Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin (born February 19, 1800 AD in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; died September 23, 1851 AD in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a Canadian widow and foundress who devoted herself to the care of the poor, the elderly, the sick, and orphans in Montreal, and founded the Sisters of Providence (Soeurs de la Providence) in 1843. She died during a typhoid epidemic while caring for the sick. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 7, 1987, during his pastoral visit to Montreal. Her feast day is September 23.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
| Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 23 |
| Profession | Catholic widow; foundress of the Sisters of Providence (Soeurs de la Providence, 1843); social reformer; servant of the poor, elderly, sick, and orphaned; pioneer of Catholic social service in Montreal and Quebec; Canadian Catholic of the early 19th century |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Sisters of Providence (Soeurs de la Providence); Canadian Catholic tradition; Quebec Catholic heritage; 19th-century Canadian Catholic social reform |
| Patronage | Canada; Quebec; Montreal; the Sisters of Providence; widows; the poor; the elderly; orphans; the sick; social workers; those who suffer bereavement |
| Attributes | Religious habit of the Sisters of Providence; a child (orphan); an elderly person; works of mercy; September 23 feast; Montreal |
| Birthplace | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Death Place | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of Death | Natural death from typhoid; died September 23, 1851, during a typhoid epidemic while continuing to care for the sick and poor of Montreal; Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin had been widowed young (her husband Jean-Baptiste Gamelin died in 1827, leaving her childless after the deaths of their three children) and thereafter devoted herself entirely to charitable works in Montreal; she organized and personally served the city's poor and elderly for two decades before founding the Sisters of Providence; her death from typhoid contracted while nursing epidemic victims exemplifies the total gift of self that characterized her entire life; she was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 7, 1987, in Montreal |
| Primary Shrine | Montreal, Quebec, Canada; September 23 feast; JPII beatification September 7 1987 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; September 23 feast in Canada and with the Sisters of Providence |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Emilie Tavernier was born February 19, 1800, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1823 she married Jean-Baptiste Gamelin, a prosperous fruit merchant. All three of their children died in infancy; her husband died in 1827, leaving her a childless widow at age 27.
Rather than remarrying, she devoted herself to charitable service. She began organizing care for the poor, the elderly, and the sick of Montreal. In 1828 she established a House of Providence — a refuge for elderly women without resources.
Over the following years her charitable work expanded to encompass orphans, the mentally ill, and other marginalized populations. In 1843, at the request of Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal, she formally organized her charitable workers into the religious congregation of the Sisters of Providence (Soeurs de la Providence), with herself as first Superior General.
She died on September 23, 1851, of typhoid contracted while personally nursing victims of a typhoid epidemic in Montreal.
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 7, 1987, during his pastoral visit to Montreal. Her feast day is September 23.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Death location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Feast day
September 23
Veneration
Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin (1800–1851) was a Canadian Catholic widow in Montreal who devoted herself to caring for the poor, elderly, sick, and orphaned, founded the Sisters of Providence in 1843, and died of typhoid contracted while nursing epidemic victims on September 23, 1851; beatified John Paul II in Montreal, September 7, 1987. Feast September 23.
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