Produced by D Garcia Juliet Sutherland Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamThis file was produced from images generously made availableby the Canadian Institute for Historical MicroreproductionsIllustration SISTER MARGARET BOURGEOISFoundress of the Congregation of Notre DameESTABLISHED IN MONTREAL CANADA 1659THE LIFE OF VENERABLE SISTER MARGARET BOURGEOISFOUNDRESS OF THE SISTERS OF THECONGREGATION OF NOTRE DAME_ESTABLISHED AT MONTREAL CANADA 1659__TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH_BY A RELIGIEUSECEDAR RAPIDS IOWAAUTHORS PREFACE                                   Having read a French edition of the Life of Venerable Sister Bourgeoispublished in 1818 the translator of the present work was so charmed byits perusal that she resolved on rendering it into English for thespiritual edification of othersMany years ago the work of translation was commenced but from somepreventing cause or other was as often laid aside Yet the idea ofpresenting it to the public remained as no _English_ Version of SisterBourgeois life exists at least in the United StatesTherefore determining at last to obey an impulse of long standing thescattered translation sheets have been prepared for publication withthe humble hope that the reader may derive as much benefit from theirperusal as did the writerIn this age of miscellaneous and corrupt literature when people ofevery condition of life are literally devouring irreligious magazinesand serials it surely cannot be amiss to add another volume to thealready rich store of our libraries in order to help roll back thetorrent of universal depravity that threatens the rain of our belovedcountry and also to place before the minds of the young the gloriousexample of one of Gods heroinesThe _Second Centennial_ of Sister Bourgeois advent to America isalready past and more than a hundred years before the _Declaration ofIndependence_ was she laboring in the cause of humanity for the gloryof God in the New WorldIf reading the lives of such women as Mrs Setona Protestant Americanlady who after her conversion to the Catholic Church in Italy so burnedwith the love of God as to return to her native land in her earlywidowhood to form a flourishing religious sisterhood in New York ofNano Nagle an Irish aristocrat who turned from a useless fashionablelife to the lowly spirit of the gospel on seeing the poor artizans ofParis crowding to early Mass in the Church of Notre Dame beforebeginning their daily toil while she lolled weariedly in her carriageafter a midnight ball heroically putting her hand to the plough shenever turned back and left behind her another religious Sisterhood inIreland to perpetuate her philanthropic sanctity of Catharine McAuleywho receiving from her adopted Protestant parents a princely fortuneexpended every shilling of it in building up the Order of Mercy one ofthe latest and most flourishing outposts of the Church of God of StJane de Chantal who after having been tried in the fire of afflictionfor yearsfounded in her advanced widowhood the Order of theVisitation under the direction of St Francis de Salesand whoattained such an extraordinary degree of perfection as to be seenascending to heaven like a luminous meteor after her happy deathIf the perusal of the lives of these and a host of other sainted womensuch as the Catholic Church alone can produce has filled many a youngheart with high and holy aspirationsperhaps the contents of thislittle volume will not be less efficacious for the glory of God theinterests of religion and the salvation of soulsA literal translation has been adhered to as far as possibleone or tworemarks at the close being the only additions So if any defects existin the work they belong solely to the translator whose aim has not beenrhetorical composition but the greater glory of God And if but oneheart be won more closely to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ byits perusal she will be amply repaid and prays that the blessing ofthe Sacred Heart of Jesus may be given to her humble effort to advanceHis honor and gloryRespectfully THE AUTHORESSCONTENTSCHAPTER ITHE DISCOVERY OF CANADA AND COLONIZATION OF MONTREALCHAPTER IIMESSRS DAUVERSIERE AND DE MAISONNEUVE VISIT MONTREALCHAPTER IIIESTABLISHMENT OF THE HOTEL DIEUECCLESIASTICAL APPOINTMENTSFOR CANADA ETCCHAPTER IVEARLY YEARS OF MARGARET BOURGEOIS AND HER VOCATION FOR THECANADIAN MISSIONCHAPTER VMARGARET BOURGEOIS AFTER MANY TRIALS AND MORTIFICATIONSAT LENGTH SAILS WITH M DE MAISONNEUVE FOR CANADACHAPTER VISISTER BOURGEOISS ARRIVAL IN CANADACHAPTER VIIESTABLISHMENT OF THE SISTERS OF THE CONGREGATION OF NOTRE DAMEAT VILLEMARIECHAPTER VIIIM FRANCOIS DE LAVAL DE MONTMORENCI IS APPOINTED FIRST BISHOP OFCANADASISTER BOURGEOIS SUCCEEDS IN BUILDING THE CHURCH OF NOTRE DAMECHAPTER IXTHE RULES OF THE CONGREGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSIONSCHAPTER XTHE PRIVATE AND SOCIAL VIRTUES OF SISTER BOURGEOISCHAPTER XISISTER BOURGEOISS HAPPY DEATH AND THE WONDERS THAT FOLLOWED ITCHAPTER XIITHE EXCELLENCE OF HER INSTITUTES HER MAXIMS INSTITUTIONS ETCCHAPTER XIIIA RECAPITULATION OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF THE LIFE OF SISTER BOURGEOISCONCLUSIONLIFE OF THE VENERABLE SISTER MARGARET BOURGEOIS                                   CHAPTER ITHE DISCOVERY OF CANADA AND COLONIZATION OF MONTREALEvery one knows that America is called the New World because until theclose of the 15th century it was unknown to the other nations of theearthat least it was then unknown to Europe Until quite near the endof that century Canada was absolutely a _terra incognita_being onevast forest inhabited only by the red man and by beasts as wild anduntamable as he In the year 1534 James Cartier a skilful navigatorbeing provided with a commission from the King of France set sail fromSt Malo with two ships of sixty tons burden carrying one hundred andtwentytwo wellequipped seamen in order to reconnoitre that part ofthe New World Cartiers first voyage was quite successful Hediscovered Canada and took possession of it in the name of the FrenchKing Having made his observations from the different posts whichsurround the Gulf that receives into its bosom the waters of the greatriver of Canada since called