Dodge Aviat
The Holy Leonie (Frances de) Aviat (born September 16, 1844 in Sézanne; † January 10, 1914 in Perugia), sister, co-founded the Oblate Sisters of St. Louis Brisson. Francis de Sales.
Leonie Aviat was born on 16 September 1844 in Sézanne. As a 11 year old she came to the school, which was founded by Saint Francis de Sales, Sisters of the Visitation of Mary to Troyes. There she met Mary de Sales Chappuis, the Mother Superior of the convent, and Louis Brisson know, was the spiritual director of the monastery and teacher of natural science, literature and religion. These three personalities – Francis of Sales, Mary de Sales Chappuis and Louis Brisson – should pay Another life have a decisive influence.
1864 brought Leonie Aviat in an eyeglass factory her hometown Sézanne the glasses for her mother from. This inconspicuous event was the birth of her religious life for them. In the 19th century sprang up throughout France by industrialization factories where young women were working under some very bad conditions. After their visit to the factory glasses she felt that she had to help these women. So she went to Louis Brisson and told Him. their desire This was thrilled because he had similar ideas, namely the young workers who came from the countryside to the city, a decent place to stay and religious education has to offer, so they do not come off the rails.
On April 11, 1866 Leonie Aviat was called, there to take over the management of the house in the house for young workers, "Les Terrasses". Two years later, she co-founded with Louis Brisson, the Congregation of the Oblates of St.. Francis de Sales and began on October 30, 1886, the novitiate. Your teacher, they became familiar with the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales, Mary de Sales Chappuis was. The Salesian spirituality should namely form the basis of the new religious community. On October 11, 1871 then promised her life of poverty, celibacy and obedience as an Oblate of St.. Francis de Sales spend. In honor of St. Francis de Sales took the new religious name "Frances de" to. My motto was: "M’oublier entièrement" ("myself completely forgotten") to "a small instrument of God" to be. On September 20, 1872, it was unanimously elected first Superior General of the Congregation. This office she held until 1879. In 1880 she moved to a monastery to Paris to bring there the finances in order. In 1884 she returned to Troyes in 1893 and re-elected Superior General.
End of the 19th century, the new congregation had spread beyond France to Switzerland, Italy, Austria and England. In South Africa and Latin America to pursue the mission.
In the course of complete secularization of France at the beginning of the 20th century began with the secularization of the religious houses and expelling the occupants. So in 1904, the Oblates had left France. They went into exile in Perugia in Italy. There Leonie Frances de Sales Aviat died on 10 January 1914 of pneumonia.
On April 9, 1961, her body from Perugia to Troyes in the crypt of St. Gille of the monastery of the Oblate Sisters of St.. Francis transferred. On April 11, 1961, the coffin is opened and discovered the integrity of their corpse in the course of her beatification. Her body still rests in the crypt of St. Gille.
Remembrance Day: January 10
On September 27, 1992, canonized Leonie Frances de Sales Aviat of Pope John Paul II blessed and on 25 November 2001.