Saint Emily de Vialar
Gaillac woman who used her inheritance to found a missionary order with houses in North Africa
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Founder, Religious
- Life
- 1797 – 1856
- Era
- 19th century
- Feast
- 24 August
- Countries
- France, Algeria
Life story
Émilie de Vialar was born on 12 September 1797 at Gaillac in southern France, to Jacques and Antoinette Portal de Vialar. In 1832, when her grandfather left her a considerable fortune, she bought a large house in Gaillac and, with a few companions and the help of her spiritual director, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition. The name recalls the angel's appearance to Joseph in Matthew's Gospel.
The congregation cared for the sick and poor and taught young children, and it spread quickly beyond France. In 1835 she herself accompanied three sisters to Algeria, where her brother had asked for sisters to staff a hospital then being built. Bishop Dupuch of Algiers, who had first welcomed the sisters, later tried to confine the congregation to his diocese, and the French authorities ordered the sisters out of Algeria after eight years of service. In 1843 she made her second journey to Tunis to establish a new foundation at Carthage. She opened houses in other parts of the Mediterranean as well; by her death the congregation had forty-two foundations.
She died at Marseille on 24 August 1856. She was beatified in 1939 and canonized by Pope Pius XII on 24 June 1951.
Works and witness
- Bought a house at Gaillac with her inheritance and founded the congregation in 1832
- Took sisters to Algeria in 1835 to staff a hospital there
- Founded a house at Carthage (Tunis) in 1843
- The congregation spread across the Mediterranean world, with forty-two foundations by her death
Saints from the same country
References
- Holy See, “Spirit” series text on Émilie de Vialar (vatican.va, spirit_20010227_emilie-de-vialar_en), read in full – 1832, Tunis/Carthage 1843, death 1856, canonized 1951
- Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition, “The Foundress St. Emilie” (stjoseph-apparition.org) – legacy 1832, Algeria 1835, Dupuch dispute, 42 foundations, canonized 24 June 1951
- Vatican News saint page (vaticannews.va) – 42 houses; its 17 June is the congregation's commemoration, not the canonization day
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.