St. Germaine Cousin

St. Germaine Cousin is the patron saint of victims of child abuse, so she is a great intercessor for those who have faced childhood trauma.

Germaine was born to poor parents. She was a very sick child, and she was also born with a deformed right hand. On top of all of this, her mother died when she was a baby.

Germaine’s father remarried, and her new stepmother was cruel to Germaine. She abused and neglected Germaine by pouring boiling water over her legs, starving her, making her sleep in the barn, and more. To add insult to injury, she taught Germaine’s siblings to do the same. All of this treatment worsened Germaine’s already poor health. Eventually, the family sent Germaine to care for their sheep because they didn’t want her around. 

Germaine faced tremendous hardship, but through God’s grace, God transformed her suffering into a beautiful example of Christian living. 

While alone with the sheep, Germaine would pray, especially the Rosary. She also went to Mass daily and would tell other children about God. Even though she didn’t have enough food to eat, she would give food away to the hungry. Soon, Germaine’s holiness was well known throughout their village.

However, stories about Germaine’s holiness only served to enrage her stepmother. One day, pent up with anger, she caught Germaine carrying something in her apron. She was sure Germaine had stolen bread to feed the hungry, so she began to beat her. Then, Germaine opened her apron, and out came beautiful flowers, in the dead of winter. Germine then handed a flower to her stepmother, saying “Please accept this flower, Mother. God sends it to you in sign of his forgiveness.”

Germaine’s example and kindness to her stepmother started to soften her heart. She invited Germaine to live in the house again, but Germaine chose to continue staying in the barn as a penance.

Due to her poor health, Germaine died at the young age of 22.

Germaine lived a hard but very simple life. However, she chose to open her heart to God, and he gave her the grace to use something meant as punishment and abuse-being forced to watch the family’s sheep-into a means for Germaine to pray, evangelize, and serve others, which eventually helped to bring about the conversion of her stepmother. 

Trauma researcher Judith Herman often talks about the importance of a new life mission for a trauma survivor after they have processed the initial trauma and found safety again. The final step to recovery is to integrate it into your life. Though Germaine had been abused and neglected, she was able to bring new life out of this darkness by seeing her banishment as a mission from God to serve others. 

May St. Germaine Cousin intercede for all survivors of childhood trauma, that they, like her, may find resilience and healing.

To learn more about other saints who have faced trauma, please visit the Stories of Hope page.