The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret BourgeoisAnonymous
History
The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois
Anonymous
Bourgeoys, Marguerite, Saint, 1620-1700
We learn from a letter of Sister Bourgeois, that these same religieuses
had been previously burned out in 1695, but that their hospital escaped
the fury of the flames at that time. They sought and found a refuge with
the Sisters of the Congregation, after the second burning, issuing forth
daily to serve the sick, and returning at night to discharge the
reciprocal duties of charity, consequent upon two different communities
residing in the same house, and unavoidably crowding each other, yet no
violation of charity ever occurred, and long before the day of
separation came, an enduring friendship founded on Christ had mutually
existed between them. This famous chapel of Bon-Secours was burned, and
reduced to ashes in 1754, as was also a portion of the city of Montreal.
The war between France and England occurring about that time, the
citizens neglected to rebuild Bon-Secours, and the capture of
Ville-Marie by the English, which took place on the Feast of the
Nativity of Mary, 1760, was perhaps justly attributed to public
disorders and licentiousness (the colonists in many instances having
lost their first fervor), and was also considered a just punishment for
not having erected anew the once favored shrine of Mary. Canada having
exchanged masters, and being under the dominion of the King of England,
who was a Protestant ruler, the inhabitants of Montreal did not think
the time favorable to rebuild the church, and it remained a ruin until
1771. They repented of their inaction, however, and reproached
themselves with cowardice, attributing to their neglect the
extraordinary calamities that befell them. The city was scourged by two
other general conflagrations, the first occurring on the 18th of May,
1765, when in the short space of four hours, one hundred houses were
consumed. The burning was so violent, that the flames leaped beyond the
city limits, reaching out to the General Hospital, which was soon a mass
of smoking cinders. The second occurred on the 11th of April, 1768, more
than eighty of the best public buildings being destroyed, including the
chapel and residence of the Sisters of the Congregation, also the chapel
of our Lady of Victories, which was built on their grounds in 1711, the
repaired ruins of which serve to this day for school purposes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account