January 12, 2013: Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys

Today, January 12, marks the feast day and anniversary of the death of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700), a native of France who, based upon her devotion to the Blessed Virgin, gave up her inheritence and traveled to Canada as a young woman. Marguerite strongly felt the Lord’s call, battling against adversity both from within the Church and without. She survived several outbreaks of plague while traveling to the “New World,” a fire which consumed her village, several attacks by Native American Iriquois Indians, poverty, hunger, and the hardships associated with settling the isolated outpost which would become modern-day Montreal.

Following her arrival in Canada, Saint Marguerite worked tirelessly to improve health care and education for the settlers—French, Canadian,and Iriquois alike. She founded a school, began the construction of the Notre Dame de Bon Secours chapel in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and founded the first Canadian religious order for women, the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. Despite her bishop’s urgings, and eventual orders to remain cloistered, Marguerite and her growing community braved the harsh and dangerous wilderness, teaching and ministering to settlers, the sick, and the poor, eventually convincing Church authorities that they were of more service to God in their present arrangements than they would be cloistered. Her bishop is reported to have said, “I cannot doubt, Mother Bourgeoys, that you will succeed in moving heaven and earth as you have moved me!"

The congregation and religious order that Saint Marguerite established soon grew to over two hundred. By that time, she had become ill and too weak to act as master of the order. She devoted the last years of her life to recording her biography and prayer. Shortly before her death, as one of her young sisters lay critically ill, Saint Marguerite prayed that God would take her life, instead of her sisters. Miraculously, the following morning, the young sister was fully recovered, but Marguerite was struck with a raging fever, from which she never recovered.
Today, the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame number in the thousands, working to promote health, education, and family around the world—in Canada, the United States, Japan, Cameroon, Latin America, and France.

Saint Marguerite was an incredibly brave woman, dedicated to the Holy Mother, and committed to serving the Lord. She put herself at daily risk to deliver the news of God, and minister to the poor and sick. She changed the role of women in new world churches from cloistered to active leaders, earning her the title, “Mother of the Colony.” How often do we fail to listen to what is asked of us because we are afraid, or feel we may look foolish? How quickly do we forget that our Lord will keep us safe? Today we pray for the fire and courage of the Holy Spirit—like that experienced by the disciples on Pentecost—and like that so embodied by Saint Marguerite. We pray for those who live in fear.

O Mother Bourgeoys, you, whose compassionate power is ever increasing, show us your way of Truth, Faith and Holiness.

Make us humble enough to abandon ourselves to the Will of God, generous enough to find in the Cross the joy of the Loving Giver.

May your fidelity to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament lead us ever nearer to this source of light and peace. May your spirit of openness help us to be concerned for our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

Finally, may Our Lady of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bring us to this unity of eternal grace to which God has called you for all eternity.

Amen.