First Bishop of Canada : Part 2

Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois
by Anonymous

(Page 9 of 17)

Once, during this visit, she met a gentleman in the streets of Paris, who suddenly stopped to ask if she knew a lady from Canada, named Margaret Bourgeois. "I am the person," she replied. Surprised at the unexpected rencontre, he placed a considerable sum of money in her hands (she had not wherewith to pay her night's-lodging at the time), which she refused to accept, not knowing his motive for doing so, but was soon relieved of her embarrassment, by his assuring her he was only repaying a charity she had done him in Ville-Marie, and that it afforded him great pleasure to be able to return her generosity, as he could well afford to do it at the time.

Travelling thus, through the towns and villages like the Saviour of the world, He prevented her by the unction of His grace, and prepared beforehand faithful hearts, who were willing to enter the new society, and consecrate themselves to the service of God under her guidance. Six young persons responded to her call. Their names were Sisters Elizabeth, Genevieve, Constantine, Durant, Marianne, and Margaret. Filled with holy joy, and accompanied by her new companions, Sister Bourgeois went to cast herself at the feet of her Bishop, and offer him the fruit of her journeyings and prayers.

M. de Laval was at that time in the college of Foreign Missions in Paris, not only in quality of Bishop of Petree, Vicar-Apostolic of Canada, as he had been up to that period, but also as the first Bishop of Quebec. For it was not until the year 1672 that the important question of erecting the church of Quebec into a titular Bishopric was at last happily decided. The prelate approved the Sister's persevering labors, bestowed the most ample benedictions on herself and her young recruits, and received their first religious consecration to the service of God and the Church. He placed no bounds to his favors, and renewed the general permission given before, to erect schools, and form any other religious establishment in his diocese that they should judge beneficial to the colony. Everything seemed to succeed with this holy woman, and she attributed all her past success, as well as what the future might develop, to the special protection of the Blessed Virgin. Her confidence in her good Mother was boundless, and she considered it an essential duty to depend on her in all things, and inspired her daughters with a similar devotion. She wished it to be perpetuated in the Institute, and desired that the name and livery of Mary might be distinctly traceable in their houses, their furniture, and their personal appearance forever.

Having now obtained all that she desired in France she thought it full time to return to Canada, after a long though unavoidable absence. Before embarking, she felt it was a duty of Christian politeness to call on the distinguished people who had assisted her in procuring the letters patent, and thanking them for their many kindnesses. No person could be more punctilious than she in the duties of social etiquette that charity approved, and religion did not condemn. By a particular dispensation of Providence, her first visit was made to the house of M. Pierre Chevrier, Baron de Faucamp, a priest, and one of the first proprietors of the Isle of Montreal, who then resided at Paris. In the house of this gentleman she received another most singular mark of the Blessed Virgin's love and protection.

M. de Faucamp had in his possession a small miraculous statue of the Mother of God, which he, conjointly with his brother, Louis le Pretre, had taken from among a number of precious relics, in their castle chapel. It had been specially venerated, and carefully preserved for more than a century. Their intention was to send it to Ville-Marie, where they hoped it would be more religiously taken care of than elsewhere, as that city was really the city of Mary, having been built in her honor, and consecrated to her service. While awaiting a favorable opportunity to send the statue to the New World, Sister Bourgeois fortunately presented herself. During the two days that M. Faucamp had it in his house he fell dangerously ill, the sickness proving to be a fatal attack of inflammation of the lungs, and the physicians despaired of his life. In this emergency he made a vow, while praying before the miraculous statue, that if Mary cured him, he would everywhere publish her praises, and do all in his power to build a chapel in her honor, for which he would donate thirty pistoles to commence a fund for the purpose, begging also in his simplicity that she, the Mother of God, would not go to Montreal, and leave one of her most devoted clients sick in France. Scarcely had he pronounced his vow before he was perfectly restored to health. The following day Sister Bourgeois called upon him, and he could not help recognizing the wonderful providence of God in her visit. He immediately gave her the statue and the money, with an authentic certificate of the miracle performed on himself the day before, and Sister was happier in the possession of these treasures, than if she had gained the wealth of the universe. Never, indeed, was human confidence better placed than on this occasion.

They set sail soon after, and arrived safely at Quebec on the 13th of August, the same year. She sent her band of heroines direct to Ville-Marie, for which they had so often sighed during their journeyings, and the very name of which animated their zeal and fervor, but she herself was detained at Quebec for some time. It was necessary to have the letters patent registered by the local authorities so that she would be at liberty to put their contents in execution, when Divine Providence presented an occasion. Her desire was complied with as soon as known, the act of registration taking place on the 17th of October, 1672, after which she set out for Ville-Marie to join her daughters, and labor anew in the service of God. Glorying in being the custodian of the miraculous statue, she hastened to relate its wonderful history to Messrs. Souart and Perrot, who authorized her to expose it for public veneration. She deposited it in the little wooden shed she had erected after her first return from France, expecting to be able to place it more honorably in the large chapel, that was to be built of stone, and decently ornamented. This chapel was to be a kind of station for the ordinary parish processions, and a place of pilgrimage for those who had a devotion to the most holy Virgin, when they wished to visit the statue in order to obtain spiritual or temporal blessings through Mary's intercession, such being the intention of Messrs. le Pretre and Faucamp, and of many other devout persons who had contributed towards its erection.

Despite the sorrow and humiliations she had already experienced regarding this chapel, she set to work again with renewed energy to effect its completion, but in order to proceed with suitable solemnity, M. Souart ordered a solemn procession to be made to the place, on the 29th of June, 1673, being the Feast of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul. A great concourse of people attended Vespers after the procession, and M. Souart, the celebrant, put a crucifix in the place destined for the altar, and the next day laid the corner-stone, in the name, and as the agent of M. de Faucamp. Sister Bourgeois labored indefatigably to procure and disburse the necessary funds, a portion of which she had received in France, as we have seen, the remainder being contributed in Ville-Marie. The Sisters themselves assisted generously out of their private funds, and others donated materials or labor which was equivalent. The interior decorations were quite elaborate, and in due course of time the church was finished to the satisfaction of every one. It was the first stone church erected in Montreal, and was consecrated under the title of "Notre Dame de Bon-Secours."

Foundress of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.