St. Genevieve (422 to 512)

   How can people have so much admiration for Mark Twain when he said so many horrible things about the French? It's disgusting that he'll always be remembered as one of the greatest American writers when he could speak that way about a country and its people.
  It could be that I'm half French and I don't want to hear negative things about my heritage. I also work for a French company. So, I've been thinking about France quite a bit lately and would love to return there for a visit.
  Since this blog will come to an end on December 31, it wouldn't be complete without mention of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris.
  She was born a poor peasant girl in Nanterre, France in 422. When St. Genevieve was a young child, St. Germaine of Auxerre visited her neighborhood. She told him she wished to live a spiritual life devoted to God and he encouraged her to become a nun. At age 15, St. Genevieve took her vows.
  She helped the poor through charitable acts. St. Genevieve was a vegetarian and ate just two meals a week. Her days included communicating with people in the afterlife and also experiencing visions and prophecies.
  Many people made fun of her for this behavior. However, that stopped when Attila the Hun was about to invade Paris and St. Genevieve told them to fast and pray. Through divine intervention, he changed his course.
  St. Genevieve died in 512 and her feast day is Jan. 3.