Celebrating Saint Germaine Cousins
Today,
June 15, is the Memorial for Saint
Germaine Cousin, from Pibrac, France, who was a peasant farm worker and
shepherdess known for her kindness to children, devotion to her Faith, and as a
performer of many miracles.
Germaine
was born with a disability, known as scrofula, which left her with a severely
deformed left hand. She was often mistreated and blamed for anything unpleasant
that might have occurred. One time, she was accused of stealing food from the
pantry and trying to sneak it out of the house in her apron. It was demanded
that she release the drawstrings of her clothes and when she did an array of
beautiful flowers were all the appeared. Her Stepmother assigned her the role
of looking out for the sheep and she was always happy to be with the welcoming
animals, rather than her family who shunned her.
According
to one legend, when young Germaine would hear the Church Bells tolling while she
was in the fields tending to the animals, she would always go to Church.
Instead of leaving the animals alone, she entrusted her Guardian Angel to look
after them and not one animal was lost during Germaine’s mini pilgrimages to
attend Church.
The
children of Pibrac often befriended Germaine during her work on the farm. She
was devoted to helping them in any way she could.
Germaine
is known as a Miracle Worker and even performed a Miracle for herself one day.
The Courbert River separated Germaine from the Church she attended and one day
the river was especially unruly and rapturous. Germaine just walked across the
water in order to get to Mass! She was especially adept at curing the disabled
from blindness, deafness, and the plagues that afflicted many of the people.
She never cured her own hand, however, preferring to live with her disability
and helping others despite her frailty. Saint Germaine has many patronages, but is most revered as
patroness of the disabled.
http://saintsforsinners.com/medals/index.php/saint-germaine
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