Beneath Mary’s Mantle: Bl. Agnes of Jesus (1602 - 1634)
Over a decade ago our community was in-between regular confessors and had a priest from the area substituting. After finishing my confession and receiving absolution, prompted by the Holy Spirit, I asked this priest if there was anything that he would like me to pray for. He responded, “Yes, Sister, please pray for me.” His voice was full of sincerity and humility. It actually wasn’t what I was expecting him to say, but we all need perseverance, and who can know the troubles in the heart of another?
His simple request reminded me that although at times he stands in persona Christi, by virtue of his ordination, he is still human. The recent priestly scandal of 2017 (building on those of previous years as well) taught us an important lesson: priests really need our prayers.
When I get these heart-wrenching requests, I am always reminded of Blessed Agnes of Langeac. As our Constitutions state, “In silence and stillness, let [the nuns] earnestly seek the face of the Lord and never cease making intercession with the God of our salvation that all men and women might be saved” (LCM 74, IV). It was this same motivation of praying for the salvation of others and repugnance for sin, that inspired Blessed Agnes of Jesus to pray for a wayward priest back in the seventeenth century. Blessed Agnes of Jesus or Blessed Agnès Galand or Blessed Agnes of Langeac as she is sometimes called is not exactly a well-known saint.
However, the thing that she is known for (aside from her heroic charity) is quite remarkable to me and worth taking a deeper look at and implementing in our own lives. Jesus chose her to offer her prayers and sacrifices for a specific man, who at the time seemed like he could use them, but also seemed like he wasn’t going to amount to much. Yet, he ended up converting and influencing the entire seminary system in France.
First, who was Blessed Agnes of Jesus?
Patron of Babies and Priests
Born: November 17, 1602 in Le Puy-en-Velay, France
Died: October 19, 1634 in Langeac, France
Feast Day: October 19
Beatified: November 20, 1994 by Pope John Paul II
Photo credit: Pierre Burger
Agnès Galand was born November 17, 1602 in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, the third of eight children born to Pierre Galand and Guillemette Massiote.
From her youth, Agnes seems to be one of those children marked with divine favor. At the age of seven she consecrated herself to the Virgin Mary and at nine began reciting the Office every day in honor of the Holy Spirit.
As a young woman, she occupied herself with charitable works. There is a story about a merchant who promised her a daily penny for the poor. Punctually, every day she went to collect the penny. After a few weeks, he became annoyed and asked her not to come anymore. In a gentle manner, Agnes reminded him that it was wrong to break a promise so advantageous to himself and a promise that would procure him great consolation at the hour of his death. Moved by her words, he repented and remained faithful to his promise.
Throughout her life, she spent a lot of time in prayer, contemplating the Crucifixion. Agnes worked on applying the virtues of compassion, gratitude, and hatred for sin to her own life as she reflected on the cause of so much pain for Our Savior.
At the age of nineteen, she was received into the Order of Saint Dominic, as a tertiary, in 1621. Then in 1623, she went on the foundation of the Monastery of Sainte-Catherine de Sienne in Langeac and took on the habit of the nuns on October 4, becoming a choir sister.
Mother Agnes served her community first as novice mistress and then against her will was elected prioress. Ironically, she was deposed after only 2 years, which was a great source of joy to her, but 3 years later she was re-elected again!
Now, what is particularly remarkable about this particular nun?
Her prayer!
At the cloister in Langeac, Agnes gave herself fully to the religious life, burning with an ardent love for Christ crucified and for his Church. In her prayer, God told her that she must offer all her prayers, works, and sufferings for a young French priest, who was living an irresponsible lifestyle. Obediently, Agnes threw her whole heart into this request and spent three years in prayer and penance. She was not assured of ever receiving any information as to whether her prayers were answered or not.
Portrait of Fr. Jean-Jacques Olier
Source: Guide Saint-Sulpice, édité par la Paroisse Saint-Sulpice de Paris, décembre 2004, Public Domain
The young French priest she was asked to pray for was Jean-Jacques (James) Olier, who at the time had many servants and several carriages. He frequented high society and seemed dedicated to the things of this world more than the spiritual life and the salvation of souls. He took great pride and his learning was extremely ambitious until his eyesight began to fail. He made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Holy House in Loreto, Italy, where he had a dramatic conversion. He abandoned his wayward lifestyle and dedicated himself to works of mercy, especially to the poor and the uncatechized. He went on to found the priests of Society of Saint-Sulpice, influenced the structure of seminarian formation, and later founded seminaries throughout the country.
Blessed Agnes of Jesus died on October 19, 1634 (only 31 years old), leaving to her sisters the special vocation of praying for priests. Blessed Agnes is a significant saint for today when praying for priests is essential to the growth in holiness of the people of God. Good shepherds protect the sheep and lead them to the truth, while bad shepherds lead the sheep astray. St. John Vianney said, “A priest goes to Heaven or a priest goes to Hell with a thousand people behind.” This quote shows the incredible influence of one single priest upon the faith of his people, so let us join our prayer and penance to Blessed Agnes for the intention of priests.
Prayer
Almighty and holy God,
you made blessed Agnes of Jesus
wonderful in her love of the poor
and promoting priestly formation;
grant us, by her intercession,
to receive the crucified Christ with a living faith
and preach him for the salvation of the whole world.
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Blessed Agnes of Jesus, pray for us!
