Marguerite Bourgeoys

Margaret Bourgeoys (* April 17, 1620 in Troyes, † January 12, 1700 in Montreal, Marguerite Bourgeoys actually ) is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She was active in New France as an educator. She founded a school, and in 1658 the Congregation of Notre-Dame de Montreal ( "Sisters of Our Lady "). She was beatified in 1950 and canonized in 1982.

Life

As a 20 -year-old turned away from Margaret Bourgeoys from worldly life, after she had been deeply moved during a procession at the sight of a statue of Mary. She joined the Marian Congregation and became its prefect. The governor of the French colony of Ville- Marie ( Montreal) in New France, who was visiting his sister in Troyes, put his 1653 emigration to the Americas close. In the same year she opened a girls' school there. On a visit to France, she won four of young women are to join her. With them, she founded the Institute of Our Lady of Montreal. In another trip to France from 1669 to 1671 she received from Louis XIV a confirmation certificate for the institution. From a third trip to France in 1680, she returned to New France back. The building was destroyed at the end of the Congregation in 1683 by a fire, two sisters were killed. Margaret Bourgeoys began anew in a barn, which was used as a school and home. Finally, they could build a new monastery building. The Congregation of Notre-Dame de Montréal was confirmed in 1889 by Pope.