Germaine
was born in 1579 in Pibrac, a village in southern France. Her mother
died soon after her birth, leaving the child in the care of her husband.
Germaine’s father, who had no love for her on account of her right hand
being paralyzed and deformed, eventually remarried. Her new step-mother
was abusive, forcing her to sleep in the stable or in a cupboard under
the stairs. She gave the sickly girl scraps and isolated her from her
healthier step-siblings.
As soon as she was old enough, she was
charged with the care of the family’s flock of sheep. During this time,
surrounded by nature as she was, Germaine became closer to God, and
attended Mass as often as she could. If she heard the church bells toll
for the beginning of Mass, she would plant her crook and her distaff in
the ground, commend her flock to her guardian angel and hurry to receive
Holy Communion.
When she returned, she would find that though
she had left the flock unattended, not one of the sheep in her flock had
strayed or fallen prey to the wolves that often lurked nearby.
One
winter day, when the ground was still frozen, her step-mother chased
her with a stick, accusing her of concealing stolen bread in her apron.
But when Germaine let her apron fall, summer flowers tumbled onto the
hard ground. Her parents realized the deformed girl had been touched by
God, and showing her kindness at last, invited her to live with them in
the house. Yet she refused, and continued to live as before until one
morning in 1601, she was found dead in the little cupboard under the
stairs. She was twenty-two years old.
Germaine was buried in the
church of Pibrac. Forty-three years after her death, her body was
accidentally exhumed and was found incorrupt and flexible.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
St. Germaine of Pibrac
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