Victoire Rasoamanarivo
laywoman from Madagascar beatified by John Paul II
Feast: 21 August (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Victoire Rasoamanarivo was born in Antananarivo in 1848 into one of Madagascar's most powerful families, and in youth followed her ancestors' religion. When French Jesuit missionaries arrived she enrolled in the mission school and was baptised, despite her family's resistance.
Married to a violent man, she was later widowed. When the missionaries were expelled from the island she helped the Christians by every means and defended the Church before the magistrates. She died on 21 August 1894, aged 46.
The miracles
The Dicastery's biography does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A noblewoman who held Madagascar's Church together when its missionaries were expelled.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: Victoire Rasoamanarivo
- Wikidata Q3557035 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Victoire Rasoamanarivo (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.