Part 2:
Early Influences
Jeanne-Marie Chavoin spent
30 years of her life
in the village of Coutouvre.
From the front door of her family home
she could see the village square and the church just beyond.
Jeanne-Marie’s life in Coutouvre was people-oriented.
From the Chavoin home her father ran a tailor’s shop.
Customers came daily, exchanging the latest news,
sharing the joys and concerns of the village.
As Jeanne-Marie did not go away to school,
all her learning was from life – from her parents, and
the priest whom the Chavoins were sheltering.
Jeanne-Marie learned:
- from her father:
– how to sew
– how to keep accounts
- from her mother
– how to cook
– how to keep house
- from them both:
– how to relate to people
– how to put faith into action
- from the old priest, perhaps
– something of history and
– background to the Revolution
Two other important people
• Jean-Philibert Lefranc
– a seminarian of J-M’s own age (19)
– who introduced Jeanne-Marie to
• different ways to pray, and
• spiritual direction
• Marie Jotillon
– a village friend, 4 yrs younger
– whom Jeanne-Marie challenged to grow, and
– with whom she formed a spiritual partnership
• through weekly sharing of faith,
• in their search for God’s Will in their lives
Daily Activities
Association of Divine Love
• Begun by Jean-Philibert Lefranc
• Group of women
– Young, single
– Widows
• Deep spiritual base
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–
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Personal prayer
Communal prayer
Examination of conscience
Fraternal correction
• With apostolic outreach
– Visiting the sick
– Helping the poor
– Teaching catechism to children
Discovering God’s Will…
In Part 3 of the Jeanne-Marie Chavoin Story,
we will see how Jeanne-Marie discovered
exactly what God had in mind for her
and for her companion, Marie.
Again, many thanks to Moira Ryan sm,
our illustrator