Patron Saint of the "Unwanted."

Read about the miracles in this saint's short life. If you feel like "less" because of a physical malady or because of how someone treats you, do not be sad, Jesus' love is the draw, it doesn't matter what others think of you or do to you.

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...St. Germaine du Pibrac,

who was born in 1579. Her shrine is about 15 miles east of Toulouse, and it is a tribute to the "Little Saint of the Unwanted."

She is so well loved by the people of the area that her feast day, June 15, is a cause for celebration on June 15 and 16. The theme this year is "With Germaine, Celebrate the Joy of Believing." The turnout of local people is so great that the little church where she is laid out was not big enough to accommodate all who came, so the townspeople eventually built a beautiful basilica in her honor. It was begun on the feast of her death in 1901 and completed in 1965.

Saintly Suffering

This precious girl’s story is one of the saddest accounts we have ever written about. She was born with a crippled and paralyzed right arm and scrofula, a form of tuberculosis that affects the neck. No one knew for sure who her parents were. She might have been left at the doorstep as a baby. She may have been the daughter of Laurent Cousin’s first wife. He took her in as his child but never cared for her. He remarried, and his new wife hated Germaine. She treated Germaine terribly. The child was kept away from her step family, allowed to sleep under a stairway in the barn but never allowed to live in the house. She lived in rags and never had a pair of shoes. She ate the stale bread and water that was left for her at the front door of the house every day.
The mood of her stepmother usually determined how badly St. Germaine would be treated. At any given time, the local farmers could see welts and bruises on her hands and face. Her father never interfered with his wife’s ill treatment of the girl.

Holy Hunger

The only concession Germaine’s father seemed to give her was permission to go to Mass every week, which she took advantage of whenever she could. This is where the Lord spoke to her. He showed her how her life could be; he gave her an understanding of the sacraments. Germaine developed a hunger for the Mass. During the week, as she was tending her sheep, she could hear the church bells ring for the beginning of Mass. She wanted so badly to be there. Her spirit soared from the field — she took part in the Mass spiritually.

Miraculous Moments

But a time came when that was not enough for her, due to her hunger for the Eucharist, which was to be the catalyst that brought about one of the miracles given to her. One day, the Lord spoke to Germaine’s heart. She was out in the field, tending the sheep, as usual. She heard the bells that called the people to Mass and knew they were calling her to Mass, too. So she took her distaff — a staff with a cleft end for holding flax, which she used for spinning her wool — and thrust it into the ground. Then she huddled her flock of sheep around the distaff and told them to stay there together, not to wander off.
She ran to the church to take part in the Mass, while the sheep stayed behind, as instructed. That the sheep stayed together was a miracle, considering there were wolves all around them. God had helped her meet him in the Eucharist — and he continued to do so. Germaine’s time at Mass was not only the high point of her day; it became the driving force in her life. She would gladly suffer all that her stepmother and the weather in the fields and her illness and deformity handed out to her. But she could not do without her Lord Jesus in the Eucharist.
Another miraculous manifestation that has been the talk of the village and St. Germaine’s followers all these years is what is called the "Miracle of the Flowers." Germaine gave scraps of bread to the various beggars who came to her for help. But the few scraps she was given for her meals were not enough, so she snuck into the house to take crusts of bread from the kitchen.
One day, after Germaine had taken bread from the kitchen and was heading down the road to give it to some of the destitute people who depended on her, her stepmother discovered what she was doing. She ran after Germaine, calling her a thief, and demanded she open her apron so that the bread would fall out. This took place in the center of town, where everyone could hear. The stepmother planned it this way so that she could justify her wicked behavior towards the girl before the whole village. Germaine obediently opened her apron, thinking the bread would fall out and she would have to suffer the wrath of her stepmother. But the Lord stepped in, and, rather than bread falling out, beautiful flowers cascaded to the ground. The flowers were not found in that area of France, and definitely not in the wintertime, which is when this occurred. Praise Jesus!

More Miracles

Eventually, Germaine’s illnesses caught up with her, and the Lord took her to heaven, in 1601, at the age of just 22. When the villagers heard about her death, they were devastated. Great pains were taken to make the day she died the most memorable one of her life. Her body was brought, in solemn procession, to the church she loved so much, and she was buried there. That was the end of Germaine’s story, or so everyone thought.
But 43 years later, in 1644, a woman in the parish died. She had requested to be buried in the church near the altar. When the workmen dug up the floor near the altar, which is where Germaine was buried, they found Germaine’s body perfectly intact.
Miracle upon miracle came about through her intercession. A beautiful urn was created for her body, which is venerated inside the church to this day.

St. Germaine is a powerful intercessor. Get to know her. Ask for her help. She is very kind; she will come to your aid.


Bob and Penny Lord host EWTN’s
Super Saints




www.ncregister.com...

If all these people have performed so many other miracles, then what exactly is so special about Jesus? Even Peter and Paul raised people from the dead and it's possible that Paul died then came back to life after he was stoned.

Too bad Stephen didn't get the same treatment as Paul.

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
If all these people have performed so many other miracles, then what exactly is so special about Jesus? Even Peter and Paul raised people from the dead and it's possible that Paul died then came back to life after he was stoned.

Too bad Stephen didn't get the same treatment as Paul.

3NL, hi,

The miracles are from God, God's doing. One reason for the miraculous is to help bring disbelievers to belief.

Weren't you touched by St. Germaine's life? Her comfort and solace was God.


colbe

you asked me to read this, may i inquire why? how does this coincide with the other discussion?

what should i be reading into this in relation to me?

Interesting, thought provoking, poignant. S&F.

Originally posted by colbe
She ran to the church to take part in the Mass, while the sheep stayed behind, as instructed. That the sheep stayed together was a miracle, considering there were wolves all around them.

Did a double take at this one.

So are you really saying that the perfectly normal stereotypical behaviour of sheep, to stay together, is now a classed as a "miracle"?

reply to post by colbe

Dear colbe,

It's a good thing to see ourselves from a new vantage point. Considering the lives of the Saints help do that. It also helps remind us of what is good and Holy in a world which seeks to deny and destroy it.

Might I add a little about St. Germaine?

In this way, the most unlikely of saints became recognized by the Church. She didn't found a religious order. She didn't reach a high Church post. She didn't write books or teach at universities. She didn't go to foreign lands as a missionary or convert thousands. What she did was live a life devoted to God and her neighbor no matter what happened to her. And that is all God asks.

www.catholic.org...

Thank you, colbe. You're a treasure and a blessing, I admire your faithfulness.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by alfa1

Dear alfa1,

I've admired your work and starred it frequently, but this time I think you're using the wrong approach. This speaks to your heart, your spirit, if you will. This isn't one to analyze. The miracles that brought about her canonization came after her death.

I can parse a statute with the best of them, but this one, at least for me, is best experienced whole not dissected.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by colbe


So what was so special about Jesus? If any old person who believes can perform miracles, then why do we never see it today, when we have more access to information than ever before? Better ways to spread these miracles through social media?

Ever since we've had the ability to share these miracles, god has been oddly silent and less inclined to perform miracles through people. Weird huh?

reply to post by 3NL1GHT3N3D1

If any old person who believes can perform miracles,

Where did colbe even hint that St. Germaine performed the miracles. It seems like they were done to her, or through her, but she didn't command the bread to turn into flowers.

then why do we never see it today, when we have more access to information than ever before?

We do see it today. Scientifically, independently verified miracles. Begin with Lourdes for a start.

Even one miracle should be sufficient for us, but there have been hundreds.

reply to post by charles1952


Well, god did say "thou shalt not steal", so it seems odd that he would help a thief cover her tracks. And what good did the bread turning into flowers actually do for anyone, except still keep those people from being fed and the thief from being punished?

I just looked up Lourdes and I'm pretty sure we didn't have decent cameras much less social media and video recorders in 1858. That's still over 150 years ago, I said recent miracles, like within the past 25-30 years recent.

reply to post by 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Dear 3NL1GHT3N3D1,

Will 2011 do the trick? And about 70 others since 1858.

en.lourdes-france.org...

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


I can't seem to find any information on the miraculous cures, only mentions of them. Is there a second hand source you can link to?

I'd like to see some peer reviewed sources instead of from the institution that has the most to gain from these claims.

I don't see why these people can be miraculously cured yet 99.99999% of other people can't and won't.

Originally posted by charles1952
reply to post by colbe

 

Dear colbe,

It's a good thing to see ourselves from a new vantage point. Considering the lives of the Saints help do that. It also helps remind us of what is good and Holy in a world which seeks to deny and destroy it.

Might I add a little about St. Germaine?

In this way, the most unlikely of saints became recognized by the Church. She didn't found a religious order. She didn't reach a high Church post. She didn't write books or teach at universities. She didn't go to foreign lands as a missionary or convert thousands. What she did was live a life devoted to God and her neighbor no matter what happened to her. And that is all God asks.

www.catholic.org...

Thank you, colbe. You're a treasure and a blessing, I admire your faithfulness.

With respect,
Charles1952

Your paragraph, wonderful to add, helps one see anyone can come close to God. You don't have to b e a grand soul. I had NEVER heard of St. Germaine till a few days ago. The OP article was up at www.spiritdaily.... I don't know how to express, it is like God falls in love with people who aren't given much love. And who are broken physically, not beautiful. Her life was so awful but look how high she rose. Persevere with whatever cross in our lives.

I admire your way of explaining the faith Charles, your devotion to God and your dignified respect for everyone at ATS. You never say anything unkind even when you are hit.


Love,

colbe

reply to post by 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Dear 3NL1GHT3N3D1,

Ahh, sorry. I owe you an apology. The link I gave you may have been a useful overview or starting place, but it wasn't really what you wanted. I guess I was just being lazy.

Let's try something else, if you'll give me a second chance.

This is the start of a very long one page article discussing a 1984 study. It's got footnotes and big words, so we know it's scientific and true. One problem is that the many footnotes lead to a password protected article. Still, it seems to be a balanced review which doesn't claim 100% proof for either position.

In an article entitled “The Lourdes Medical Cures Revisited” Bernard Francis, Ester M. Sternberg and Elizabeth Fee provide something closer to a scientific appraisal.[1] They studied 411 patents cured in 1909-14 and thoroughly reviewed 25 cures acknowledged between 1927 and 1976. By “acknowledged” they mean cures that were officially declared “Miracles” by the church. “the Lourdes Phenomena extraordinary in many respects still awaits scientific explanation.”

christiancadre.blogspot.com...

they do quote the conclusion of the "Cures Revisited" article. I thought it was interesting.

…the least that can be stated is that the exposures to Lourdes and its representations (Lourdes water, mental images…) in a context of prayer have induced an exceptional usually instantaneous, symptomatic, and at best physical cures of widely different diseases.

Although what follows is regarded by some as a hackneyed concept, any and all scholars of Lourdes have come to agree with one of two equally acceptable—but seemingly conflicting and irreconcilable—points of view on the core issue, are the Lourdes cures a matter of divine intervention or not? Faith is set against science…uncanny and wired, the cures are currently beyond our ken but still impressive, incredibly effective and awaiting scientific explanation. Creating a theoretical explanatory framework could be within reach of neurophysiologists in the next decade…

We reached the same conclusion as Carrel some 80 to one hundred years ago “instead of being a simple place of miracles of interest only to the pious Lourdes presents a considerable scientific interest….although uncommon the miraculous cures are evidence of somatic and mental processes we do not know.”

There is another medical journal article which may be of interest: "Lourdes cures and their medical assessment." It's only five pages long and it's quite readable. It spends a fair amount of time describing how rigorous the procedure is that results in calling a cure inexplicable. With the standards they use, I'm surprised anything passes the test. This is strict scientific analysis.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Hope it helps, give me a yell if I can do anything.

With respect,
Charles1952