“Do not look back to the past, nor forward to the future. Claim only the present, for it holds God’s Will.”

Rose was Born in Grenoble, France in 1769 of a newly rich family. She learned political skills from her father and a love of the poor from her mother.

She had a strong and dauntless temperament. She entered the Visitation of Mary convent at 19 and remained despite family opposition. As the French Revolution broke, the convent was closed and she began taking care of the poor and sick, opening a school for homeless children, and risking her life helping priests in the underground.

As the revolution subsided, she joined the infant Society of the Sacred Heart and in a short time became the superior and supervisor of the novitiate and a school.

But since hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana as a little girl, her ambition was to go to America and work among the Native Americans. At 49, she spent 11 weeks at sea en route to New Orleans and 7 weeks more for the journey up the Mississippi River to St. Louis.

The bishop had no place for them to live and work and instead sent her sadly to “the remotest village in the U.S.,” St. Charles, Missouri. With characteristic drive and courage, she founded the first free school for girls, west of the Mississippi.

Although they were hardy, cold and hunger drove them out to Florissant, Missouri, where she founded the first Catholic Native American school.

Finally, at the age of 72, retired and in poor health, she got her lifelong wish. A mission was founded at Sugar Creek, Kansas, among the Potawatomi and she was brought along. The tribe soon named her, “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.”

She died in 1852 at the age of 83.

Her school for girls was the foundation of;

• The Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles
• The Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart in North America
• Sacred Heart education now known as the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States and Canada
• Catholic education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis

“We may not understand His Will for us in time, but in eternity, the veil will be drawn and we shall see that He acted only for our happiness.”

Her feast day is November 18.

For God’s Glory.