*SAINT OF THE DAY*
Feast Day: October 19
*Blessed Agnes Galand*
(1602 – 1634)
Agnes Galand de Langeac was born on 17th November 1602 as a third child in her family. She lived with her parents and siblings (she had 6 siblings) in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. From very beginning, her parents tried to teach her many things connected with faith and religion, so Agnes grew up in religious, loving atmosphere. Pierre Galand and Guillemette Massiote (Agnes’ parents) wanted their children to see, how important education was. Agnes was very mature and she was always aware that spiritual development is essential in human life.
When she was seven, Agnes experienced incredible spiritual suffering. She heard a voice, which told her that all her sufferings would be taken away. The only way to stop them and to be saved from evil was devoting whole life to Mary the Virgin and Christ. A girl answered to this voice with agreement – in spite of not hearing about necessity of such a devotion before. She found an iron chain and put it on her deck. In this moment, all her sufferings were stopped and she could experience a lot of joy and peace. Later on she taught many priests, clerics etc., how to devote their lives to Jesus and Mary the Virgin. Also the father Jean-Jacques Olier (founder of a seminary in Saint-Sulpice) decided to join her initiative.
One day, Agnes saw Mary – in this moment Mary gave a gold collar to Agnes to show her, how happy it was to be a God’s servant. Saint Cecilia was also present during this vision and she said to Agnes: “All those, who are faithful to God’s kingdom, are happy, because they will experience real joy and happiness.”
Blessed Agnes was very friendly and kind, so her friends really liked her. She devoted all those people to God on her every day prayer. This time she realized that her friends had a lack of knowledge about some religious subjects (they knew only several things and she wanted them to know more about religion and faith). She felt that it would be a task for her – she wanted to be like an apostle and to teach other people to show them, how beautiful faith could be. She was a frequent visitor in Dominican monastery. She got familiar with friars, she wanted to know rules, which were obligatory in monastery… she was interested in regular prayer, which was celebrated in monastery. In 1621 she decided to join the Third Dominican Order. She wasn’t even 21, when she decided to leave her hometown. She moved to new monastery, which was founded in Langeac. In this monastery she was a master of novitiate and prioress. She lived happily, because she felt she was close to Jesus and Mary – she treated it as an amazing grace..
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