29 Facts About Marthe Robin

Marthe Robin was a French Roman Catholic mystic and stigmatist and foundress of the Foyers de charite association.

Marthe Robin became bedridden when she was 21 and remained so until her death.

Marthe Robin was born into a peasant farming family on 13 March 1902 in Chateauneuf-de-Galaure, in a hamlet called Les Moilles, which was locally known as "La Plaine".

Marthe Robin was the sixth and last child of Joseph-Michel Robin and Amelie-Celestine Robin.

Marthe Robin attended the Chateauneuf-de-Galaure primary school, and stayed there until she was thirteen.

Marthe Robin never took her end of primary school exams.

Marthe Robin helped out on the family farm and participated in village life.

In spite of the fact that her parents were non-practicing Catholics, Marthe Robin was drawn to prayer at an early age.

Marthe Robin fell into a coma which lasted four days.

Marthe Robin had eyesight problems, and lost her sight altogether for several months.

Marthe Robin continued to live on the farm, and her family and friends became her carers.

An interpretation of Marthe Robin's sickness has been given, on the basis of medical records gathered by the diocesan inquiry, and a medical examination performed in 1942 by two doctors.

Marthe Robin desired to consecrate herself to Christ and from then onwards loved the Eucharist more and more.

On 25 March 1922, according to the testimony of her sister Alice, Marthe Robin had a personal vision of the Virgin Mary.

Marthe Robin reported that Christ appeared to her on the night of 4 December 1928.

Marthe Robin confided about this vision to Pere Faure, her parish priest, then took the decision to give her life entirely to God and to unite herself with his sufferings through prayer and love.

From 1930 onwards, Marthe Robin ate no food other than the Eucharist, which she received once a week.

Marthe Robin herself appealed for discretion concerning these phenomena and encouraged Christians not to focus on them.

Five successive bishops of the diocese of Valence to which Marthe Robin belonged, as well as being prudent, all said they knew Robin and that she had never come across as somebody to be mistrusted.

In 1936, Marthe Robin met Georges Finet, a priest from Lyon who took over Pere Faure's role.

In early February 1981, Marthe Robin had a coughing attack that became more and more acute.

Marthe Robin's tomb is in the cemetery of St Bonnet.

Marthe Robin participated in the life of her diocese and her village as well as she was able.

Marthe Robin was a prolific letter writer, which she managed by dictating to a secretary.

Marthe Robin followed and supported, to differing degrees, the setting up of various of the new Catholic communities and associations that were founded in France during the 20th century, for example the Communaute Saint Jean, the Communaute de l'Emmanuel, the Communaute des Beatitudes, the Freres Missionnaires des Campagnes, founded by Father Epagneul, a Dominican, and the Association Claire Amitie, founded by Therese Cornille.

The number of visitors going to pray at the farmhouse on La Plaine, where Marthe Robin lived, doubled between 2001 and 2011, reaching 40,000 a year.

In 1936, Marthe Robin founded the Foyers de Charite at Chateauneuf-de-Galaure.

The "heroic virtues" of Marthe Robin were recognized on 7 November 2014 by Pope Francis.

Marthe Robin is therefore declared venerable and recognition of a miracle could open the door to her beatification.