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St Germaine
GERMAINE
COUSIN
Also known as Germana Cousin; Germaine of Pibrac;
Germana
Born: 1579 at Pibrac, France
Died: 1601, Apparently of natural causes
Beatified: May 7, 1864
Canonized: June 29, 1867 by Pope Pius IX
Patronage:
Abandoned people, abuse victims, poverty, bodily ills, disabled people,
girls from rural areas, handicapped people, loss of parents, physically
challenged people, shepherdesses and unattractive people.
Who she was:
-
Born with Scrofula (leukemia) and deformed hand
-
Mother died when an infant
-
Father remarried and step-mother hated Germaine
-
Step-mother made her sleep in barn to prevent
her children getting Germaine’s disease
-
Was forced to work as shepherdess at very young
age
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Step-mother and step-siblings repeatedly abused
and tormented Germaine, Father ignored it all
-
Attended mass every day and prayed rosary on
knotted beads she made
-
Taught the local children simple catechism
-
Shared all she had with beggars
Her reported
miracles:
-
So she wouldn’t miss mass she thrust her staff
into the ground and left her sheep in the hands of God; no harm ever came to
any sheep
-
She walked across a raging river to get to
church
-
When step-mother accused her of stealing bread
and chased her down to beat her, Germaine opened her apron and strange flowers
poured out
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Her body after death didn’t corrupt even after
exhumation twice. Once quicklime was put with her body to speed the corruption
and only where the powder was sitting did it work. Her body was still intact.
-
More than 400 miracles or extraordinary graces
have been attributed to Saint Germaine.
Her Prayer:
“Dear God, please don’t let me be too hungry or
too thirsty. Help me to please my mother. And help me to please You!”