(1769-1852) Rose was born into a wealthy, politically connected family in Grenoble, France. At eight, she heard a Jesuit missionary talk about the Americas, which lit a fire in her heart for evangelization. She joined the Visitation Sisters at 19, and gracefully navigated the Reign of Terror that resulted in the closing of religious communities during the French Revolution. She eventually incorporated the Visitation Sisters into the Society of the Sacred Heart and left for the Louisiana Territory. Rose spent most of the rest of her life ministering to Native Americans in Missouri.
Mother Duchesne was known to the Pottowatomi tribe as “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.” Half of the Twelve Steps in recovery contain explicit mention of our Higher Power, and all of them imply His operation. Relationship with God is what the entirety of our Catholic faith is about, and the purpose of our lives. To be in this relationship, we must be in conversation, both by sharing our hearts and listening to the heart of Jesus. What role does “conscious contact with God” play in your recovery?
“We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self” (Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne).
Reflection by Brad Farmer