Rome, Italy - A Frenchwoman who established a religious order to care for the poor and the elderly will be declared a saint in Rome this Sunday.
Jeanne Jugan founded the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1842. By the time of her death, in 1879, there were 2,400 Little Sisters of the Poor in 10 countries.
She began by inviting a blind widow to live with her, and soon, with her companions, was caring for several elderly and infirm women. Jugan successfully begged for funds.
Once Jugan told a rich benefactor infuriated she had visited to ask for a donation two days running “Sir, my poor were hungry yesterday, they are hungry again today, and tomorrow they will be hungry too".
Jugan was banned from begging and asked to devote herself purely to prayer by Fr Augustin Marie le Pailleur, a priest who elected himself the Superior General of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Jugan had earlier been made Mother Superior of the order, but Le Pailleur declared this invalid.
When she died, the Vatican led an investigation into the order, and eventually recognised Jugan as the rightful founder. Fr le Pailleur was summoned to Rome and spent his final years as chaplain to a convent there.