A dialogue between the Virgin Mary and Saint Marie Rivier

Marie Rivier, a French nun who founded 141 schools around the world, was canonized on May 15, 2022 in Rome.

Her life began with a great trial. At the age of 16 months, in Montpezat-sous-Bauzon in the Ardèche department (southeastern France) where she was born, she fell from a bunk bed, damaging her hip and feet to the point that she could no longer walk.

Her mother, who was very devout, brought her every day to the village church, to pray in front of the Pietà - a statue of Mary holding and weeping for her son Jesus after the descent from the cross. There, the Virgin began talking with the young Marie.

Later, Marie Rivier said that during this period she had visions during her long hours of prayer. Sister Catherine of the Congregation of the Presentation of Mary remembers: "She was in bed and saw herself surrounded by school children, and said to the Virgin: 'If you heal me, I will gather girls for you and I will tell them to love you.' This is how she received the vocation to be a teacher."

Her recovery came four years after the accident. Marie decided to honor her promise to the Virgin Mary. Although she recovered enough to walk again, the effects of the accident had a negative impact on her development and she reached a height of only 1.32m (a little over 4 feet) as an adult.

Adapted and translated from: www.france3-regions