region of France, at the time of the French Revolution. In 1806, Rose Virginie's father died after a short illness. Madame Pelletier left the island in 1810, and Rose Virginie was placed in a boarding school in Tours, far from her mother. .		In French only
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Life at the boarding school was difficult, in spite of the affection of those around her.
It was here that she decided to go to the nearby convent of Our Lady of Charity to answer God's call to Religious Life.

On September 8, 1815, Rose Virginie made her temporary vows as a religious and given the name Sister Mary Euphrasia. She made her perpetual vows
on September 9, 1817

             The Order of Our Lady of Charity was founded by
                 Saint John Eudes (french only) (1601-1680). During his many
                  missions all across France, Father Eudes became
                    aware of the moral distress of many young girls and
                      women and the exploitation they suffered. In 1641, he
                    opened a House for these young women to give them a chance to                   begin a new life. Saint John Eudes entrusted the Sisters
          with the responsibility of guiding these women in difficulty.

Sister Mary Euphrasia was an energetic person full of the desire to help and love others. She received the deep appreciation of the people she worked with.
On May 25, 1825, at the age of 29, Mary Euphrasia was elected Superior of the Sisters of our Lady of Charity at Tours.

  Love never says:
                               it is enough!
                St Mary-Euphrasia Pelletier

Meanwhile in a city of France which is called Angers, Monsignor Montault, seeing the misery in certain neighbourhoods of the city, decided to open a new house to meet people's needs. The task of founding the House was entrusted to Mary Euphrasia in 1829. She became its superior in 1831 and thanks to her zeal the house was treamendously successful.

Sister Mary Euphrasia wanted to spread the mission of John Eudes to the whole world. After discernment and prayer she developed the idea of the General government, wich would allow the congregation to reach out to people in need throughout the world. On January 16, 1835, Pope Gregory XVI approved the establishment of the Generalate for the Congregation, which is called Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd of Angers. The house of the Generalate is in Rome and its work reaches to the far corners of the globe.

What great things are undertaken because of love!
Sr. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

Sr. Mary Euphrasia died at Angers, which is called the Mother House,
on April 24, 1868. At the time of her death,
there were 110 Houses were carrying on her work all over the world.

Sister Mary Euphrasia was canonized by the church as a saint on May 2, 1940.

For more information about the Sisters and their work, visit the following websites::

     www.goodshepherdsisters.org (North America)
    www.goodshepherdsistersna.com (USA)
     www.buonpastoreint.org (Generalate - Rome)
     www.bonpasteur.com (France-Angers, Mother House)
     www.goodshepherdsisters.com (Ireland & Ethiopia)
     www.guterhirte.de (Germany)
     www.csjb.com/sbp (Italy)
     www.goodshepherd.com.au/ (Australia)
     www.goodshepherdsisters.org (Philippines)
     www.catholic.org.sg/goodshepherdsisters (Malaysia)
     www.gsvolunteers.org (Volunteers)
     www.gsadvocary.org (National Advocary)
     www.gsejmi.org (Social Justice)