Jeanne de Lestonnac

Jeanne de Lestonnac: Foundress of Women's Education

Jeanne de Lestonnac (December 27, 1556 – February 2, 1640), also known as Joan of Lestonnac, was a French Catholic nun and a pivotal figure in the history of women's education. She is chiefly remembered as the founder of the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady, established in 1607, which became the first religious order of women-teachers officially approved by the Catholic Church.

Life and Historical Context

Born in Bordeaux, Jeanne de Lestonnac came from a prominent family. Her father, Richard de Lestonnac, was a member of the Parlement of Bordeaux, and her mother, Jeanne Eyquem, was the sister of the renowned philosopher Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. Lestonnac's upbringing coincided with the height of religious conflict between Catholic and Protestant factions in France, a division that extended into her own family. Despite her mother's leanings towards Calvinism, Lestonnac remained steadfast in her Catholic faith, supported by her father and uncle.

At the age of 17, she married Gaston de Montferrant, with whom she had seven children. After 24 years of marriage, her husband died, ushering in a period of profound grief marked by the subsequent loss of her father, uncle, and eldest son within seven months.

Religious Life and Foundress

Following her husband's death and with her children grown, a 46-year-old Lestonnac sought a contemplative life and entered a Cistercian Monastery in Toulouse, taking the religious name Jeanne of Saint Bernard. Although she found peace there, illness forced her to leave after six months. She retreated to her estate, La Mothe Lusié, where she adopted the life of a secular dévote, engaging in charitable works and spiritual discussions with young women of her social standing. She drew inspiration from the lives of female saints such as Scholastica, Clare of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila.

In 1605, during a plague that struck Bordeaux, Lestonnac returned to her native city at great personal risk to aid the sick and suffering in the city's slums.

Founding the Company of Mary, Our Lady

Lestonnac's brother, a Jesuit, facilitated a meeting with two Jesuit fathers, Jean de Bordes and François de Raymond. They proposed that she establish a new teaching order for young women, aiming to provide girls with the same level of formal education offered to boys. This led to the formation of a cloistered community, adhering to a modified Benedictine rule that permitted teaching. The group received papal approval from Pope Paul V in 1607 and was named the Compagnie de Notre-Dame.

The community purchased an old priory and later moved to a larger monastery. They were supported by the city's elite, and the first five members took their religious vows on December 10, 1610. The order established its first school for girls in Bordeaux, and through Lestonnac's connections, expanded to Beziers, Périgueux, and Toulouse. By the time of her death at age 84, the order had grown to 30 houses across France.

Legacy

Jeanne de Lestonnac was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1900 and canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 15, 1949. Her religious order, the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady, continues its mission of education and service, with over 1,450 sisters serving in 27 countries as of 2016, demonstrating the enduring impact of her vision for female education.