Colette was born in Corbie, France, in 1381, the daughter of a carpenter at the town's abbey. After years living as a hermit, she felt called to restore the Poor Clares to the simple, poor life Saint Francis and Saint Clare intended, and she founded or reformed seventeen monasteries across France and Flanders. She died in Ghent in 1447 and was canonized in 1807; she is invoked especially by expectant mothers and for sick children.
Colette began as one quiet young woman with no rank or resources, yet her gentle persistence renewed religious life across a whole region. She shows that faithfulness in hidden prayer can overflow into great good for others, and her tenderness toward children and the suffering makes her a comforting friend to families who grieve.
Saint Colette, friend of the poor and protector of little ones, pray for us and for the children we love, that we may trust God's quiet, faithful care. Amen.