Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys was born on April 17 1620 AD, in Troyes, Champagne, France. She lived as a nun and was the founder of the Notre Dame Congregation of Montreal. She died on January 12 1700 AD, aged 79, in Fort Ville-Marie, New France, French Colonial Empire. Her feast day is celebrated on January 12.
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Biography |
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| Date of Birth | April 17 1620 |
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| Country of Birth | France of Europe |
| Matrimony/Holy Orders | Saints who were Nuns/Sisters |
| Profession | Nun |
| Place of Work | Canada |
| Date of Death | January 12 1700 |
| Place of Death | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Feast Day | January 12 |
| Beatification | Beatified by Pope Pius XII on November 12 1950 |
| Canonization | Canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 31 1982 |
| Patron Saint of |
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Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Life History
Margeruite Bourgeoys was born on April 17 1620 AD, in Troyes, Champagne, France as the seventh child in a family of thirteen children, born from Abraham Bourgeoys and Guillemete Garnier. She grew up around a confraternity attached to a monastery in town, founded in 1597 AD for the education of the poor, but was not interested in being a part of it as it was cloistered in nature.
She bravely joined a sodality of women when she was 15 years old, which focused on reaching children who could not afford to join within the existing cloister as students.
She was invited to Canada to start a school in Ville-Marie, present Montreal, by one Paul de Chomedey, brother to the canoness and director of the sodality Marguerite was in, in the year 1652 AD and accepted the offer.
She arrived on the port of Quebec, on September 22 1654 AD. She initiated institution building and organized Ville-Marie’s work party to achieve its first permanent church building, The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, in English known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
In April 1658, she was given a vacant stone stable by the founder of Ville-Marie, Monsieur de Masioneuve, which she used as a schoolhouse for her students. She cared for orphan girls sent by the crown to marry and create families in the colony and together with her companions, vetted male settlers who came to them seeking a wife.
She struggled to seek legitimacy for her community from the Crown while still teaching local children in the villages throughout the colony and after an audience with the Apostolic Vicar of New France, Francoise de Laval, her congregation was given the authority to provide educational services wherever necessary.
She was successful in securing the viability of her congregation as secular sisters in 1670 AD after travelling to France with a recommendation letter from the Royal Intend-ant of the colony, Jean Talon, seeking the audience of the King. She did this to prevent the cloisterization of her congregation.
Marguerite set up a boarding school in Ville-Marie, a school devoted to needle work and artisan occupations for women in Ponte-Saint Charles, a school in Quebec that caters to girls from poor families and a school in the mission village of Kahnawake of converted Mohawk and Iroqious people.
She stepped down in 1683 AD as head of hr congregation but worked with her sisters to maintain their characteristic spirit. Her congregation was canonically constituted a community on July 1 1698 AD. She spent her final two years in prayer and died in Montreal on January 12 1700 AD.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Birth
She was born on April 17 1620 AD, in Troyes, Champagne, France.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Death
She died on January 12 1700 AD, aged 79, in Fort Ville-Marie, New France, French Colonial Empire.
Family Background
Marguerite was the seventh born of thirteen children, born from Abraham Bourgeoys and Guillemete Garnier.
Profession
She lived as a nun and was the founder of the Notre Dame Congregation of Montreal.
Beatification
She was beatified on November 12 1950 by Pope Pius XII.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Canonization
She was canonized on October 31 1982 AD by Pope John Paul II.
Venerated in
She is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Canada and the USA and the Anglican Church of Canada after being named venerable in 1878 AD by Pope Leo XII by papal decree.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Feast Day
Her feast day is celebrated on January 12.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys’ Major Shrines
Her major shrine is situated at Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Saint Margeruite Bourgeoys is the Patron Saint of
She is the patron saint against poverty and people rejected by religious orders.
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