Elizabeth was born in France and came from a very good family. Then during the time of the French Revolution, Elizabeth’s family lost everything they owned. This was because the republicans were taking property from the nobility.

But this intelligent young woman of nineteen studied law so she could fight her family’s case in court. Being a good lawyer, she won the case and was able to save her family. The village shoemaker exclaimed: “All you have to do now is marry a good republican!”

But Elizabeth had no intention of marrying anyone republican or noble. On the back of a picture of Our Lady, she had written: “I dedicate and consecrate myself to Jesus and Mary forever.”

Elizabeth soon joined the convent and became a nun, with the help of St. Andrew Fournet, she started a new religious order called the Daughters of the Cross.

As a little girl, her favorite game was building castles in the sand. Many years later, this holy French woman had to take charge of building many convents for the Daughters of the Cross. “I guess building was meant to be my business,” she joked, “since I started it so young!”

This new order taught children and cared for the sick. Elizabeth would face any danger to help people. Once she found a tramp lying sick in a barn. She brought him to the convent hospital and did all she could for him until he died. The next morning the police chief came to tell her she could be arrested for sheltering a man who was a criminal.

Elizabeth was unafraid. “I only did what you yourself would have done, sir,” she said. “I found this poor sick man, and took care of him until he died. I am ready to tell the judge just what happened.”

` Of course, the saint’s honesty and charity won her great respect. People admired her straight, clear answers. By 1830, Elizabeth had opened over sixty convents.

The order’s co-founder, St. Andrew Fournet, died in 1834. St. Elizabeth wrote to the sisters, “This is our greatest and most sad loss.” Then four years later St. Elizabeth died on August 26, 1838.

St. Augustine was born in Tagaste in modern Algeria. This famous son of St. Monica spent many years living a wicked life and in false beliefs. He was one of the most intelligent persons who ever lived.

Augustine was brought up in a Christian atmosphere by his mother. But he became so proud and bad that in the end he could not see or understand holy truths anymore.

His mother Monica prayed daily for her son’s conversion. The marvelous sermons of St. Ambrose made their impact too. Finally, Augustine became convinced that Christianity was the true religion.

Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. Then one day, he heard about two men who had suddenly changed and became good Christians after reading the life of St. Anthony of the Desert.

Augustine felt ashamed. “What are we doing?” he cried to his friend Alipius. “Unlearned people are taking heaven by force. Yet we, with all our knowledge, are so weak that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!”

Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine went into the garden and prayed, “How much longer, Lord? Why don’t I stop committing sins now?” Just then he heard a child singing, “Take up and read!”

Thinking that God wanted him to hear those words, he picked up the Bible and opened it. His eyes fell on St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 13. It was just what Augustine needed. Paul says to stop living bad lives and to live like Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

He was baptized and ordained a priest and later became a bishop. He was a famous Catholic writer and started the Augustinian order. He became one of the greatest saints who ever lived.

On the wall of his room, he had the following sentence written in large letters: “Here we do not speak evil of anyone.” St. Augustine corrected strong false teachings, lived a simple life and cared for the poor.

He preached very often, and prayed with great feeling right up until his death. “Too late have I loved you,” he once cried to God. But Augustine spent the rest of his life in loving God and leading others to love him, too.