BEGINNINGS--CROSSING AN OCEAN

The CONGRÉGATION DE NOTRE-DAME of Montreal finds its origin in a journey undertaken in 1653 by Marguerite Bourgeoys, a woman from the Champagne region of France. She chose to cross the ocean that year in order to participate in the building of Ville-Marie, a tiny colony along the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the New World. The founders of Ville-Marie (now Montreal) hoped that this new society would be like the early Christian community, and Marguerite's particular contribution was to be educating the women and children of the colony, both native and French.

Marguerite's inspiration and model for her ocean journey, for her work, and for the whole of her life was Mary, the mother of Jesus, who travelled to bring God's word to her cousin Elizabeth and who was present with the other disciples at the birth of the church, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.