VATICAN - Jeanne Bigard, the mother of a multitude of priests

Friday, 30 April 2021 pontifical mission societies  

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "Looking closely at the influence of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter from its origins to today, some are surprised and wonder what were the most important character traits that allowed Jeanne Bigard (1859-1914) to found and carry out such an important and vital Society for the survival of the Church even today": says Fr. Guy Bognon, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle (POSPA), recalling the figure of its foundress. On April 28th the 87th anniversary of her death was celebrated. "First of all, it must be recognized that, thanks to the education received by her mother Stephanie - notes Fr Bognon - Jeanne Bigard, born in Normandy (France) to a wealthy family, she was an ordinary person, but also a convinced Christian. Deeply pious and animated by a lively enthusiasm for the spiritual life for the Church that enabled her to face any obstacle to defend her service. As a baptized person, she felt responsible for the needs of the Church, especially in that period of discovery and evangelization of new territories by the European missionaries. The urgency was to support the mission of these apostles of the Gospel with prayer, sacrifice and offerings". Jeanne Bigard was animated by great generosity and a spirit of sacrifice: "Together with her mother, she sacrificed her material possessions and her own life to make herself available to the missionaries of the Church. Despite the noble origins of her name, she chose to lead a modest and poor life to save resources and dedicate herself to her best to the needs of missionaries. Since she considered her riches futile, she stripped of everything in favor of the Society she had founded", says the Secretary of the POSPA. "This spirit of sacrifice, which was in her like a natural virtue that unfolded without any particular effort, gave her an unbeatable tenacity and perseverance in her decisions and actions. When she was faced with an action to take, Jeanne Bigard was not influenced by anything. For this reason, she was affectionately nicknamed "iron head". Despite her frail health, she was gifted with a strong and firm will, supported by a dynamism and a fighting spirit that defied any test", continues Fr. Bognon. Regarding Bigard's temperament, he says: "She even became, intractable, when those who knew the Society she founded and benefited from it, did not show any desire to make it known or worst spoke badly about it, recalling that the Society was duly approved by the Holy Father and by a large number of bishops with the aim of forming an indigenous clergy in the Missions". "Daughter of a magistrate and assisted by her mother who was the daughter of a solicitor - continues Fr. Bognon - Jeanne was very smart in business affairs. Thanks to a solid organizational mind and to an innate practical sense, she directed her Society with skill and insight. It is with this method that she overcame many obstacles and difficulties, and it is undoubtedly for this reason that the Society of St. Peter the Apostle owes its status of a Pontifical Society", reveals the Secretary of POSPA. In addition to her character traits, Jeanne Bigard, as her mother, was animated and guided by a solid faith, like a rock, an endless passion for the Church". "Jeanne lived what she believed and she believed what she lived. God was not an abstract, distant and inaccessible reality for her, but a concrete being, a close Father who interferes in our daily life and walks with those who accept to do his will. She was convinced she had received from him the call to dedicate herself to the indigenous clergy in the mission territories. In the letter written by Mgr. Cousin who asked for help to create a Seminary in Japan, Jeanne who already posed the question of her vocation, of the meaning to give to her life, discovered immediately a concrete sign of the Lord, a call to an apostolate to devote herself to, to be the mother of a multitude of Priests". As her vocation was now clear, Jeanne committed herself wholeheartedly, "with her whole soul, with her whole life", says the Secretary of POSPA. And he concludes: "Wanting what God wants is the
only freedom that leads to true happiness. May the intercession of Jeanne Bigard, who dedicated herself so much to God and his Church, enlighten the young people of today who seek a point of reference and understand God's will for their lives, inspiring them with courage and strength to commit themselves unreservedly to the service of the Work of Salvation of humanity". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 30/4/2021)


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