St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier was born on an island off the coast of France where her parents had been exiled by the French Revolutionaries. She was christened Rose Virginie Pelletier. At the age of 18, Rose Virginie joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity in Tours, France, and received the name Mary Euphrasia.
The Order of Our Lady of Charity cared for girls and women in difficulty, some of whom were abandoned by their families or orphaned. The Sisters provided an opportunity for these girls and women to turn their lives around. Mary Euphrasia became superior of the convent at Tours at age 29.
While superior at Tours, Sr. Mary Euphrasia formed a contemplative group of Sisters called Magdelens. The Magdalens are now known as the Contemplatives of the Good Shepherd. Saint Mary Euphrasia formed the contemplative group for penitent women who wished to live a cloistered life. The Sisters Magdalen earned their own way with intricate embroidery of priest vestments and production of altar bread.
In 1829, St. Mary Euphrasia traveled to Angers, France, at the request of the Bishop to establish a home in his Diocese. Soon bishops from other cities started requesting that Good Shepherd Sisters establish communities to minister to women and girls in their Diocese. Mary Euphrasia responded readily to these requests to save souls. Quote from St. Mary EuphrasiaTo better serve this purpose, she felt a need to expand the apostolate to wherever it was needed. She envisioned a governing structure that would allow Good Shepherds to carry on a global ministry.
Mary Euphrasia appealed to Rome. She needed approval to establish a new religious congregation that would be under one general government. She received permission to found the congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. On April 3, 1835, she became the first Superior General of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd of Angers. From that day forward all houses would be under the Motherhouse of the Good Shepherd at Angers.
