Blessed Odilia Baumgarten

Early Life

There is little known about Blessed Odilia Baumgarten. What little isknown often associates her with Blessed Marie-Anne Vayo.

History records that Odilia Baumgarten was born in Gordrexang, EasternFrance. She was born on the 15th of November, 1750.

Her family was a lowly family of millers. The Baumgartens lived a verysimple life.

As a child, Odilia’s father then told her stories about how the churchwas found by Saint Vincent. These stories often amused Odilia and shepromised herself to serve God all her life.

Years later, Odilia Baumgarten discovered the community of the Daughtersof Mercy. She first met them in Vic-Sur-Seille and she sought to livehow they lived. Although lacking financially to some extent, she lovedhow the Daughters of Mercy helped the poor.

Dedication and Devotion

On the 4th of August in 1774, Odilia joined the society of Daughters ofMercy in Brest, Paris. She was just 24 years old.

There, she spent time understanding their lifestyle. It was probablyduring this period that she met

After staying with the congregation for a while, Odilia was dischargedto Angers, Western France, to help take care of victims of the plaguesin a hospital called Saint-Jean.

While serving in Angers, the French Revolution broke out. This markedthe beginning of the persecution of Christians in 1789.

Christians were reported to the authorities, arrested, tortured, andpunished. Citizens were expected to not only denounce their faith inChrist but also denounce their faith in the Church and even the pope.

People who defected in these instructions were stripped of theirproperties, banished, or even killed. The government not only sought todissolve the religious institutions but also religion-backedinstitutions, including the hospital ministry of the Daughters of Mercy.

While many of the institutions shrunk in fear, the Superioress of theDaughters of Mercy community encouraged the sisters to continue to serveGod through the sick. She encouraged them to have faith in God and notbe intimidated by the acts of man.

In order to frustrate the sisters, the Jacob Democratic Party of Francetried to make all members of the Daughters of Mercy community take anoath to denounce their faith in public.

All sisters however refused to take the oath and were immediatelyrounded up and arrested. On the 19th of January in 1794, when OdiliaBaumgarten was 43, she and all her sisters in faith were arrested.

They were held and tortured for data on end. On the 1st of February inthe same year, they were taken to the public says along with othererring individuals.

Death and Canonization

On the 1st day of February 1784, Blessed Odilia Baumgarten was shot andkilled in Avrillé, Maine-et-Loire in France.

She died, like many others that day, for her staunch belief in God andthe Church.

Blessed Odilia Baumgarten was consecrated by Pope John Paull II on the19th of February, 1984. She is remembered by the Church on the 2nd ofJanuary.

5 Interesting Facts About Blessed Odilia Baumgarten

1. Did you know that Blessed Odilia Baumgarten was a part of the
   Society of Saint Vincent de Paul?
2. Did you know that Blessed Odilia Baumgarten died a virgin?
3. Did you know that Odilia Baumgarten has not been named Patron Saint
   by anyone?
4. Did you know that Blessed Odilia Baumgarten is named in a Catholic
   liturgy?
5. Did you know that Blessed Odilia Baumgarten was one of 99 martyrs of
   the French Revolution to be blessed by Pope Saint John Paul II?