Saint Julie Billiart

Saint Julie Billiart was born on 12 July 1751 in Cuvilly, a village in Picardy, northern France. She lived for 64 years and died on 8 April 1816 in Namur. Paralyzed and bedridden for 22 years, she became known for her prayer life and embroidery skills. Despite her physical limitations, Billiart educated both the poor and the nobility, particularly young girls. During the French Revolution, she fled to Compiègne, where she received a vision predicting the founding of a new religious congregation. In 1794, she met Françoise Blin de Bourdon in Amiens, who became her co-founder and close associate. Together, they established the Sisters of Notre Dame in Amiens in 1804, dedicating themselves to caring for and educating young girls.

Billiart was healed from her paralysis and speech issues, allowing her to travel widely and found schools and homes for poor girls in France and Belgium. By 2020, the congregation she founded had expanded to work in 16 countries across five continents. Julie Billiart was beatified on 13 May 1906 by Pope Pius X and canonized on 22 June 1969 by Pope Paul VI.