St. Germaine Cousin
Feast day: June 15
St. Germaine Cousin was a young French woman born in the 16th century who suffered much but saw her relationship with God as more meaningful than any affliction. The daughter of a farm worker who lived near Toulouse, France, she lost her mother as an infant and was treated cruelly by her stepmother. Her father and his new wife, with whom he bore other children, never showed any affection toward her but instead treated St. Germaine with neglect and abuse, even scalding her with boiling water.
Born with a deformed and paralyzed right hand, St. Germaine also suffered from a lung condition called scrofola, a form of tuberculosis, which gave her unsightly swollen glands on her neck. Nevertheless, her stepmother made her sleep with the farm animals in the stable on a mattress filled with twigs and eat leftover scraps of food. Following her parents’ example, local villagers also treated St. Germaine with disdain, but she chose to deal with all in patience and kindness as she believed that God her Father was there to protect her and loved her so much.
The one permission St. Germaine was given by her father was to attend daily Mass. There with Jesus in the Eucharist, she found genuine love no matter how anyone else treated her. Through her closeness to our Lord in the tabernacle, St. Germaine gained the strength to be unbothered about what other people thought. She also grew closer to Christ as she talked to him while tending her family’s flocks.
Determined to attend Mass every day, she thrust her staff into the ground and asked her guardian angel to watch her sheep as she departed for the church. At her command, the sheep remained near her staff until she returned and were unharmed by wolves. St. Germaine also was devoted to the Blessed Mother and prayed the Rosary each day as well as the Angelus when the church bells rang. She was particularly pious in honoring Marian feast days and regularly received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Moreover, she humbly took on mortifications such as fasting by eating only bread and water, offering them up to end the practice of heresy in nearby churches. St. Germaine was often found in deep prayer and her only belongings were a cross made of two twigs and a rosary made of knotted twine.
Noticing St. Germaine’s true Christian disposition of peace and joy, children began to trust her, and she shared with them what she knew about the Catholic faith, probably hoping that in knowing the love of Jesus, they would never want to treat anyone as horribly as she was treated. St. Germaine was also devoted to helping the poor. When her stepmother chased her while threatening to beat her for taking scraps of bread to the poor, flowers fell from St. Germaine’s apron instead of bread. The Lord also helped her cross over a swollen stream to get to Mass by parting the waters for her. All of these signs convinced several people of her holiness, and St. Germaine’s parents also began to soften their hearts toward her, seeing the beautiful life she led.
Her father begged her for forgiveness and grieved the way he had treated St. Germaine, while her stepmother underwent a conversion experience and soon regretted and wanted to make amends for her horrific behavior towards this young girl. Her father wanted her to come and live in the house, eat better and wear better clothes. He also forbade his wife from treating her badly. But St. Germaine preferred to sleep in the humble atmosphere of the barn where she had grown in love for God. However, she did reconcile with her parents and agreed to eat and dress better.
But all of this improvement was short-lived. St. Germaine was found dead on her mattress of twigs at 22 from poor health. She was buried in her village church, where she had attended daily Mass. When her body was accidentally exhumed 43 years later, it was found to be incorrupt. The scars from her lifetime of abuse and neglect had also disappeared. When her body was examined again 16 years later, it was still found to be without decay. Miracles were attributed to St. Germaine, particularly on behalf of the disabled and abused. St. Germaine was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1854, and he included her in the canon of virgin saints in 1867.
Reflection
Dear Heavenly Father, may I know and believe in your love for me no matter the circumstances around me. Yours is the only opinion which really matters. And you will never forget me. May I live in your peace and joy.
Prayer
Lord, you have told us that you live for ever
in the hearts of the chaste.
By the prayers of the virgin, St. Germaine Cousin,
help us to live by your grace
and remain a temple of your Spirit.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
