The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret BourgeoisAnonymous
History
The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois
Anonymous
Bourgeoys, Marguerite, Saint, 1620-1700
and there are still extant a few letters written on the subject. But M.
d'Olier, superior of the Seminary, who knew better than any one, the
merits of Sister Bourgeois, did not give them much hope of establishing
a new mission. He received their request rather ungraciously, and took
the liberty of making humble but strong representations to the Bishop on
the subject. Sister Bourgeois also represented to him, firmly and
respectfully, that the good she hoped to effect in the diocese, with the
assistance of her daughters, was not at all compatible with the rules of
another institute, especially of a cloistered one; that such a step
would entirely destroy the views by which she felt herself inspired, and
which she believed came directly from God; that she already had the
approval of legitimate superiors, and that the ever Blessed Virgin, to
whom she and her entire community were especially consecrated, had given
them unequivocal marks that the establishment was agreeable to her. That
besides their general intention of instructing children, they had bound
themselves to labor unceasingly for the spiritual perfection of _poor_
girls who desired to consecrate themselves to God, but who from lack of
fortune could not do so, as the _cloistered_ orders invariably required
their subjects to bring a moderate fortune for their maintenance. That
one of her chief desires was to open the doors of the Congregation to
persons of this description, and that, making no account of riches, she
would rather receive _portionless_ a Sister who could not buy the
necessary clothing, if she had a _true vocation_ and a _good will_, than
a rich one who had not these qualifications. It was certainly her
intention to receive the Congregation Sisters _free_, although the
French King subsequently directed her to exact a dowry of at least 2000
livres. However, she was permitted to relax somewhat in this matter,
either in whole or in part, according to the dictates of prudence and
the circumstances of the person. All these reasons seemed to make an
impression on the mind of M. de St. Vallier, but he had other business
on hand just then, being occupied with the founding of a General
Hospital at Quebec, and an Ursuline establishment at Three Rivers. He
was therefore not in a hurry to approve the constitutions of Sister
Bourgeois, preferring to take time to examine them, and make the changes
he thought necessary. Sister herself had a strong interior presentiment
that never deceived her. She felt that God approved of her work, and
therefore awaited, in patient silence, the moment marked by Divine
Providence, for giving the approval she so earnestly desired. This
moment came at last, after long years of painful suspense, and just two
years before her happy death. She had then the consolation to see
approved, and solemnly established forever in her institute, all that
she had constantly and faithfully practised, by way of trial, since her
last return from France.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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