Madame Duchesne

By Theresa Riley Shaw

When Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, the beautiful gateway to the French Alps, in 1769, no one knew she'd eventually be canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. When she went to the Sisters of the Visitation convent, Ste. Marie d'en Haut, to study for her First Holy Communion at age twelve, she consecrated herself to God

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leavitt Peak Press
• Release date: Feb 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781962363648

Theresa Riley Shaw

Theresa Riley Shaw has always been enthralled with the audacity and perseverance of the earliest missionaries of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. She wrote this book to honor and celebrate the French religious sister and educator Mademoiselle Duchesne, who was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church on July 3, 1988.

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Copyright © 2024 Theresa Riley Shaw.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotation in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-962363-63-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-962363-64-8 (e)

Rev. date: 02/13/2024

The French Revolution

Courtyard of the monastery of Sainte-Marie-d’en- Haut, Grenoble, France

Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, France, the beautiful gateway to the French Alps, in 1769. She was one of the eight children born to Pierre Francois Duchesne, a lawyer and member of the French Parliament and Rose Euphrosine Perier, a wonderful wife and mother. Madame Duchesne taught her children to know, love, and serve God and to care for their home and small children.

Uncle Claude Perier, Madame Duchesne’s brother, moved into a home next to the Duchesnes’ when Philippine was ten years old. Only a doorway separated the courtyards of the two households. There were babies and children everywhere. They were gently trained in obedience and self-control, to courtesy and consideration for others.

During the terrible floods of 1778 in France, both families of nine-year-old Philippine were active in helping the victims. Mademoiselle Sophie, later Madame Luc tutored Philippine and her cousin, Josephine Perier, with her brothers, Augustin and Casmir and Camille Jordan, another cousin. Their studies included Latin and Greek.

Stories of Jesuit missionaries who visited the Duchnesne family thrilled Philippine. When she was twelve years old. Philippine went to the Visitation convent Ste. Marie d’en Haut, to prepare for her First Holy Communion.

Sisters of Visitation at Ste. Marie D’en Haut

There, she consecrated herself to God. That was the happiest day of her life.

Returning home again, she continued her studies with her cousins who would remain very close to her all their lives, especially Josephine, who became Madame Savoye- Rollin. Philippine loved to climb mountains and hike with her all of her cousins, and read the lives of the saints, especially the martyrs.

At eighteen years of age, once again Philippine went to Ste. Marie d’en Haut and asked to join the Sisters of the Visitation. Her father, a Freemason, did not approve of her decision at first, but he eventually began to realize how happy was. He attended her reception of the black habit, white vail, and coif (a special collar) of a Visitation novice.

On July 2, 1788, at Vizille, outside of Grenoble, France, the General Assembly met in the inside tennis court of Claude Perier. Here Pierre-Francois Duchesne drafted the remonstrance (official protest) to the King of France. On June 20, 1789, the Assembly met at Versailles in the royal tennis court, four hundred sixty three delegates were sworn in and signed the Tennis Court Oath. After Tennis Court Oath", as the Reign of Terror continued, the King, Louis XVI, was executed. Uncle Augustin Perier was made Commandant of the National Guard.