St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in 1769 into a wealthy family in Grenoble, France, as the second of eight children. Her father, Pierre Francois Duchesne, was a lawyer and prominent civic leader, while her mother, Rose Perier, came from a leading family in Dauphine. Inspired by a Jesuit missionary at age eight, St. Rose felt a calling to evangelize in the Americas. Unfortunately, she contracted smallpox in childhood, which left her with scars. St. Rose received her education in a local monastery and then privately in the family Chateau. At 19, she secretly joined a Religious Order against her family's wishes and stayed for four years until the monastery closed due to the French Revolution. Upon her return home, she longed to return to religious life but had to wait another 7-8 years until the Catholic Church reopened its buildings. When it did, she returned to the damaged monastery and worked on its restoration. In 1815, St. Rose established a new convent in Paris, opening a school and fulfilling her dream of becoming a missionary. In 1818, she traveled to Saint Charles, Missouri, with five sisters, creating a community among impoverished immigrants and establishing the region's first school for girls. Over the next two decades, they were dedicated to founding schools. At 72, Rose served among the Potawatomi Indians, where her physical limitations confined her indoors. The Potawatomi honored her with the name Quah-Kah-ka-num-ad, meaning "Woman-Who-Prays-Always." After returning to the motherhouse, she found peace praying for long hours before the Blessed Sacrament.
Prayer:
Gracious God, You filled the heart of Rose Philippine Duchesne with charity and missionary zeal, and gave her the desire to make You known among all peoples. Fill us who honor her memory today, with that same love and zeal to extend Your kingdom to the ends of the earth.
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