Today, April 24, the day we celebrate the memory of Saint Mary Euphrasia, we want to share this little newsletter with you. In it we highlight the life of this saint from the great Eudist family. In addition, we present the news of the mission carried out by the sisters who, with deep love, live mercy with those most in need and continue to update the work of Saint John Eudes and Saint Mary Euphrasia in the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

1. EUDISTNEW SLETTER

2. She decided to join the Order of Our Lady of Charity in Tours on October 20, 1814. According
to tradition, a new name had to be chosen. According to some authors, Rose Virginia initially
decided on the name Teresa, inspired by the famous Saint Teresa of Avila. However, her
Mother Superior disagreed because it was such a widely known name, so Rose Virginia
opted for the name Mary Euphrasia. During her novitiate, she demonstrated her tremendous
vocation to serve and to be a tireless worker. Her seriousness in the teaching of religion
contrasted with her kindness, joy, and treatment of other novices and sisters in the
community.
In 1825, her religious community members chose her as Mother Superior, at just 29 years of
age
She soon founded the Congregation of Magdalen Sisters, today known as Contemplative
Sisters of the Good Shepherd. This would later become one of two styles of life in her future
Congregation: Contemplative and Apostolic.
Rose Virginia Pelletier was born on July 31, 1796, on the
island of Noirmoutier, in northern France. She was the
eighth of nine siblings, from a family with a deeply
Catholic background. Due to the persecutions and
wars caused by the French Revolution, they had
moved to the island as a more remote and safe place.
Her parents were Julian Pelletier, a famous local
doctor, and her mother, Anne Mourain, who belonged
to a wealthy French family.
Her parents hired a governess for her studies, who
taught Rose Virginia and her siblings their first lessons
and basic subjects at home. She formally began her
studies at the age of 12 at an institution created in
Noirmoutier by the Ursuline Sisters. Rose Virginia demonstrated keen intelligence, great
charity, and a vocation to help others.
Her mother, Anne Mourain, was very concerned about her children’s education and future.
She decided to send Rose Virginia, 14 years old, to the city of Tours where she entered a
Christian educational institution. Near the new school, a convent of the Order of Our Lady of
Charity was located, which had been founded by Saint John Eudes in 1641 and whose
objective was to provide education and shelter for women in vulnerable situations. This was
how Rose Virginia first came into contact with them.
BIOGRAPHY: SAINT MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER
(Her baptismal name: Rose Virginia Pelletier)
1

3. In 1829, the Sisters of Tours were invited to
create a new convent and refuge for women in
the city of Angers, France. In this city, Mary
Euphrasia received the inspiration to create a
more efficient method of administration for
her sisters: the Generalate. On April 3, 1835,
Pope Gregory XVI declared Mary Euphrasia
Pelletier as Mother Superior of all the
monasteries of the Congregation of Our Lady
of Charity of the Good Shepherd. The Catholic
Church definitively accepted and supported
the birth of this new Congregation, despite the
opposition of local bishops and other church
authorities who saw its tireless work and
innovative ideas as a threat. The primary
motivation for Mary Euphrasia throughout her
life was to persevere in the charitable work of
helping others, spreading the Gospel and the
charism of Mercy to the whole world. From
this came her motto: “To God and the
salvation of people, I give my life.” By the time
she passed away into the embrace of heaven,
on April 24, 1868, she had founded 110 houses
on several continents.
BIOGRAFIA: SANTA MARIA EUFRASIA PELLETIER (nome
de batismo Rose Virginia Pelletier)
On December 11, 1897, Pope Leo XIII named her Venerable in the Catholic Church. Pope Pius
XII beatified her on April 30, 1933. Pope Pius XII then canonized Saint Mary Euphrasia on
May 2, 1940.
2

4. RELEVANT TEXTS IN SME: THREE INSEPARABLE
DEVOTIONS
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TO JESUS THROUGH MARY (May)
We will never have enough devotion to the Blessed
Virgin or love her too much. Her help must never be
lacking. Our Lord feels infinite pleasure to receive from
the hands of His Blessed Mother the prayers that we
address to him. Saint Bernard assures us that a true
devotee of Mary cannot perish. But, beloved
daughters, you will know that the worship rendered to
the Blessed Virgin must in no way exceed or equal that
due to her Divine Son, Sovereign King of heaven and
earth. Devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ and devotion
to Mary are closely linked to each other. The more you
love Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the more you
love the Blessed Virgin, and the more you love the
Blessed Virgin, the more you love Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament (1)
JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, THE ENGINE OF OUR LIFE
The Holy Eucharist is the ocean on which the boat of
our Congregation sails. Without this devotion, our boat
could never have advanced so quickly. By inspiration
from our Savior, we have entered this expanse. Under
his direction and company, our days glide by, and we
fly towards achieving holiness and the immortal crown
(Ps 64:4). Beloved daughters, this blessed bulwark
must be your sweetest possession, since in the
Eucharist you receive the God of your hearts! You live
in his sight, you rest in his Providence, you live under
his roof, you enjoy his presence. It can almost be said
that you have found heaven on earth.
[1] An idea dear to Saint John Eudes

5. If the days ever seem long and dreary to you, hurry to
take refuge in God. A single word, a single look from
him is enough to dispel the clouds of sadness and to
give new birth to joy in the heart. Go with confidence to
lay your sorrows at his feet, to entrust to him the
bitterness of your spirit, to vent to him who burns with
love. Enter into and abide in his Divine Heart, immerse
yourself in him, and you will find indescribable peace.
You will always obtain more than you ever imagined.
“Ask, and it will be given” (Mt 7:7), our Lord tells us.
These difficult days are when it is the most appropriate
to ask. Our Lord Jesus Christ has his treasury open to
you. He waits for you, to listen to you, attend to your
desires, and provide for all of your needs. Go and
explain your sorrows, anguish, disappointment, and
pain. You will return comforted and strengthened to
continue on the path.
(2) Currently the symbol of her Congregation is the Heart of Jesus and Mary with the cross and the staff of the Good Shepherd.
RELEVANT TEXTS IN SME: THREE INSEPARABLE
DEVOTIONS
4
HE IS THE CONSOLER
THE HEART OF JESUS (June)
Let us celebrate this month of the Sacred Heart with unequaled fervor. The feast of the
Sacred Heart is properly the feast of love because love comes from the heart. Embrace
that adorable heart with love. Remember that it is an inexhaustible source of grace. If a
single ray of this Divine Sun touched our senses, the sun that illuminates us would seem
like darkness, and the most luminous moon would be like ice.
Our Congregation is the first to receive the gift of celebrating public worship to the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We will wear the silver heart (2) on our chest, as a distinctive
sign of our consecration to such loving Hearts.
Instructions and Lectures
Third edition, pages 199-202

6. Responding to social conditions that cry out for mercy and reconciliation, we express
particular concern for the needs of women and girls who are most exposed to personal and
social risks. We believe in the creativity of the Spirit, who is constantly renewing the
universe, strengthening hope in the face of all that is destructive. Our mission lives on
today. We gratefully recall the spiritual inheritance and charism left to us by Saint Mary
Euphrasia, the faithful daughter of Saint John Eudes. She ardently desired that the whole
world would benefit from the work of salvation inspired by him. Saint John Eudes said: “The
loving Heart of Jesus is a furnace of love; he gave us his own heart so that we may love
each other.”
MISSION OF THE SISTERS CURRENTLY IN THE WORLD
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The ardent and dynamic zeal that lived in the heart of Saint Mary Euphrasia remained alive
until her last breath. This strength encouraged her to send her daughters throughout the
world to manifest God’s merciful love is to each person they meet, especially to women
who have been mistreated.
Sisters and laity, we are present in 73 countries seeking to respond in a creative way to the
call and cry of women and girls in situations of vulnerability and exclusion, where the
dignity of the person is not recognized or respected. We act integrating the values of the
Gospel, the recognition of human dignity, justice, and peace. We fight against the
impoverishment of our peoples due to unjust structures, and we promote inclusion in all
dimensions of human development through programs and projects.

7. The mission is alive and dynamic today more than
ever, thanks to the support of our lay partners,
collaborators, and benefactors for whom we hold
immense gratitude for the mission’s development
today. Mary Euphrasia knew from the beginning
that the mission would extend to the whole world.
With joy, we remember her words: “One city, one
foundation cannot satisfy the zeal for the
salvation of humanity, it is necessary to embrace
the whole world.”
Wherever possible, our apostolates reach out to people affected by migration, and by new
and modern forms of slavery, such as human trafficking and sexual exploitation. We
ensure that the most vulnerable people are heard, their rights promoted, restored, and their
dignity respected at all local, national, and international levels. The Congregation has had
ECOSOC consultative status in the United Nations since 1996.
MISSION OF THE SISTERS CURRENTLY IN THE WORLD
6

8. Venezuelan Province established the Good Shepherd Foundation in Colombia and
Venezuela. The foundation is committed to developing the mission, seeking to empower
the participants so they are able to generate their own changes. It supports women and
their families so that their rights are respected and their dignity is recognized. It works to
reduce risk factors and the construction of individual, family, and social projects to improve
their living situations.
The Program for the Promotion of Women and the Family focuses on holistic initiatives and
practices which empower women and their families. We seek to reconcile, to be a presence
of the Heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd and of God the tender and merciful Father—
through a methodology of working in inter-institutional networks, and maintaining a
multidisciplinary vision which responds to the needs of people seeking to improve their
lives. Overcoming the situations of vulnerability that are affecting them, we work to restore
the rights and defend of the dignity of every person, especially women.
A priority objective is the prevention of all violence against women in the context of
prostitution, migration, and other situations of vulnerability. We intervene through
prevention, promotion, empowerment, and advocacy strategies. In solidarity, we work for
the transformation of unjust systems, for a flourishing humanity, and the integrity of all
creation.
The spirituality of our Congregation is centered on the values of the Gospel. Those are
manifested in the person of Jesus. He describes himself as the one sent to bring Good
News to the poor, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the goodness of God. Jesus
also describes himself as a “good shepherd” who comes to give life in abundance to all.
LIVING MERCY FOR WOMEN IN VULNERABILE
SITUATIONS (PROSTITUTION, VIOLENCE, AND
MIGRATION - IN COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA)
7
Our vision of God’s love is expressed in
direct service projects characterized by a
compassionate welcome and the
development of relevant programs.
These are dynamic activities and policies
that demand justice in the systems and
structures of programs, governments,
the Church, and other social entities.
Moved by the compassion and mercy of
God’s love, the Sisters of the
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of
Good Shepherd’s Colombian

9. Zeal for the salvation of humanity, and the inheritance of our founder Saint Mary
Euphrasia, is the love that mobilizes our action. In solidarity, through the reconstruction of
family structures, society can be transformed by a women rising to their full dignity. It
comes to life through the relationship between Sisters, lay men, and women in
contemplation, networking, outreach, research, encounter, processes, wholistic care, and a
determined heart. The members of the Congregation, laity, and other partners in mission,
inspired by Saint John Eudes and Saint Mary Euphrasia, express our spiritual commitment
through contemplative prayer and an active apostolate in a mission that seeks to improve
the well-being of the most vulnerable. Our vision of God's love is expressed in direct
service projects characterized by a compassionate welcome and the development of
relevant programs. Every day we feel more deeply what Saint Mary Euphrasia said to her
sisters: “United, we will do wonders.”
The Good Shepherd Foundation
implements programs by cooperating at the
local, national, and international levels with
projects of social development,
humanitarian aid, and capacity building for
staff and volunteers collaborating in the
mission. In this way it seeks to generate
and support the integration of women’s
rights both at the family and social level, so
they may enter their desired role in society
by obtaining a decent job which allows
them to have a means of subsistence.
Without this first step, they can never
achieve economic and personal autonomy
or independence.
LIVING MERCY FOR WOMEN IN VULNERABILE
SITUATIONS (PROSTITUTION, VIOLENCE, AND
MIGRATION - IN COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA)
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10. Director: Padre Álvaro Duarte Torres, CJM
Design and compilation: Jesús David Medina and Geovanny Felipe Colorado
Email: espiritualidad.eudista@gmail.com
EUDIST SPIRITUALITY UNIT FACULTY OF PASTORAL AND
SPIRITUALITY BIBLE STUDIES