Grey sisters, blue sisters, you could almost get lost!
But what does it matter? Since 23 January 2000, they have formed a single congregation. The Grey Nuns of Charity, founded by Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret, have merged with the congregation of hospital sisters known as the Daughters of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. More commonly known as the Hospitalières de Saint-Jacques, the blue sisters owed their statutes to the Archbishop of Besançon, Antoine Pierre 1er de Grammont, in 1697, himself inspired by those set up by Chancellor Rolin for the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune.
This is the story of women devoted to the sick, courageous, both firm and benevolent, discreet or domineering, and most often of great intelligence.
Many of these women distinguished themselves during the Occupation and the Resistance, for example, by helping prisoners to escape from hospital, even though they were being duly guarded by German soldiers!
They were arrested, imprisoned and, in the case of Marcelle Baverez, even deported to the sinister Ravensbrück camp on 1 November 1944.
It was during the gradual transfer of activities from the Saint-Jacques hospital to the new Jean Minjoz hospital that the Sisters gradually left their posts. This happened in the 1980s and 90s.
Conference organised by Bains-Douches Battant, Collectif Histoire des Chaprais, Besançon j'aime ma ville.
Speakers: Bénédicte Baudoin, historian; Jean-Claude Goudot, Collectif Histoire des Chaprais; Stéphanie Belorgey and Benoît Rifaiï , carers at Hôpital Saint-Jacques.
Admission free, subject to availability.
Dates
Opening periods
Thursday 15 January at 15:00
Rates
| MINI | Max | Additional information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free of charge | - | - |