St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was born on August 29, 1769, in Grenoble, France, to a family deeply involved in politics and commerce. She was educated by the Visitation nuns and entered the Visitation Order at 19, despite her family's opposition. The French Revolution forced her to leave the convent, and for nine years, she engaged in charitable works, aiding prisoners and teaching poor children. In 1804, she met Madeleine Sophie Barat and joined the Society of the Sacred Heart. At 49, she traveled to the United States with four companions, arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1818. There, she founded the first free school west of the Mississippi River, marking the beginning of her missionary work in America. Over the next decades, she established several schools for both European and Native American children. At 71, she opened a school for the Potawatomi tribe in Kansas, earning the name Woman Who Is Always Praying. She spent her final years in prayer and solitude, dying on November 18, 1852, in St. Charles, Missouri. Her path to sainthood culminated in canonization by Pope John Paul II in 1988, recognizing her tireless missionary work and dedication to education among Native Americans.