In 1640 during
a Marian procession through her city, Marguerite
experienced "a touch of grace' that led her to a
deeper spiritual commitment. To this end, she joined a group of young women
associated with a cloistered community of teaching nuns
who gathered them for prayer and prepared them to teach in the poorer sections of Troyes.
Sister Louise, who moderated this extern group, was the sister of Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, who founded the colony of Ville Marie
(now Montreal)
ten years earlier. On a trip back to France,
de Maisonneuve visited with
Sister Louise and spoke of his desire for a lay woman to teach the children of the settlers and the Native Peoples. The nuns
recommended Marguerite and arranged for them to meet. Paul invited her to join
the Ville Marie project. After much consultation and
discernment, Marguerite accepted the invitation. After a three month voyage across the Atlantic, Marguerite
arrived in Ville Marie in mid-November 1653.
While waiting
for a sufficient number of children to reach school age, Marguerite kept house
for the governor and taught young women to read and
develop domestic skills for survival in the fragile environment of the colony. In 1655, she initiated the construction of a
chapel outside the fort. (Today the pilgrimage site, the Chapel of
Notre Dame de Bon-Secours, flourishes at this same location.)
In 1658, de Maisonneuve gave Marguerite a
stone stable to establish Montreal's
first school. A dove cove under the roof, accessible by an outside
ladder, provided a dormitory for Marguerite and future companions. As her educational work expanded, in 1659 she took her
first of three voyages back to France to recruit women to assist her in educating the youth. Four women came
back with her. Her 1672 trip was very fruitful. She returned
with six companions and a civil charter, signed by Louis XIV, which recognized the "Secular Women of the Congregation de Notre
Dame" (CND). The dual purpose of her third trip,
in 1580, was to protect the uncloistered character of her community and to seek additional members. While she achieved her first goal, her second
goal was thwarted by the Bishop of Canada. He forbade her bringing
back any recruits. Providentially, the entrance of Canadian women assured the survival of her work.
Marguerite was
called "the Mother of the Colony". She welcomed and received into her
house "Fille de Roi", young women sent by the King
as potential wives of the settlers. She prepared them for pioneer life, protected them until their marriage, and formed them to
be wives and mothers. She collaborated with the
Sulpician Fathers in forming strong parish life. For Marguerite and her companions, their parish church was their chapel.
Marguerite died at age 80 on January 12,
1700. She was canonized in 1982.
Les
Sœurs de la Congrégation de Notre-Dame will celebrate the 400th anniversary of
the birth of Marguerite Bourgeoys throughout 2020: click here for
information.
Did you know that the Sisters of the
Congregation of Notre Dame have been an integral part of the Saint Columba
community for many years? Click here to find out how.
