In 1653, Marguerite Bourgeoys arrived in New France, determined to bring faith to the developing Ville-Marie community and education to the young women of the colony (now Montreal). Carolyne Van Der Meer delves into the heart and mind of Marguerite Bourgeoys and, through poetry, explores the hopes and challenges she faced as she established the Congrégation de Notre-Dame. These poems, originally written in English, have been translated by the author into Bourgeoys' native French, thus bringing to life the aspirations of this extraordinary woman who changed history.
It has been a while since the last Formation Corner Communiqué went out. It is not to say that we haven’t been busy about formation business at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in White Plains, NY. So much has happened this past year. First, Sr. Donna responded generously to a call from Visitation Province to help with our senior sisters at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Montreal, Quebec. This month, she will be returning to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Inter-Novitiate Community. We are glad to have her back!
The Mother House grounds were transformed today August 13th into an outdoor concert venue to welcome women from Chez Doris, a charitable organization offering a daytime shelter 7 days a week for all women in difficulty. The sisters were happy to receive these guests, often on the peripheries of society. Some of Chez Doris’ clients who are now in temporary housing have been faithfully maintaining quarantine and social distancing and this morning’s concert provided them with a much needed respite from the isolation imposed by this situation. The personnel of Chez Doris and its volunteers arranged for the concert and expressed their gratitude to the sisters for opening their grounds for this special event.