Les époux La Garaye or "the Charitable Spouses"
Claude and Marguerite overcame their trials and tribulations, working together on a charitable project. They served the poorest and were encouraged in their mission by King Louis XV.
In 1996, when John Paul II came to Sainte-Anne d'Auray, he dubbed them the "Charitable Spouses". Their example invites us to pray that many more couples will respond to the call to holiness.
The couple
Claude
In October 1675, Claude was born into a family of Breton parliamentarians. Unfortunately, he was soon affected by tragedy. His mother died when he was five. His father gave him a good education and sent him to good schools. Claude was brilliant. He served King Louis XIV and was noticed for his loyal service.
Claude eventually left the Paris region to return to the Dinan area. His family owned a château in Taden.
He married Marguerite, daughter of the chief clerk of the Brittany parliament, in 1701.
Marguerite
Nothing is known about Marguerite's birth, childhood or education. From the moment of her marriage to Claude, we know that she led a pleasant, quiet life, punctuated by social events at the Château de Taden.
During their first years of marriage, Claude and Marguerite were confronted with two trials.
During a hunting trip (for which her husband was a great enthusiast), Marguerite suffered a nasty fall from her horse. The fall left her with many after-effects, including the impossibility of having a child. Together, they faced the death of a family member. This sudden death had a profound effect on them, and changed their whole outlook on life.
The La Garayes at the service of the sick
From 1710 onwards, their lives changed radically, and can be summed up in one phrase: "serving the poor for the love of God". Their château was transformed into a hospital, initially with 20 beds. At the same time, they both trained in medicine and chemistry to care for the sick. King Louis XV encouraged them in their mission.
Their dedication led them to sell much of what they owned to further expand their capacity to care for the sick. They went from 40 to 60 beds.
Untiring in his mission, and after writing an essay on chemistry, Claude died at the age of 80.
Prayer for a miracle:
Their cause for canonization was opened by the Bishop of Saint-Brieuc in Dinan on September 22, 2024. The diocese remains at your disposal to receive the graces received through the intercession of the prayer below.
"God of love and goodness, you raised up Claude-Toussaint and Marguerite-Marie de la Garaye to be charitable spouses at the service of the poor, their brothers, and to give us through them a model of devotion to our fellow men. Through their intercession, grant us this grace [name the grace desired] and give us the joy of one day seeing the Church recognize their virtues through beatification. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
Pray with Hozana for the sick and discover other saints
On Hozana, you can subscribe to various prayer communities to pray for your family and grow in holiness as Chiara did. You can also follow . Hozana also offers a novena to Our Lady of Lourdes to entrust the sick, especially cancer sufferers.
