Nathalie Becquart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sister Nathalie Becquart XMCJ |
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In Versailles, 2015
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| Religion | Catholic |
| Institute | Congregation of Xavières |
| Known for | Among first women consultors to a Holy See general secretariat |
| Education | HEC Paris, Boston College |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | French |
| Born | 1969 (age 55–56) |
| Religious career | |
| Previous post | Director of French Catholic National Service for the Evangelization of Young People and for Vocations |
| Present post | Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops |
Nathalie Becquart, born in 1969, is a French Catholic nun. She is a member of the Congregation of Xavières. Since 2021, she has worked as an undersecretary for the Synod of Bishops. This group helps the Pope make important decisions for the Catholic Church.
Sister Nathalie Becquart is the first woman to hold such a high position. She is also the first woman to have voting rights in the Synod. Before this, she was a special advisor to the Synod of Bishops starting in 2019. From 2008 to 2018, she led a national service in France that focused on helping young people and encouraging them to join religious life.
Early Life and Education
Nathalie Becquart was born in Fontainebleau, France, in 1969. She studied at HEC Paris, a famous business school, and graduated in 1992. Her main subject was how to start new businesses.
After college, she volunteered in Lebanon for a year. Then, she worked for two years as a consultant in marketing and communication. In 1995, she decided to join the Congregation of Xavières, a group of Catholic nuns.
She spent time in Marseille and then two years learning about religious life. After that, she worked for three years with the Scouts de France. She helped with a program called Plein Vent, which brought scouting to neighborhoods where many working-class families lived. She also studied theology and philosophy at the Centre Sèvres in Paris. This is a special school run by the Jesuit order. She also studied sociology.
Working with Young People
When Sister Nathalie joined the Xavières, she immediately started helping young people. She worked with the Ignatian Youth Network, which is now called the Magis Network. She also led an organization called "Life at sea, entry into prayer." This group offered spiritual retreats for young people on sailboats. She loved sailing during her own childhood vacations. In 2006, she became responsible for student support in Créteil.
In 2008, the Bishops' Conference of France made her a deputy director. She helped with student religious care. In 2012, she became the director of the national service for helping young people and encouraging them to consider religious vocations.
Her work with young people led her to help prepare for a big meeting of bishops. This meeting was about "Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment." She helped organize a special meeting for young people in March 2018. She also attended the main meeting of bishops in October 2018.
Role in the Synod of Bishops
On May 24, 2019, Sister Nathalie Becquart was chosen as an advisor to the Synod of Bishops. Four other women and one man were also appointed. This was the first time women were given this important role. She believed this appointment was part of Pope Francis's plan. He wanted to include more voices and ideas from women in the Church's decisions.
On February 6, 2021, Pope Francis appointed her as an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. This made her the first woman ever to have the right to vote in the Catholic Synod of Bishops. This was a very important step for women in the Catholic Church.
See also
In Spanish: Nathalie Becquart para niños
