“I suggest that you pray to Our Lord that He assist you and give you the direction you need.”
Anne Marie Rivier, fondly known as Marinette, was born in 1768 in Montpezat, France.
At the age of 16 months, she fell from a bunk bed, damaging her hip and feet preventing her from walking. Her mother, a woman of great faith, carried her to the statue of the Pieta in a local chapel each day for 4 years at the insistence of Marie. She told her mother, “That woman in the chapel will cure me.” Her simple prayer was, “Cure me, Blessed Mother, and I’ll give you a hat…Cure me. If you don’t, I’ll pout.”
Just at the age of 6, her father died and the next day, with the feast of the Birth of Mary, she began to walk but with the assistance of crutches. Later in the chapel, Marie’s mother discovered a hat she had made for her daughter, resting upon the Madonna’s head, having been placed there by the grateful child as a votive offering. Marie would struggle later with her injuries.
At the village church, the Virgin began talking to the young Marie. During this period, she had visions with long hours of prayer. She would see herself surrounded by school children and she said to the Virgin, ‘If you heal me, I will gather girls for you and I will tell them to love you.’ At the age of 9, on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, she was able to walk unassisted.
Already spirit-filled and something of a wonder in her village, she took on the roles of educator and caregiver, regularly gathering children for instruction in the faith and tending to the needs of the poor and sick.
Her faith and desire of dedication grew and she attended the Sisters of Notre Dame boarding school in Pradelles, France expecting to enter their congregation once completing her studies. She was denied due to poor health and was deeply disappointed.
When the French Revolution broke out, any religious action was suspicious. At the age of 18, Marie cautiously and secretly gathered followers for Sunday prayer services. Her village beckoned her and at the age of 18, along with four other young women, founded a school of her own when all of the convents were closing theirs. Her and her companions then consecrated themselves to God and founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary dedicating themselves to education in the faith and services to the poor and vulnerable. They opened their school to adults as well and trained unemployed women whose husbands were lost to or fighting in the Revolution. Her charisma was magnetic and many more young women were eager to join her.
Several years later religious practice was allowed again and their new community grew very quickly despite the poverty it experienced.
They opened their 1st orphanage in 1814 and proceeded to open Catholic schools.
Upon her death at the age of 70 in 1838, she had founded 141 convent houses. “My daughters will one day cross the seas” prediction came true 15 years later when they arrived in Canada. Today the Sisters serve in 19 countries and the Generalate is located in Rome.
She was canonized on May 15, 2022.
Her feast day is February 3.
For God’s Glory.
