Saintly Children

Dionysia of Switzerland

Little Dionysia was a favoured child of God who lived near Lake Neuchâtel, in Switzerland. She was born there on April 8, 1923. As she was growing up, Dionysia was the sunshine of the house. Getting up early in the morning she would run to greet her parents and throw her arms around them. Then she would show the same affection for her two little brothers and older sister. She was always smiling and always cheerful.

She loved to play, but as soon as her mother would call her, she was obedient and went right away. She was not a bit vain or proud. When she was asked to sing a song or recite a poem, she would obey at once and did what she was asked.

When Dionysia was able to read, she loved to spend her time reading Bible stories and looking at pictures in the Catechism. She loved to hear about Guy de Fontgalland and Anne de Guigné – two holy children, and she also loved to hear about St. Theresa of the Child Jesus.

The time for study, reading, and prayer, never seemed to long for the girl and she understood that it was good to learn more about Jesus so that she could love Him more. Religion was her favourite subject and she always wanted someone to ask her questions about her Catechism, before she went to bed.

Dionysia liked to lead others to God. She always tried to be a good example to everybody because she wanted all those who knew her to love Jesus more. When she would begin her school day, she would write on her little chalkboard, "My Guardian Angel, watch over me, help me!" And when her work was done she would write, "O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee." Her classmates saw this and they wrote the same thing.

The young girl liked to make visits to Jesus at church. Before and after school, Dionysia would also encourage her classmates to go with her; then they would gladly follow her to the church to say a few prayers.

Dionysia was always on the lookout, watching to see how her classmates played or talked. If she saw them say something wrong, she would nicely tell them, "Do not speak like that!" or "Do not do that!" But the girl was always humble about doing this. She never spoke about the faults of others! She said, "That would be against the love of neighbour and one may not make believe that one is holy and better than others."

Dionysia always forgot about herself and only thought of others. She felt happy when others received cookies or candy or playthings, and when they did she was never jealous about their good fortune. She simply thought that having these delights were not meant for her at the time and that since they were too poor to have these things, she should not complain.

She liked to have her little friends come over to visit her. But if sometimes her mother said, "Not this time," Dionysia would tell her friend, "Mama does not wish it today; come some other time." All the girls in the school were her friends, and when someone asked in class who was Dionysia's best friend, the usual answer was, "ALL OF US!"

Dionysia had a special love for the poor. One day she said to her mother, "Mama, the poor are lucky, aren't they? God loves them more than the rich. I would rather be poor than rich." During recess at school, she always liked to give the poor some of her good things to eat. She would play with them and try to make them feel happy. During play she arranged things so that she had "prizes", and her dear poor always got whatever was won.

Not only did Dionysia love poor children, but she loved old people too. There was a poor old woman named Louise, who was ninety-one years old. She had no one to care for her and wanted to die. All her friends and relatives had already died, and she was all alone. Bad children often used to laugh at her! When Dionysia heard about this old lady, she brought her bread and soup. She would sit and chat with the old lady and would help her in little ways. She would also go into the city on errands for her. And one time when a certain mother asked her little girl to take some food to a poor lady, the girl would not go. At once, Dionysia offered to go and see the old lady. She took the basket of food, saying to her friend: "Come with me! The poor lady will be so glad!"

Dionysia was a girl of prayer, and she prayed for spiritual things. She did not care much for earthly things. She prayed for poor sinners, for the dying, and for the poor souls in Purgatory. She also prayed for those who were sad, and for those who had many cares and worries. But she especially liked to pray for priests.

Every evening before going to bed, she asked God for a special grace for some person who was suffering, for all sinners who would die during the night, and in the month of November, she prayed especially for the holy souls in Purgatory. And Dionysia prayed with great confidence and trust in God. She often said, "When I pray, I am sure that my prayer will be heard!" She knew that Jesus would refuse her nothing.

Dionysia loved going to Mass and she loved to look at the beautiful pictures of the Mass in her prayer book, while she prayed at Mass. When some people would see her pray, they would say, "That is an angel – a little saint!" The girl never forgot her morning and evening prayers. And she would often tell her little brother not to forget his morning or evening prayers.

One day, Dionysia received a new doll from some relatives. She looked at it lovingly and thanked them over and over again. Suddenly she realized that her older sister Nina, had no doll. The relatives then gave Dionysia some money to buy a second doll. Dionysia hurried to the store, but could not find a doll like her new one. So she picked out another doll, and when she got back home she went up to her sister saying, "Nina, take whichever one you want!"

During Lent, Dionysia did not eat any candy and at the same time she wondered why her classmates did not do the same. A priest said that Dionysia did not refuse God anything. She would deny herself little things during study and during play time, saying, "For my little Jesus, I offer it up to Thee!" And she did the same type of sacrifices during Advent as well.

Dionysia had a little altar at home, on which there was a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. She would often bring a bouquet of daisies and violets to Our Lady's altar. She would go to Mass every day during the pleasant seasons of the year. And she learned more and more that only through Mary, could she come closer to Jesus.

Dionysia wanted to be pure like Our Lady. She made up her mind never to commit any sin. She was afraid of sin and she always tried to avoid it.

In her studies Dionysia wished only to please Jesus and to satisfy her parents and teacher. She always did her schoolwork well and always paid attention in class. She did her schoolwork all for the love of Jesus. And her name was almost always placed on the weekly honour role because of her good behaviour in class.

Dionysia obeyed her parents and her teacher in all that she did, even if it was hard. She loved to skip with her skipping rope, and when her mother called her, she came immediately. One time she said, "Mama, I didn't like it when you called me into the house. But I obeyed at once in order to offer a sacrifice to Jesus." Often her parents would only have to look at the girl and she would obey.

With great fervour Dionysia prepared for her First Holy Communion. She offered her many prayers and sacrifices to Jesus. She was eight years old when she received Jesus in May, 1931; and from that day on, her soul thirsted for Jesus. She made a resolution to receive Holy Communion every day of the month; then she would renew the resolution the next month. The Holy Eucharist was the center of her life. She never forgot Jesus.

On October 4, 1931, Dionysia became sick with a terrible headache and a fever. She felt better on December 6^th, but became much worse on December 8^th. On December 10^th, the doctor said that she had pneumonia and a priest came to give her the Last Rites. She died a few days later on December 17, 1931.

Dionysia was laid out in her First Communion dress. A wreath of white roses was placed on her head and white lilies were placed around her. And she did not forget people who prayed to her. We can hope the Dionysia is in Heaven and that she will answer our prayers. Try to copy this little girl's way of life and you will see that you will be much happier.

The End

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