A Saint to Walk with You?

Saint Julie Billiart

A statue of St. Julie Billiart from St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in Hamilton Ohio. Image credit: Nheyob/CC BY-SA 4.0

When you are going through difficult times, you might feel like you would like a saint to walk with you. But how about a saint who could not walk for over 20 years of her life? St. Julie Billiart was born in France in the 1700’s. For the first 22 years of her life, she was a normally active person. But then she was suddenly paralyzed and confined to her bed. Once she could no longer walk, what do you think she did with her life? She used her confinement as a blessing. Now those in need always knew where to find her. Children gathered around her bed and she taught them. After over 20 years of living in this way, she was miraculously cured and spent the remaining years of her life opening up religious houses to care for poor children. So Julie Billiart can show you how to walk but also how to be still and trust in God’s plan for your life.