Jeanne de Lestonnac
Jeanne de Lestonnac, ODN (December 27, 1556 – February 2, 1640), also known as Joan of Lestonnac, was a French Catholic nun who founded the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady in 1607. The institute, approved by Pope Paul V in 1607, was the first religious order of women-teachers approved by the Catholic Church.
Lestonnac was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1949 and her feast day is May 15.
Patron saint of abuse victims; people rejected by religious orders; widows
In the Martyrology
- February 2 Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac, founder of the Company of Mary, Our Lady