Marie de Miribel

Marie de Miribel (born 18 March 1872 and died 7 November 1959), was a French nurse, Catholic activist and politician in Paris. She was the founder of the Croix Saint-Simon charity for social and hospital works, built the Croix Saint-Simon Hospital and took part in the French Resistance during the Second World War.

Biography Marie Josèphe Adrienne de Miribel was born in Paris in 1872 into an ancient noble family, called the Copin de Miribel, as the daughter of General Marie François Joseph de Miribel, then a colonel in the artillery, and his wife Henriette Louise de Grouchy. Educated at the Visitation convent, she became a lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Orléans.

Her meeting with Father de Gibergues, founder of the Diocesan Missions, changed the direction of her life. She took part in the women's teams who went door-to-door distributing leaflets, taking advantage of the opportunity to identify families living in extreme poverty. She was overwhelmed by the poverty, the number of sick needing help, the unhealthy state of many homes, and the number of children to be cared for. Father de Gibergues allowed her to remain in the Charonne quarter, in eastern Paris, in direct contact with the poor through regular visits to families.

A day care center named for Marie de Miribel in the 11th arrondissement offers a daily support program for elderly or fragile people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or related disorders.