St Julie Billiart

Mary Rose Julie Billiart was born into a farming family; she had 6 brothers and sisters. Julie went to school and her favorite subject was religion. She loved Jesus and her Catholic faith. When she was only 15, she would work in the fields and teach her fellow workers about Jesus. A terrible person tried to hurt her father when Julie was just a young woman. She had seen the whole event and was so scared and shocked that she became paralyzed (unable to move). She suffered this poor health for 20 years. All that time she did not complain but offered her suffering to God to help others. She also continued to teach people about Jesus from her bed. During this time, many young women were inspired by her faith and came to visit her often. Because of this, Julie felt called to start a new religious order, The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Julie was miraculously healed through the prayers of a visiting priest and was able to walk again. She spent the rest of her time, helping young women to know Jesus and to serve Him by becoming sisters.