From 11 July 2024, Jeanne-Antide Thouret on France.tv among the ten exemplary women who have left their mark on Besançon, the capital of the Doubs, and its surroundings, in the series Besançon la Féminine Some names are more evocative than others, but all these women have a story, which Dan Nicolle tells us.
The text of the video is by Alexandre Perret-Gentil – Boucle productions
Click here for the video
Below is the translation of the text written by Morgane Hecky, digital editorial journalist at France 3 Franche-Comté.
Recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church,
she fought for human dignity all her life :
Who was Jeanne-Antide Thouret?
Jeanne-Antide Thouret made human dignity her life’s struggle. This nun was canonised by the Catholic Church in 1934 for her efforts to combat poverty. In Besançon, she first founded a school for girls and a ‘broth pot’ for the poor.
A life of generosity
On 14 January 1934, Pope Pius XI canonised a new Catholic saint: Jeanne-Antide Thouret. Born in Sancey-le-Long when France still had a King, she thus became part of history. Her work of generosity was consecrated by the Church, to which she gave her life. Who could have guessed the destiny of the little girl who was born in the middle of winter in 1765? Although modest, the family was large and naturally very Christian. So when the fifth of the brood devoted herself to a religious life, what could be so surprising? A destiny like thousands of others, if the French Revolution had not shattered the framework inherited from centuries of piety. When the revolt broke out, Jeanne-Antide had a front-row seat in Paris, where she took part in the life of the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity.
Jeanne-Antide Thouret, “sister of the broth”
The winds of history and political passions drive her back to her native province, where she hopes to find refuge. Alas, she had no choice but to leave her haven once again. And here she is, on the roads of Europe at the dawn of Napoleon’s epic. From convent to convent, from cure to cure, in search of a destiny that, like so many others, seemed to have neglected her. She was caught up near Neuchâtel, in Switzerland, where two priests from Besançon asked for her help. In Besançon, the vagaries of the times had swelled the ranks of the needy and the children left to fend for themselves. On 11 April 1799, Jeanne-Antide founded a school for girls and a ‘broth’ for the poor. For the poor, it was the assurance of having something to eat in these times of restrictions and constant wars.
His business and his example are inspiring. Better still, they met universal needs. In 1802, Jeanne-Antide Thouret wrote the ‘Rule of life for a community with a promising future’, which in 1807 became the ‘Sisters of Charity of Besançon’. As well as providing education and food, the Sisters took over the prisons, where living conditions were appalling. The fight for dignity was waged on all fronts.
In view of such success and such widespread need, she was called to Thonon, and soon to Naples. She went there with eight sisters of her order. In 1819, the consecration came: His Holiness Pius VII approved and welcomed the creation of the “Daughters of Charity under the protection of Saint Vincent de Paul”.
Solidarity, a full-time commitment to human dignity
But Jeanne’s energy, her daring views on the condition of prisoners and her indignation earned her some hostile feelings. In Naples, she came up against the rigidities of local society, but also in Besançon, where she had a disagreement with a very conservative Archbishop, Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny. Returning to Naples, she died there in 1826.
Almost a century after her death, the Boutique Jeanne-Antide at 3 rue Champrond and the Sisters of Charity in Besançon remind believers and non-believers alike that solidarity is first and foremost a question of commitment. Discover a tireless lover of human dignity.
Written by Morgane Hecky, digital editing journalist at France 3 Franche-Comté
