Our Namesake: Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac

Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac, the foundress of the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady, established the Order in 1607 with a bold mission: to provide formal education to girls at a time when such opportunities were scarce. Her pioneering spirit lives on today, as the Sisters continue their commitment to education and service for underserved populations around the world.

One of those Sisters, Sister Marie Therese, dedicated much of her life to mission work in Brazil and Africa, where she taught and cared for children in deeply underserved communities. Later, she was transferred to St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School in Tustin, California, where she taught French and music.

At the age of 70, upon retiring from teaching, Sister Marie Therese felt her calling was not yet complete. Alongside a few compassionate women, she began assembling and delivering food baskets to families in need. What they discovered was heartbreaking: in the absence of a public hospital in Orange County, countless families lacked access to basic healthcare. Some were giving birth in garages to avoid unaffordable medical bills.

This eye-opening experience led Sister to found Lestonnac Free Clinic in 1979, naming it after Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac, whose life of service and dedication to the underserved inspired her own.

Today, Lestonnac Free Clinic stands as a testament to that same legacy — a place of healing, dignity, and hope for those with nowhere else to turn.