“Man seeks certainties. God offers him a pedestal (faith) so that he may rise against his own reasons.”

St. Andrew Hubert Fournet, whose feast day coincides with that of Our Lady of Fatima, was born in the French town of Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé on December 6, 1752. For years, he banished the very idea of consecrating his life to God.

He never would have imagined, nor even considered, that he would become a saint. He used to sign his books—recklessly gambling on his future as if he held the key to life—with this note: “Andrew, who will never be a religious or a priest.” Perhaps he wished to contradict his mother’s prediction that the opposite would happen, which is exactly what came to pass.

A Rebellious Youth

His childhood and youth were the polar opposite of a religious spirit: he was rebellious, quick to protest, annoyingly restless, and not at all devout. While boarding at school, he was so rowdy that the rector punished him by locking him in a dark room, but he escaped. An equal punishment awaited him at home, but he was spared because his patient mother interceded for him.

She did everything she could to straighten his path. She constantly entrusted him to God in her prayers and continued to perform works of charity for the poor despite the reproaches of her wayward son. Despite his biting criticism, he would later remember her teachings. The essence of her effective “maternal pedagogy” was simple: one always gives God the best, not the scraps.

Regardless, any spark of fervor he might have had was completely lost when he began studying philosophy in Poitiers. He embraced a worldly life, ignoring the sediment of unhappiness and bitterness it was leaving in his soul.

The Turning Point

At one point, he decided to join the military without consulting his well-to-do family. Again, his mother intervened so he could return home, as he had even been barred from the house. This brave woman, who believed her faith and constancy would guide her indomitable offspring, went to the army, paid the necessary fine, and released him from his commitment.

Andrew was quite a poor writer, so he was not accepted for any of the jobs he applied for. He considered law, but following advice, he moved to the home of an uncle who was the Archpriest of Hains. It was there that God touched his turbulent heart. He began ecclesiastical studies and cultivated prayer and meditation.

From Vanity to Humility

For a time after being ordained, he served as his uncle’s vicar. His uncle, who had a reputation for holiness, observed him preaching with high-flown, bombastic words. One day, Andrew forgot his sermon, and the venerable priest warned him not to seek to show off before others, as that was not pleasing to God. Andrew took this to heart.

However, he still had other ties to sever. As the parish priest of his hometown, he began to live with a certain degree of luxury and comfort. He entertained guests lavishly until a beggar called him out: “Father Andrew, you live more like a rich man than a poor man, as Christ commands.”

Stung by this, he got rid of his fine silverware, distributed his assets among the needy, and adopted a monastic spirit. The “surplus” from his austere life was dedicated to almsgiving. His conversion was evident in his sermons; his sacristan once told him: “Your Reverence used to preach with words no one understood. Now we understand everything you say.”

Revolution and Exile

In 1782, his friendship with Father Riom led him to meet Riom’s nephew, Peter Coudrin, the future founder of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Coudrin, then a seminarian, took the saint as his confessor.

The outbreak of the French Revolution separated them, providing a new occasion for Fournet to witness his faith. His refusal to take the oath required of priests against the Church made him a fugitive. For five years, he remained an exile in Spain at the urge of his bishop. However, feeling he belonged with his flock, he returned to Maillé in mid-1797.

The joy of the people was immense when they discovered the presence of the saint, who had arrived unexpectedly, bypassing the ban on his person. He suffered constant harassment from persecutors and had to hide in cupboards and closets, but he never lacked the unconditional support of his parishioners, who cleverly prevented his capture.

The Foundation and Legacy

With the change in the political climate, he was able to focus openly on his pastoral ministry. He preached and heard confessions tirelessly. Many seminarians benefited from his generosity; he instructed them directly or found them proper formators.

In 1804, together with St. Elizabeth Bichier des Ages, he founded the community of the Daughters of the Cross (often called the Sisters of St. Andrew), dedicated to the sick and the youth. He served as the saint’s spiritual director until his death in La Puye on May 13, 1834.

• Canonization: Pope Pius XI beatified him on May 16, 1926, and canonized him on June 4, 1933.

• Legacy: Upon his death, the Bishop of Poitiers remarked: “Heaven has just been enriched by a new member, and the earth has just lost a model of all priestly virtues.”