Claude-Poullart-des-Places
Claude was born on February 26, 1679, of French parents Francis Claude and Jeanne Le Meneust de la Vieuxville. As the first-born boy of a noble couple deeply devoted to Our Lady, Claude was clad in white robes until age seven in her honor.
An exceptionally brilliant student, he excelled in Philosophy, Rhetoric, and Law. Despite his parents’ hopes for a prestigious legal career, Claude chose to abandon wealth to study theology in Paris. There, he developed a profound compassion for poor chimney sweeps, teaching them to read and providing for their needs.
Recognizing the struggles of poor seminarians, he founded a community on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 1703, consecrated to the Holy Spirit. Ordained in 1707, Claude lived a life of self-privation. He passed away on October 2, 1709, at only 30 years old, but the work he left behind remains a global legacy.
Francis Libermann
Born Jacob Libermann in 1802 to a Jewish family in Alsace, he was the son of a Chief Rabbi. After extensive rabbinical studies and exposure to European literature, Jacob converted to Catholicism, taking the name Francis in 1826.
Despite battling epilepsy, Francis felt a divine calling to serve the “neglected” former slaves in French colonies. In 1841, he was ordained a priest and established the Society of the Holy Heart of Mary. His mission focused on sending missionaries to Africa, Brazil, and America to support those living in pathetic conditions.
On June 10, 1848, his society merged with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers. Libermann became the Superior General of this new coalition, serving until his death on February 2, 1852, while the Magnificat was being chanted in the chapel.