Saint Margaret Bourgeoys
Saint Margaret Bourgeoys (born April 17, 1620 AD in Troyes, Champagne, France; died January 12, 1700 AD in Montréal, Quebec, Canada) was a French-born educator and foundress who established the first Catholic school in Montréal and founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame — the first non-cloistered women's religious congregation in New France and one of the earliest in the history of the Church. She is the patron of Montréal and of Catholic educators in Canada. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Her feast day is January 12.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Margaret Bourgeoys
| Saint Margaret Bourgeoys | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 12 |
| Profession | Foundress of the Congregation of Notre-Dame; teacher; educational pioneer of New France |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of Notre-Dame (CND); first non-cloistered women's congregation in New France; patron of Montréal and of Catholic educators in Canada |
| Patronage | Montréal; Canada; Catholic educators; teachers; women religious; New France; those who cross oceans in faith; indigenous education |
| Attributes | Teacher with children; chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours; French colonial dress; voyage across the sea; Montréal setting |
| Birthplace | Troyes, Aube, Champagne, France |
| Death Place | Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died January 12, 1700, in Montréal at age 79; she had surrendered her own health in prayer for a young sister who was gravely ill — the sister recovered, Margaret died; she died in full possession of her faculties |
| Primary Shrine | Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Old Montréal — her relics; the chapel she built; oldest surviving church in Montréal; visited by hundreds of thousands annually; her shrine is in the east apse; pilgrimages continue to this day |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); January 12; feast in Canada |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar (canonized 1982) |
Biography
Margaret Bourgeoys was born on April 17, 1620, in Troyes, France. She felt a religious vocation but was not accepted into any existing congregation. In 1653 she accepted an invitation from Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, governor of the colony of Ville-Marie (Montréal), to come to New France as a teacher.
She arrived in Montréal in 1653. In 1658 she opened the first Catholic school in Montréal in a stone stable. She made multiple voyages back to France to recruit teachers. She built the first chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in 1657. She taught French, indigenous, and mixed-heritage children.
She founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame — the first non-cloistered women's religious congregation in North America — and fought for decades for its approval. Pope Clement XI approved it in 1698. She died on January 12, 1700, reportedly after sacrificing her health in prayer for a dying sister.
Pope Pius XII beatified her in 1950. Pope John Paul II canonized her on April 2, 1982.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Troyes, Aube, Champagne, France
Death location: Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Old Montréal — her relics; the chapel she built; principal shrine.
- Maison Saint-Gabriel, Point-Saint-Charles, Montréal — the farmhouse she purchased; now a museum.
Feast day
January 12
Veneration
Saint Margaret Bourgeoys is the patron of Montréal and a patron of Catholic education in Canada. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982.
Prayers
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