Though she was abused during her childhood by parents who did not love her, St. Germaine found a faithful Father in heaven, and dedicated herself to growing in God’s love.

She was the daughter of Laurent Cousin, a farm worker who lived in a village near Toulouse, France in the 16th century. Her mother died when Germaine was an infant, and she grew up in poor health. Her right hand was deformed and paralyzed.

Her father remarried; neither he nor his new wife had any affection for Germaine. In fact, when they bore other children, they distanced Germaine from their family life. She was made to sleep in the stable, or under the stairs, and was only given leftover scraps of food. Other villagers followed her parents’ example and ridiculed her. As soon as she was old enough, Germaine was sent to the fields to tend sheep.

Germaine used the solitude of shepherding to pray and commune with God. She was a faithful daily communicant. It is said that if she was in the field and heard the church bells calling, she would plant her staff in the ground, ask her guardian angel to watch over the sheep, and depart for Mass; she never lost any sheep.

She had to cross a swift stream to reach the church from her field. Once, after a heavy rain, the stream was dangerously swollen, yet she had no trouble crossing—some claimed to have seen the waters part for her.

Other children began to trust her and enjoyed spending time with her, so she taught them about the faith. She shared what little food she had with the poor. One day in winter, as she was carrying her bread to share with beggars, she was chased by her step-mother, who threatened to beat her for stealing food. When she stopped Germaine and opened her apron, summer flowers fell out.

Eventually, these signs changed people’s minds about Germaine. Even her parents relented and asked her to live with them in their home, but she preferred to live as she had before. Her poor health did not improve and one morning, she was found dead upon her straw bed under the stairs; she was 22.

She was buried in the church in her village, and her body was accidently exhumed 43 years later—it had not decayed. She was reburied, and after 16 years her body was again examined and was found to be well-preserved. Her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and her image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Germaine, you were the sickly step-daughter who found holiness even though your own family treated you poorly—pray for us!