General Presentation

Saint Emilie de Vialar was born in Gaillac (south-west of France) on the 12th September 1797.
She belonged to an aristocratic family. While still young she desired to make know and love Jesus, to help the poor, the sick and the abandoned children. At Gaillac, the municipal hospital, run by the Sisters of Nevers, already cares for the sick poor and receives abandoned infants. By contrast, no one takes care of the education of poor children, she therefore began a school. A few young girls of Gaillac rallied round her, and on Christmas night 1832 she founded a Congregation, soon known as Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition.
This name expresses the Mission and the Spirituality of the Congregation : to reveal God’s loving plan of salvation, as St. Joseph did when told by the angel to accept Mary who was with child (Mt. 1, 20-21).
The Sisters were called to Algeria, then to Tunisia and other countries round the Mediterranean, to reveal, by their dedication, God’s infinite love for humanity. At Emilie’s death, in Marseilles on the 24th August 1856, her sisters were the first to settle in Australia.

This site gathers together writings of St. Emilie, translated from the original French documents :

1. A special text, an Account of Graces that she received from God, written to the Archbishop of Albi, to shed light on her vocation.

2. The whole of the 550 known letters of Emilie de Vialar; they are classified in chronological order, and followed by some acts of nomination to various offices.

3. Several reports addressed to the pope Gregory XVI or the French authorities.

4. The rule of the House of Charity established in Gaillac in January 1834; the first Constitutions, composed by her for her Congregation, published in Gaillac in 1835; and the main texts to explain the spirit of the rules.

5. The Handbook on the Running of Christian Schools for the use of teaching Sisters in her Congregation, published in Gaillac in 1836.

Every writing of St. Emilie de Vialar is linked to the French original text and to a digital photo of the corresponding French document in the Archives.

Into the French section one can find the inventory of the Archives of the Mother House of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition.