St. Colette, 7th February

Background:
St. Colette was born at Corbie in Picardy, France on January 13th, 1381. Her father was Robert Boellet and mother Marguerite Moyon. The birth name of St.Colette was Nicole Boellet. Colette's mother Marguerite prayed to St.Nicholas for a child and St.Colette was born when her mother was 60 years old. Her conception was a miracle of St.Nicholas.

St.Colette received the habit of the Third Order of Francis in 1402. She founded the Colettine Poor Clares, a reformed branch of the Order of Saint Clare. She also founded 18 monasteries. She prescribed extreme poverty, observance of perpetual fasting and abstinence to the members.

Miracles:

She used to go to all places by bare foot. When, once she stayed in the house of her friend, the house ownder;s wife was having major difficulties in child birth for a third child. Colette went to a nearby church and prayed. The house owner's wife later gave birth to a girl child and that child later entered the monastery of Colette and became the biographer of Colette (Pierinne).

One day a man brought child, died at birth to the parish priest for baptism. But the priest refused and advised the man to go to the nuns. The man then came to mother Colette and she gave her veil to the father of the dead child in it and take to the priset's house with the dead child, the child was conscious and was crying. The priest then baptized the child. Colette died on March 6,1447.


She was beatified by pope Clement-XII on January 23,1740 and canonized by pope Pius-VII on May24, 1807.

She is the patron of women seeking to conceive, expectant mothers and sick children.