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The Early Years |
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1556 marks the birth of Jeanne de Lestonnac in Bordeaux, France, the first born of a very influential family of the city. Her father, Richard de Lestonnac, is a member of Parliament. Her mother, Jeanne Eyquem, is the sister of the renown humanist philosopher, Michael de Montaigne. The richness of the renaissance culture in which she grows up has a great influence on her education. |
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Calvinism spread throughout all of France. The Wars of Religion tear the country apart. Jeanne's mother is won over by the Reform and attempts to draw her daughter as well. Jeanne finds two staunch supporters of the Catholic faith in her father and her uncle Michael de Montaigne. |
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Jeanne's faith continues to grow in her adolescent years. It is a faith that has been tested, nurtured, and confirmed. The spirit feeds her interior growth: "DO NOT ALLOW THE FLAME I HAVE LIT IN YOUR HEART TO BE EXTINGUISHED…" |
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Wife and Mother |
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At the age of 17, she marries Gaston de Montferrant. Her 24 years of marriage are blessed with the birth of 7 children. Then follow several months of deep pain and sorrow: the deaths of her husband and oldest son, the deathsof her father and her uncle. Jeanne alone and on her own, sees to the education of her children. She is "the strong woman" spoken of in the Holy Scriptures. |
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Cistercian Monastery |
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With her children grown, Jeanne senses a call from God. At the age of 46, she enters the Cistercian Monastery in Toulouse. Her name is changed to Jeanne of Saint Bernard. She is happier than she could ever have imagined in her new life, a life filled with long hours of prayer, austere penance, silence and abnegation, infinite peace. .. |
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After six months of a challenging initiation, her desires to follow this life grow, but her physical health weakens. She must leave. She must seek other paths... |
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She prays to the Holy Spirit to shed light in her darkness. She experiences an inner vision indicating the next step: a response to a multitude of young souls in danger of being lost. Mary, too, is present as a source of strength and inspiration in her response. For Jeanne, a call to a twofold commitment: To extend her hand to young people in need And to live a life inspired by the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. |
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Foundress of The COMPANY OF MARY OUR LADY |
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Upon leaving the Cistercian monastery, Jeanne retires to the countryside of La Mothe. Here she lives a long period of time in deep discernment. She begins to envision the new Religious Institute that will respond to the urgent needs of France in the 17th century: the formal education of women. In 1605, a deadly plague spreads throughout Bordeaux. Placing her own health at risk, she visits and cares for the people in the poorest parts of the city. It is through that experience that she discovers in a very special way the presence of Jesus in the poor. It is in this work of charity that she comes into contact with young people who, experiencing a call from God and attracted to her personality, wish to make a commitment to her apostolic endeavor. She finds that Ignatian spirituality the expresses of her own spiritual experience. And she begins to dialogue with two Jesuits, Fathers De Bordes and Raymond, who share her concerns. |
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Pope Paul V approves the foundation of the Company of Mary Our Lady on April 7, 1607. Jeanne is 50 years old. In 1640, at the age of 84, Jeanne de Lestonnac passes on. By the time of her death the Company of Mary has expanded throughout France with 30 houses. |
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And the expansion will continue. |
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