On March 10th, the Religious of the Assumption celebrate the feast of St. Marie Eugénie of Jesus, their foundress.

Born in Metz (France) in 1817 to a wealthy but irreligious family, Marie Eugénie underwent a deep spiritual experience during her childhood. She recounts that on the day of her first communion, at the age of twelve, she had a profound inner sense of of God’s immensity and “a bond of love”. 

In the next few years, Marie Eugénie’s life took a dramatic turn: her family went bankrupt, her parents separated and her mother tragically died of cholera. By the age of fifteen, she found herself alone, without guidance, wondering what she should do with her life. Unsatisfied by both rigid pious practice and the frivolous and superficial life expected of upper class women of her time, she felt lost. 

But in the midst of her doubts and spiritual struggles, God intervened. In 1836, while praying and listening to a Lenten sermon at the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Marie Eugénie had a deep intuition that what she wanted to do was to give her life to God – though she didn’t yet know how. A year later, she met Father Combalot, a preacher who shared his vision of founding a religious congregation dedicated to the education of young girls.

Deeply concerned by the plight of the poor and the need for social justice, Marie Eugénie saw this as an opportunity to transform society by providing the young an education enlightened by the values of the Gospel. 

The congregation was funded in 1839, and Marie Eugénie herself led it for forty-five years. By the time of her death, hundreds of sisters had joined her, and communities had been established on three continents: Europe, Asia, and America. 

Marie Eugénie passed away on the 10th of March 1898, surrounded by her sisters. She was beatified in 1975 and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 3rd June 2007.

Watch the video below to journey through some of the key events of St Marie Eugénie’s life in Paris, guided by our archivist Sr Véronique!