Marguerite Bays was a 19th-century Swiss seamstress and mystic who lived in the canton of Fribourg. A member of the Secular Franciscan Order, she dedicated her life to prayer and serving the impoverished in her community. She is notably remembered for her mystical experiences, including the reception of the stigmata and periodic ecstatic raptures. Following her death in 1879, her reputation for holiness led to a formal recognition of her virtues, culminating in her canonization by Pope Francis in 2019.
Life and service
Born in 1815, Bays lived a modest life working as a dressmaker. She chose to remain in the world rather than entering a religious order, instead practicing her faith through the Secular Franciscan Order. She was deeply committed to charity, providing food and clothing to local peasants who struggled due to agricultural mechanization. After being healed of bowel cancer in 1854, she viewed her recovery as a sign to increase her service to others.
Mystical experiences
Bays experienced several profound spiritual phenomena, most notably the stigmata, which manifested as wounds on her hands, feet, and chest. She also experienced weekly ecstatic states that coincided with the anniversary of the passion of Christ. These experiences were eventually examined by local ecclesiastical authorities. In her final years, she suffered from significant physical pain before passing away in Siviriez in June 1879.
Veneration
The process for her sainthood began in the early 20th century, with her being declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1990. Following the verification of a miracle, she was beatified and later canonized in 2019. She is commemorated in the Catholic Church on June 27, the anniversary of her death.