St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, born in France in 1769, had a desire since childhood to become a missionary to Native Americans. This desire was delayed for 30 years, until, in 1818, at the age of 49, she traveled with her four sisters to St. Louis, MO, for her first missionary work.
The bishop sent her to St. Charles, MO, which she called “the remotest village in the U.S.,” where she established the first Sacred Heart convent outside of France. There, she founded the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi River, and more schools soon followed along the length of the river into Louisiana.
Finally, at age 72 and in poor health, she had an opportunity to fulfill her dream of working with Native Americans by founding a mission in Sugar Creek, KS, among the Potawatomi. Due to her age and poor health, she was not originally selected to go, but Fr. Verhaegen, a Jesuit priest, insisted she accompany them: “She may not be able to do much work but will assure success of the mission by praying for us.”
She prayed so much and so intently that the Potawatomi named her “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.” Finally, in her old age, she fulfilled her lifelong dream to be a missionary to Native Americans. She thus earned the designation as the patron saint of “perseverance amid adversity” and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Reference:
Holy Heroes. October 19, 2022. sfarch.org/holy-heroes-in-the-united-states.
