Marguerite Bays
Marguerite Bays was a Swiss seamstress and mystic, a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, known for her simple life and adaptation of Franciscan tenets. She is chiefly remembered for receiving the stigmata and for her healing from bowel cancer, which she attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Feast Day
- October 13
- Century
- 19th century
- Country Or Region
- Switzerland
Key Facts
- ›She was born on September 8, 1815, in La Pierraz, Switzerland.
- ›Bays was a seamstress who also devoted herself to serving the poor and teaching catechism.
- ›She experienced healing from bowel cancer on December 8, 1854, the same day Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
- ›Around 1854, she began to manifest the stigmata, experiencing the pain of Christ's wounds.
- ›She died on June 27, 1879, following a period of intense suffering.
- ›Marguerite Bays was canonized by Pope Francis on October 13, 2019.
About Marguerite Bays
Marguerite Bays (1815–1879)
Marguerite Bays was a Swiss mystic, seamstress, and member of the Secular Franciscan Order, born on September 8, 1815, in La Pierraz, Switzerland. She lived a simple life marked by deep faith, charitable works, and extraordinary spiritual experiences.
Early Life and Devotion
Born into a farming family in the canton of Fribourg, Bays demonstrated early intelligence and a contemplative nature. She received confirmation in 1823 and her First Communion in 1826. After an apprenticeship as a seamstress, she offered her services to various households. Bays created a personal altar in her room and dedicated herself to prayer, particularly to the Virgin Mary. She also shared stories of Jesus with children in her spare time. Despite opportunities to enter religious orders, she chose to live a virginal life in the world, devoted to an austere life for Christ.
Service to the Poor and Mystical Life
During her adolescence, Bays actively served the poor, bringing them food, washing and mending their clothes, and providing new ones. Her commitment to service led her to join the Secular Franciscan Order. She frequently attended Mass, even with a significant walk to the neighboring village, and participated in Eucharistic Adoration. Bays also undertook pilgrimages to Marian shrines. She taught catechism to children and visited the ill.
In 1853, Bays contracted bowel cancer. She prayed for healing through the intercession of the Mother of God, but also asked that her pain be united with Christ's suffering. Her illness, characterized by dizziness, stomach pain, and nausea, was diagnosed by a doctor who ruled out surgery. On December 8, 1854, the day Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Bays found herself cured, interpreting this as a call to greater service. Around the same time, she discovered she had the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, which caused her intense pain and led to ecstatic raptures. She consulted her bishop regarding the authenticity of these phenomena.
Later Life and Death
Bays also supported and encouraged the founding of Saint Paul's Work in 1873, an initiative co-founded by Lutgarde Menétrey and Joseph Schorderet, despite opposition from the Bishop of Fribourg. In her final weeks, she experienced extreme pain and had difficulty eating or drinking, subsisting on herbal tea and light soup. Marguerite Bays died at 3:00 pm on June 27, 1879, after several more weeks of suffering. Her funeral was attended by hundreds, and her remains were later transferred to the parish church at Siviriez.
Canonization
The process for Bays' canonization began in Switzerland in 1929 and formally opened in Rome in 1930. After extensive investigation and ratification of her heroic virtue, Pope John Paul II declared her Venerable on July 10, 1990. A miracle attributed to her intercession led to her beatification by Pope John Paul II on October 29, 1995. A second miracle, involving a girl's survival of a tractor accident after her grandfather invoked Bays' intercession, was approved by Pope Francis, leading to her canonization on October 13, 2019, alongside four other saints.
Source: Wikipedia ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Marguerite Bays born and where?
Marguerite Bays was born on September 8, 1815, in La Pierraz, a hamlet of Chavannes-les-Forts in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland.
What was Marguerite Bays' occupation?
Marguerite Bays was a Swiss seamstress. She also dedicated herself to serving the poor and teaching catechism to children.
What is Marguerite Bays most known for?
She is chiefly known for her mystical experiences, particularly the manifestation of the stigmata around 1854, and for her healing from bowel cancer on December 8, 1854.
When was Marguerite Bays canonized?
Marguerite Bays was canonized by Pope Francis on October 13, 2019, at St Peter's Basilica.
What religious order was Marguerite Bays a part of?
Marguerite Bays was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, adapting its tenets into her own life and social apostolate.
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