IFTTT Autopost 
Emily de Vialar was born on September 12, 1797 in Gaillac, a town in southern France. She was the eldest of three children of her mother, a homemaker, and her father, a physician.
When Emily was born, France was in a state of great turmoil, and it was very dangerous to practice the Catholic faith. So, Emily’s parents had to have her baptized in secret. When she was just a little girl, Emily’s mother taught her how to read.
When she was thirteen, Emily’s parents enrolled her in a private boarding school for well-to-do families in Paris. Unfortunately, Emily’s mother became ill on the trip and died at the age of 35. When Emily was fifteen, she returned to her father’s house to help her father and two younger brothers. However, while she was in boarding school, Emily’s father had hired an autocratic servant to run the household, and often Emily and the servant often clashed.
Emily frequently accompanied her father to various social functions in the town and surrounding area, and she participated in the social events to which she had been invited. Although Emily even received marriage proposals, she knew not the vocation to which God was calling her.
Then, one day, she heard in a parish mission about dedicating one’s life totally to God. Though it was unclear exactly what that meant for her, Emily knew she would dedicate her life to God by serving others outside of marriage.
As time went on, Emily became more aware of the poverty and other social problems in her town, and she began to help those in need with clothes and food. Her father was very unhappy with Emily’s devotion to the poor and how she was helping them. Soon, other young women began helping Emily, and they expanded their efforts to helping sick persons in their homes.
When her grandfather died, he left her a nice inheritance which she used to buy a house. With three other women, she established a new religious congregation on Christmas Eve, 1832 and called it Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition. The “apparition” in their name referred to the message Joseph received to take Mary into his home.
The congregation grew, and it founded hospitals and schools despite periods of great poverty when Emily’s inheritance ran out. In fact, at times the Sisters were so poor, they had to eat at other orders’ soup kitchens. By the time of her death on August 24, 1865, Mother Emily and her Sisters had established 40 houses in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Pope Pius XII canonized Emily on June 24, 1951, and her feast day is August 24. Her Sisters continue their missionary work in schools, orphanages, hospitals, prisons, parishes, and social service agencies.
