Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-02-11
MONASTERY FOR NUNS
New Structure at the Fanny
Allen Hospital.
It's Erection Commentaries Ccnten-
n,nI Of Fanny Aliens Entrance
Into Novittatc ana 25Oth An
nivcrsary of Hotel Diru.

Tho breaking OF ground ut the Fanny
Allen hospital last year FOR the new
monastery and the completion OF the
structure within the present year mark
two important anniversaries in the his
tory of the Religious Hospitallers OF st.
Joseph of the Hotel Dieu, who conduct
the institution. The beginning Of the
building commentaries the Centennial of
the entrance of Fanny Allen into hor
n"Vitiatc IN the Hotel Dieu of Montreal;
. its completion will commemorate the
goth anniversary OF the establishment
% the order I'm Montreal by Miss Jane
Nance. The story of the heroic work of
Miss Nance in founding the Hotel pieu
o. Montreal is less known To present day
readers than thestory OF the other woman,
i!lustrious In the order, whose name 100
years after the death Of Miss Nance.
was given 10 the institution at Wine )ski
Park where the work 90 firmly establish
cd in Montreal by the French heroine Is
continued in the same spirit and along
the same lines.
JANE NANCE
Jane Nance was born at Nogcnt le Hoi.
some distance from Laneres, France. in
1Nd Early in life her spiritual nature
- anne sineularly developed ana she
came to womanhood with high accom-
plishments ana great religious fervor.
Although leading the life of a religious
fl tic world She felt no vocation for the
cloistor
Upon the death of her parents she re-
solved to 60 10 the banks Of the ST.
Lawrence. The company Of Montreal
vas the In process Of organization.
Miss Nance first enlisted the sympathy
Of the Duchess de Bullion, a great friend
oi the Montreal scheme, who gave her
in addition TO 10000 liyres FOR expenses,
a letter to NJ de Ia Dnuversiere. ono of
The leaders Of the company formed 10
found the city on the st Lawrence The
neal of the young woman was only in
creased by warnings that the 1.uGe walls
ri v ~ cal must be ccmcnted in blood;
that hostile indians must ne encountered
and that she would bo alone to care for
he sick and wounded. Says he lis .or-
ian. Parkman. She had found her
o"stiny. The ocean. the wilderness, the
F litude. the Iroquois-no,hng daunted
her"
Tho ship wl'-i bore Ms Marco across
'he ocean arrived too late in the season
ot l6i to ascend to Montreal ana the
ny drearv winter was spent in Quebec.
The next year She began her great work.
During i wears with the assistance Of
four or five women whom she had
brought from France. she attended tho
sick and wounded in the little hospital
which she caused to he erected. In the
winter of 1867, Miss Nance sustained a
=, fractured arm and the dslocation Of one
wrist through fail IN the ice. The arm
was set but the dislocation was not dis
. covered The arm soon became entirely
( useless and her health wasted away I'M
der incessant and violent pain
c She was In conscquouce Obliged to TO
: inqush her work among the sick /
Montreal and return 10 France whore
i. the withered member was mraculously
restored. She then entered with renewed
E zeal and enthusiasm about the continu-
= ance of her work in Montreal Again
= she sought the aid OF the Duchess de
= Bullion, who gave her the munihcent sum
+ OF 1000 frances. Next she conferred
@ with NJ de la Dauversiere, who had been
I laboring to form a body Of hospital nuns
h at La Fleche The next year 1859. saw
the fruition OF long cherished hopes.
Miss Nance with three hospital nuns o.
4 81. Joseph established the Hotel Deu ~
= Montreal She lahored at the work so
e. dear 10 her heart until her death IN 1913
POVERTY OF EARLY NUNS.
The poverty Of those carly nuns Is al
most increditahIe. OF the % 0oo frnacs
which she had received from the Duchess
" de Bullion Miss Nance kept 700 for i'm
mediate use, connding tho rest to NJ.
y dc In Dauverserc, who pressed by his
creditors. used the trust fund TO pay
n che OF his debts. afterwards finding 10
o bis horror that lie was unable to replace
the amount.
+ OF the condition OF the sisters, Park
: man writes as follows: when their
clothes were Worn out they We're unable
y to replace them, and We're forced 10
= patch them with such material as came
Z TO hand. Maisouueuvc, the Governor. and
= the pious Madame d'Aucbout, being once
T. on a visit to the hosl!tal. amused them
y selves with try ing to guess Of what stun
) the habits Of he nuns had originally beer
made and were unable to agree on the
l. point In question.
$ Their chamber which they occupied
+. for many years being hastily built o.
IS III seasoned planks, let in the piercing
u cold or the Canadian winter through
r. countless cracks and chlnks: and tho
/ driving snow sifted through in sucf
quantities that they We're sometime.
= obliged, the morning after q storm. tc
II remove it with shovels. Their food woulC
e freeze on the table before their aut
e their coarse brown bread had to be
. thawed on the hearth before they coul,
= cut it. These women had been nurturcC