Born in France in 1797, her father was a doctor and she was the oldest of three children.

The Reign of Terror, which claimed so many French Martyrs, had ended three years earlier but the persecution of The Catholic Church continued. 

1797 was also the year Napoleon took Pope Pius XI prisoner and sent him to France, where he died one year later. 

When she was 13, Emily was sent to Paris to study and her mother went with her but on the trip became sick and died. 

Emily returned home and dedicated her life to serving the poor, inviting many to stay at her house. 

Her father, still grieving the loss of his wife, had turned the household over to one of his servants who strongly disapproved of Emily inviting in these Poor guests. 

When her grandfather left Emily an inheritance she bought her own house and continued her work with the poor. Soon other women began to help and they formed a new community, The Sisters of St. Joseph of The Apparition. 

In just over twenty years they went from one house to forty. Emily traveled to Cyprus, Tripoli and Beirut, opening schools and hospitals. 

But, when she returned to France, she found that a businessman had stolen all of their money and
Emily was forced to look for help which she found through an appeal to Bishop Eugene De Mazenod of The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. 

Known as the Saint of Poor People, Emily died in 1856.

St. Emily De Vailar, please pray for us.