Rose Philippine Duchesne was born in Grenoble, France in 1769. From her father, she learned political skills, and from her mother, she learned a love for the poor.
When she was 19 years old, Rose joined a convent without telling her parents. Though her parents were opposed to her choice, she remained in the convent. Her strong will was one of the characteristics of her personality that stayed with her throughout her life.
When her convent was closed by the French Revolution, she began taking care of the sick and poor. She also opened a school for street children and risked her life helping priests in the underground.
When the political situation of the country became more stable, Rose joined Madeleine Sophie Barat, later named a Saint, in the Society of the Sacred Heart.
Sr. Rose soon became a leader in her community, and she developed a missionary spirit from hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana. Her great desire was to go to the United States and work with Native American Indians.
At the age of 49, she and four other nuns were sent to New Orleans and then to St. Louis, Missouri. She was greatly disappointed when the bishop there sent her to work not with Indians, but to St. Charles, Missouri. There she worked in the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi River.
At age 72, however, Mother Rose finally saw her dream of working with Indians come true. Though she was retired and in poor health, she went to work among the Potawatomi Indians. Because she was not able to learn their language, she decided that she would be the prayer warrior while others taught the people. She soon became known as “Woman-Who-Prays-Always” because of her profound prayer life. Legend has it that Native American Indian children used to sneak up behind her while she was praying and sprinkle bits of paper on her habit. When they returned several hours later, they found the papers still on her habit, just where they had put them. Mother Rose died at the age of 83 in 1852 and was canonized July 3, 1988.
St. Rose Duchesne’s feast day is November 18.
I love her Native American name.