St. Isabel of France

St. Isabel of France, born in March 1225, was the daughter of King Louis VIII and Queen Blanche of Castile. After her father's death when she was just two years old, her mother oversaw her education, where she learned Latin and developed a strong devotion to God. Isabel grew up with a deep aversion to worldly life, rejecting marriage proposals, including one to Conrad IV of Germany, to dedicate her life to God. In 1256, Isabel founded the Convent of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin at Longchamp, near Paris, with the support of her brother, King Louis IX. The convent was established for the Sisters of the Humble Order of Servants of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, with a rule approved by Pope Alexander IV in 1259 and later revised by Pope Urban IV in 1263. Isabel lived a life of prayer and service to the poor, maintaining her wealth to support her charitable endeavors. She died on February 23, 1270, and was buried in the convent church. Her body was exhumed nine days later, showing no signs of decay, and many miracles were attributed to her intercession. Isabel was beatified on January 3, 1521, by Pope Leo X. Although her exact date of canonization is not noted in the provided sources, her legacy as a patroness of the sick and her feast day on February 26 are well-established.