Saint Germaine facts for kids
Saint Germaine (born Germaine Cousin) lived from 1579 to 1601. She was born in a small village in France called Pibrac. This village is about ten miles from a bigger city named Toulouse.
Contents
Her Early Life
Germaine was born with a hand that was not shaped normally. She also had a serious skin disease called scrofula. When she was just a baby, her mother passed away. Her father married again, but Germaine's stepmother was very cruel to her.
The stepmother did not want her own children to catch Germaine's illness. So, she convinced Germaine's father to keep Germaine away from the family home. From a very young age, Germaine became a shepherdess. She took care of sheep.
A Difficult Childhood
At night, Germaine often slept in the stable with the animals. Sometimes, she slept on vine branches in a small space under the roof. Even though her life was hard, she learned to be very humble and patient.
Germaine was not lonely, even though she was often by herself. She felt a strong presence of God and spiritual things around her. Her daily food was simple: just bread and water.
Her Deep Faith
Germaine loved Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary very much. She went to church every day. When she heard the church bell ring for mass, she would stick her staff into the ground. She believed that Jesus would watch over her sheep while she was at mass.
Even though her flock of sheep was near a forest where wolves lived, her sheep were never harmed. This was seen as a miracle by many.
Miracles and Kindness
After heavy rains or when the snow melted, it was very hard to cross the flooded areas to get to church. Germaine's only prayer book was the Rosary, and she prayed the Angelus often. Several people saw something amazing happen: the water would part, creating a dry path for Germaine to cross without getting her clothes wet.
Germaine was also very kind to the poor. She would share her own small amount of bread with them, even though she had very little herself.
A Change and Her Passing
One day, Germaine's father finally told his wife to stop treating Germaine so badly. He gave Germaine a proper place inside the house. However, Germaine humbly begged to be allowed to continue her simple way of life.
As people began to realize how special and holy Germaine was, she passed away. She did not wake up at her usual time one early summer morning in 1601. Her father went to check on her and found her dead on the vine branches where she slept. She was only 22 years old. Germaine was buried in front of the altar in the Church of Pibrac.
See also
In Spanish: Saint-Germain para niños
