Saint Euphrasia Biography
Rose Virginia Pelletier, born July 31, 1796 in Noirmoutier, a remote island off the coast of France, knew very early that life was difficult. Because her parents practiced their faith, the family suffered exile and agony during the French Revolution. Rose was orphaned early. She had a difficult adolescence. But even as grief was an early companion, Rose Virginie also learned quickly that countless obstacles can propel the human spirit to cling to the Divine enabling it to go through the doors of death to rise to new life
By 1868, Rose Virginia, now Sister Mary Euphrasia, re-organized a women's religious congregation dedicated to assisting women and girls. She founded another community for women who wanted to have a loving relationship with God in a contemplative life-style and would support, by their ministry of prayer, the different works of the Congregation. Several lay groups were formed to push forward the many projects aimed at helping girls and women better their condition. Given a universal thrust, her congregation of the Good Shepherd established centers of compassion through 110 communities in 35 countries, a work that continues because it is fueled by a life of prayer.
