A portrait of St. Mary Magdalene Postel
St. Mary Magdalene Postel
November 28, 1756 – July 16, 1846
Feast
July 16 · XIX c.
Patron of
Catholic schoolteachers · The Sisters of the Christian Schools of Mercy
Order
Religious / Foundress
French educator who, during the worst years of the French Revolution, opened a clandestine school for girls and sheltered hidden priests in her family home, even reserving the Blessed Sacrament secretly when no priest was available. After the Revolution, at age fifty, she founded the Sisters of the Christian Schools of Mercy, dedicated to the education of poor children. She lived to age ninety, governing her flourishing congregation until the end.
Life & Times
Also known as: Julie Françoise Catherine Postel; Mère Marie-Madeleine Postel · Born: November 28, 1756 · Died: July 16, 1846 · From: Barfleur, Normandy, France.
Patronage
St. Mary Magdalene Postel is invoked as the patron of catholic schoolteachers, the sisters of the christian schools of mercy. Those in these callings or circumstances often turn to this saint in prayer.
“What does it matter where I am, provided that I am with God?”— Letter to one of her sisters during the difficult years of her foundation (1820s)
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About Catholic Saints
Catholic saints, including St. Mary Magdalene Postel, are Christians whom the Catholic Church has formally recognized as having lived lifes of heroic holiness and who now dwell with God in heaven, offering an example of faith for those still on their earthly journey. Catholics don't worship saints, but ask them to pray to God with us and for us — much as one might ask a trusted friend to pray for them — trusting that those closest to God can join their voices to ours before Him. Discover more saints in the Catholic Shop Saints section.