The 400th anniversary of the birth of Marguerite Bourgeoys on April 17th affords us a wonderful opportunity, with the help of the archives, to revisit the contribution of one of this country's founders. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that her values remain firmly anchored in the collective consciousness and that her educational mission continues to this day.
Like Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance, who preceded her by a decade, Marguerite Bourgeoys arrived in Ville-Marie in 1653 as a lay person inspired by the ideas of the France’ Great Century. The colony that welcomed her was very modest, but its inhabitants’ vision was ambitious and inspired by the Catholic Revival movement. That powerful movement proposed a social and religious life based on the principles of humanism, respect for others and self-improvement, all values that the first teacher in Montreal would use to establish a new society in the Americas.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine
We hold each other in love.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
We look on each other with respect and work for unity.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
We keep our promise to be there for each other.
What are you doing to send out hope to people around you in the difficult time?
Sister Mildred Chabassol. CND, lives, in Kingston On, in an apartment on the seventh floor. As a sign of hope she placed a nineteen inch fiber optic Christmas tree in her window. It sends forth the most amazing colours and is constantly changing.
'My thought is that when people walk by, or drive home, or those from the surrounding apartments look out in the evening, they may smile and get a wee spark of hope in these struggling days."