Remember those early days of the colony? She was in
charge of the Governor’s house, seeing to the supplies and making a home
for the orphan children. Under her guidance the men replaced the cross on
the mountain and built our church of pilgrimage, Bon Secours.
Those were hard, hard times, with shortages of food,
constant threat of Indian attack and the cold – oh, the bitter cold. Do
you know, Marguerite even gave away her own blanket to keep one of the
soldiers warm? Her love of God and neighbour blessed and inspired us all.
Why, living alongside Marguerite was like seeing the Beatitudes right
before your very eyes! She was truly the heart of the colony. It’s no
wonder everyone affectionately called her ‘mother’.
… Would you like something to drink? If you fetch
the cups, I’ll take the kettle off the fire. Here, this will warm our
insides …
So many of the colonists died in those first years.
Marguerite would sit by the bedside attending them to their last breath.
There wasn’t anything we couldn’t bring to Marguerite. In her we found
such compassion as we shared all of our struggles, our concerns and—yes--our
joys. In the midst of life’s hardships Marguerite’s humour added to
our joy. There was always much laughter and music when she would gather
the ‘Filles du Roi’, the young women, and the soldiers together for
socials.
... Oh, you’ve heard the stories about Marguerite
the "Matchmaker", have you? She signed many a marriage contract
and then continued her support of the newlyweds. It was Marguerite who
taught them the skills to establish a home: how to tend a garden, spin
wool, care for children and most importantly, she instructed them in
Christian family values.
Yes, that is true. Ville-Marie was founded under the
protection of Our Lady, but it was Mary of the Visitation who was the
inspiration and model for Marguerite; Mary the journeying woman, Mary in
relationship with Elizabeth, Mary the teacher and disciple alongside the
apostles. Marguerite believed that Mary always accompanied her and would
not abandon her.
It was the Visitation that was the model for the
formation of her religious community – prayerful women, not in the
cloister but active in the parish community – women educators.
She believed too, that everyone had the right to the
skills to earn a living. We were all equal in her eyes: men and women,
colonists and natives. Her sisters were to teach without preference for
rich or poor. And even within her own congregation Marguerite did not
insist on a dowry, so that it was possible for any woman possessing the
desired qualities to be received.
Marguerite was a woman of deep trust in Divine
Providence. Can you imagine setting out from France for a new country with
such a small bundle of personal belongings? And once when she was left
with nothing, after a December fire claimed both the house and the life of
her own niece, even then, she continued to trust that God would take care
of her community. Despite great pressure to then join the Ursulines of
Quebec, Marguerite held firm to her conviction that God did not wish her
group to become a cloistered community. She always encouraged her sisters
to "be little, humble and poor," returning again and again to
the spirit of the original stable school as the model of simplicity.
… Do you realize that for a poor and simple woman,
Marguerite has left a rich and profound inheritance to each one of us? –
deep love of God and neighbour; Our Lady of the Visitation; trust in
Divine Providence; and the maxim to always be little, humble and poor. We
have all we need to move into the future!
My goodness, it’s getting light. We’ve talked
until dawn! The others will be coming down soon. I’d better stir up the
fire. With Marguerite gone it’s now my turn, my turn to be as charcoal,
kindled all the way to the centre – to be consumed.
… Indeed, it is our turn in this new millenium.
* with the
collaborative input and prayers of the CND Sisters of Notre Dame
Residence, Wright Crescent, Kingston,Ontario.
