The Rules of the Congregation : Part 3

Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois
by Anonymous

(Page 11 of 17)

But now she was to pass through severe trials in order to perfect her virtue, trials which conduced more to her sanctification than all the voluntary pains and mortifications she inflicted on herself. Besides the sorrow she endured at being so unexpectedly repelled in the attempt to have her rules approved (a cross she endured for many years), she had, on her return to Montreal, to suffer the cruel anguish of seeing the fruit of all her past labors perish before her eyes in a few moments. The beloved home of her community took fire on the night of the 6th of December, 1683, and quicker than can be told, not only the house, but its poor furniture, and everything else it contained was consumed.

The fire was so sudden and violent, that the Sisters were enveloped by smoke and flames in an instant, two of her best subjects being burned to death. These were Sister Genevieve, the assistant, and Sister Margaret Soumillard, a niece of the Foundress. The rest barely escaped with, their lives. Sister Bourgeois felt, more than any one else, the horrors of the accident, and a spirit less strong, and a heart less brave than hers, would have naturally yielded to despair. She sincerely regretted the death of her dearly loved Sisters, more for the loss the community must sustain for their untimely end, than because her own niece was one of the victims, and her tears were all the more bitter, as she judged herself to be the cause of the calamity.

"It is a just punishment from heaven for my weakness," she said, "in having so far departed from the spirit of poverty, humility, and mortification in which I should always have lived, as to consent to the building of that great house. It were better to have continued living in the stable that was given us, and with which we should have been contented." It was her love of virtue, however, that made her speak thus, as the house was very far from being either great or magnificent. It was only a wooden edifice, and was too small and inconvenient for the many good works to which the Sisters applied themselves unceasingly. She soon perceived, notwithstanding all her sentiments of humility, that the building must go up again for the greater glory of God. Although then deprived of every temporal resource, with the blessing of God, and under the protection of His holy Mother, nothing seemed difficult. Obstacles only strengthened her faith and aroused her courage. She hoped against hope, and determined on the spot to put her hand to the work again, placing more confidence than ever in Jesus and Mary, to whom, as to a good mother, she always had recourse. Nor had she long to await the result of her confidence.

Divine Providence stirred up the sympathies of the charitably-disposed, who gave her abundant means to build a large stone edifice, more solid and architectural than the former one. This second house remained intact until the great fire of 1763; and of the buildings afterwards added we shall soon have occasion to speak more fully. Sister was still laboring for the erection of the building, when M. de St. Vallier, having been consecrated in Paris, January, 1686, by M. de Laval, his predecessor, returned to Canada, accompanied by the latter prelate, who came back to end his days in the practice of the most sublime virtues of private life in the Seminary of Foreign Missions at Quebec. He always honored and esteemed Sister Bourgeois, and watched over her with singular interest. He died, as he had lived, a Saint, May 6, 1708. M. de St. Vallier devoted himself to the affairs of his diocese without intermission, and it was in the hands of this new prelate that Sister placed the copy of her rules and constitutions.

He esteemed the heroic woman and her community; he noticed and admired the constancy and courage with which they endured the inconveniences resulting from their recent calamity, and he gave them many marks of confidence and esteem but regarding the institute and rules of the Foundress, he then entertained views different from hers. Judging of things by the light of human prudence, he thought the community could never raise itself again to the position it occupied before the fire, and wishing to prevent a multiplicity of institutions in his diocese, he formed the design of uniting the rising community to the Ursulines at Quebec. These ladies had already taken steps to establish themselves at Ville-Marie, and there are still extant a few letters written on the subject. But M. d'Olier, superior of the Seminary, who knew better than any one, the merits of Sister Bourgeois, did not give them much hope of establishing a new mission. He received their request rather ungraciously, and took the liberty of making humble but strong representations to the Bishop on the subject.

Sister Bourgeois also represented to him, firmly and respectfully, that the good she hoped to effect in the diocese, with the assistance of her daughters, was not at all compatible with the rules of another institute, especially of a cloistered one; that such a step would entirely destroy the views by which she felt herself inspired, and which she believed came directly from God; that she already had the approval of legitimate superiors, and that the ever Blessed Virgin, to whom she and her entire community were especially consecrated, had given them unequivocal marks that the establishment was agreeable to her.

That besides their general intention of instructing children, they had bound themselves to labor unceasingly for the spiritual perfection of poor girls who desired to consecrate themselves to God, but who from lack of fortune could not do so, as the cloistered orders invariably required their subjects to bring a moderate fortune for their maintenance. That one of her chief desires was to open the doors of the Congregation to persons of this description, and that, making no account of riches, she would rather receive portionless a Sister who could not buy the necessary clothing, if she had a true vocation and a good will, than a rich one who had not these qualifications. It was certainly her intention to receive the Congregation Sisters free, although the French King subsequently directed her to exact a dowry of at least 2000 livres.

However, she was permitted to relax somewhat in this matter, either in whole or in part, according to the dictates of prudence and the circumstances of the person. All these reasons seemed to make an impression on the mind of M. de St. Vallier, but he had other business on hand just then, being occupied with the founding of a General Hospital at Quebec, and an Ursuline establishment at Three Rivers. He was therefore not in a hurry to approve the constitutions of Sister Bourgeois, preferring to take time to examine them, and make the changes he thought necessary.

Sister herself had a strong interior presentiment that never deceived her. She felt that God approved of her work, and therefore awaited, in patient silence, the moment marked by Divine Providence, for giving the approval she so earnestly desired. This moment came at last, after long years of painful suspense, and just two years before her happy death. She had then the consolation to see approved, and solemnly established forever in her institute, all that she had constantly and faithfully practised, by way of trial, since her last return from France. The solemn approbation was given by M. de St. Vallier, June 24, 1698, during his episcopal visitation at Ville-Marie, Sister Assumption being then superior.

Foundress of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.