Big Hearts
Little Sisters, Brothers’ Keepers
In the wintery streets of Brittany, France, in 1839, Saint Jeanne Jugan met Anne Chauvin, an elderly and disabled widow rattled by the cold. Concerned, she carried Chauvin home and gave her a bed (Jugan’s own; Jugan herself moved to the less comfortable attic) and a promise to look after her.
That’s how Jugan began her mission to serve the aged and an organization that today gives free care in 31 countries to the elderly poor.
The Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor has aged with grace over 175 years—and has helped many people to age with dignity and comfort.
“Too many elderly are shoved aside. They’re pushed to the background when they’re dying or when they’re not economically feasible anymore,” says Sister Mary Bernard, one of almost three thousand devotees of the Roman Catholic congregation.
“But I feel that God wants me to serve the elderly as I would Him, and I’m happy to do it.”
Make It Count
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