Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys - "Mother of the Colony"
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”—Matthew 19:14 Born at Troyes, France, in 1620, Marguerite was twenty years old when she felt the call to consecrate herself to the service of God. Having joined a group of pious women dedicated to good works, she immigrated to the settlement at Montreal, Canada, in 1652, to tutor the children of the French garrison. In 1655, Marguerite rallied the people of Montreal to help her construct a chapel that would serve as a place of prayer and pilgrimage outside of the settlement; the stone chapel of Notre-Dame-de Bon-Secours was finally completed twenty years later. To help the children of the colony, Marguerite opened a school in a converted stable in 1658. Here she began teaching the basics of the faith, as well as the rudimentaries of reading and math; older girls were trained in household skills that would enable them to be successful wives and mothers. He...