Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was a French-Canadian missionary and educator who founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal, establishing the first uncloistered religious community in North America. Born on April 17, 1620, in Troyes, France, she arrived in New France in 1653 at the invitation of Governor Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve to educate settlers’ children in Ville-Marie (now Montreal). Overcoming harsh conditions, she opened the first school in 1658, taught Indigenous and French girls, and built the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. Known as the "Mother of the Colony," she died on January 12, 1700, after a life of service marked by resilience and charity.
Marguerite’s legacy includes advancing education and women’s roles in the Church, earning her beatification by Pope Pius XII in 1950 and canonization by Pope John Paul II in 1982—the first Canadian woman saint. Her feast day, January 12, honors her death, and her relics rest in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, a pilgrimage site. She is venerated as patron of educators, the poor, and Canada, her miracles reflecting her lifelong care for the afflicted.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys
| Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys | |
| Feast Day | January 12 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Poverty, Loss of parents, People rejected by religious orders |
| Birthplace | Troyes, Champagne, France |
| Death Place | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Biography
Birth
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was born on April 17, 1620, in Troyes, Champagne, France, to Abraham Bourgeoys, a candlemaker and coiner at the royal mint, and Guillemette Garnier. The sixth of twelve children, she grew up in a devout Catholic family during a time of religious tension following the French Wars of Religion. Her baptism on the day of her birth underscored her parents’ faith.
Her early years in Troyes, a bustling trade city, were modest yet stable until her mother’s death when Marguerite was 19. This loss deepened her piety and sense of responsibility, shaping her future vocation.
Early Life
Orphaned of her mother in 1639, Marguerite took charge of her younger siblings in Troyes, honing skills in sewing and household management. She joined an extern group of the Canonesses of St. Augustine, inspired by their devotion to Our Lady, though she never took vows. Her beauty and virtue drew suitors, but she rejected marriage for a spiritual calling.
In 1652, Governor Maisonneuve visited Troyes, seeking a teacher for Ville-Marie. Marguerite, then 32, felt called to this mission despite never leaving France before, embarking for New France in 1653 after a perilous voyage, driven by faith and a desire to serve.
Occupation
Before her religious life, Marguerite worked as a seamstress and caregiver in Troyes, supporting her family after her mother’s death. Her "occupation" shifted in New France to teaching, opening Montreal’s first school in a stable in 1658. She educated French settlers’ children, Indigenous girls, and brides-to-be (filles du roi), adapting to frontier life.
As founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame in 1676, she trained teachers and managed missions, her work blending education with evangelization. Her efforts laid the foundation for Canada’s educational system.
Vocation
Marguerite’s vocation emerged in 1653 when she arrived in Ville-Marie, tasked with educating a fledgling colony. Refusing enclosure, she lived among the people, founding an uncloistered order approved by Bishop François de Laval in 1676. Her community focused on teaching and charity, traveling to Quebec City and beyond to serve.
She faced shipwrecks, Iroquois threats, and harsh winters, yet persisted, building the Bon-Secours Chapel in 1675. Her vocation—to mirror Mary’s simplicity—culminated in her leadership until she retired in 1693, passing her mission to her sisters.
Death
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys met her end on January 12, 1700, in Montreal, dying of a fever at age 79, possibly after offering her life for a sick novice’s recovery. Worn by decades of labor, she spent her final years in prayer, dying peacefully surrounded by her congregation. She was buried in the Bon-Secours Chapel she built.
Her death prompted immediate devotion, with miracles reported at her tomb. Her canonization in 1982 affirmed her as a cornerstone of Canadian Catholicism.
Significant events
- Arrived in Ville-Marie, New France, in 1653 to teach settlers’ children.
- Opened Montreal’s first school in a stable, April 30, 1658.
- Founded the Congregation of Notre Dame, approved in 1676.
- Built Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, dedicated in 1675.
- Canonized by Pope John Paul II, October 31, 1982.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Troyes, Champagne, France
Death location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Notable location: Founded chapel (Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, 400 Saint Paul St E, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1H4, Canada)
Notable location: Instructional center for settlers (Saint-Gabriel Farm, 1950 Rue de la Visitation, Montreal, Quebec H2L 3C6, Canada)
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Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
The process to recognize Marguerite as a Servant of God began in 1878, with the Archdiocese of Montreal opening an inquiry into her life and virtues, reflecting growing devotion since her death in 1700.
Venerable
Declared Venerable by Pope Pius X on November 24, 1910, for her heroic virtue, following the Vatican’s review of her writings and testimony about her holiness.
Beatification
Beatified on November 12, 1950, by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City, after a miracle—Healing of a nun from a tumor in the 1940s—was confirmed, allowing veneration in Canada.
Canonization
Canonized on October 31, 1982, by Pope John Paul II in Vatican City, following a second miracle—the healing of a woman from terminal cancer in the 1970s—making her Canada’s first female saint.
Miracles
Miracle for Beatification
The miracle for beatification involved a nun cured of a tumor in the 1940s after prayers to Marguerite. Facing a hopeless prognosis, the nun recovered fully within days of invoking Marguerite’s relic, a case verified by medical experts and approved by the Vatican in 1950.
This miracle, tied to her patronage of the sick, galvanized her cause. It reflected her lifetime care for the afflicted, resonating with her community’s prayers.
Miracle for Canonization
The miracle for canonization was the healing of a Quebec woman from terminal cancer in the 1970s. Given weeks to live, she prayed to Marguerite, touching a relic, and was inexplicably cured, confirmed by doctors and authenticated in 1982.
This event underscored Marguerite’s intercessory power, paving her way to universal veneration. It echoed her mission of hope in New France’s hardships.
Other Notable Miracles
- Preservation of Ville-Marie settlers from Iroquois attacks, attributed to her prayers.
- Minor healings reported at her tomb post-1700, fueling early devotion.
Patronage
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys is the patron saint of educators, the poor, and Canada.
Feast Day
The feast day of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys is January 12, marking her death in 1700.
Veneration
Saint Marguerite is venerated through prayers, novenas, and pilgrimages to Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Montreal, where her relics rest in a side altar. She is depicted in statues and stained glass with a book and cross, symbolizing her educational mission. Her legacy shapes Canadian Catholic education and charity.
Books
Written About the Saint
- "Marguerite Bourgeoys: Mother of the Colony" by Patricia Simpson
- "Biography" by Congregation of Notre Dame
Written by the Saint
- "The Writings of Marguerite Bourgeoys" (compiled posthumously by her congregation)