{"id":46100,"date":"2025-10-30T16:03:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T16:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/the-spiritual-legacy-of-quebecs-women-saints\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T16:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T16:17:24","slug":"the-spiritual-legacy-of-quebecs-women-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/the-spiritual-legacy-of-quebecs-women-saints\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spiritual Legacy of Quebec\u2019s Women Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In this article, discover the richness of the spiritual, historical, and religious heritage left to us by Quebec\u2019s women saints and blesseds: Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville, Saint Marie-L\u00e9onie Paradis, Saint Kateri in Kahnawake, and Blessed Marie-Rose. <\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThroughout the history of Christian values in these snowy lands, women have left their mark on the shores of the Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie region. For some, it was their starting point from which to reach further afield: notably Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville in Varennes or Saint Marie-L\u00e9onie Paradis, a native of L\u2019Acadie. For others, it became their home base, such as Saint Kateri in Kahnawake or Blessed Marie-Rose in Longueuil. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Face of Women, the Face of God<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What do these women have in common? They were a presence. <\/p>

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But a presence of whom? In the times of upheaval in which they lived, they sought to remind us that Christ draws near to His people. Like Kateri, being a “presence” sometimes means encountering the novelty of the Gospel message, which challenges men and women in their habits. <\/p>

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He allows us time to adore in silence, like the “Lily of the Mohawks,” this God who draws near. He allows us, as He did for Marguerite, to choose no side amidst the world\u2019s tribulations other than that of the poor Christ\u2014seen in the abandoned child, the wounded soldier, and the destitute elder. <\/p>

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He compels us to renounce titles and positions, like the Widow d\u2019Youville, to be captivated by the love of Christ and to know how to give thanks even when everything collapses.<\/p>

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He helps us, as He did for Eulalie Durocher, to take root in the patience of illness and a life hidden in the work of a cook and sacristan\u2014allowing ourselves to be touched by poverty until the day the dream of becoming a religious sister blooms under the name Marie-Rose.<\/p>

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He opens us to the greatness of the “always more” and the beautiful, putting us at the service of Him called the “Fairest of the children of men,” Christ. Finally, like Mother Marie-L\u00e9onie, He makes us collaborators in the mission of priests, for “nothing is small when the gesture is done with love.” <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Treasures of Wisdom from Our Quebec Saints and Blesseds<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To be sure, none of them made a great noise. And yet… If it is true that Kateri\u2019s smallpox-scarred face became beautiful again upon her death, perhaps her example can teach us to see beauty in our own history\u2014wounded, certainly, but crying out for reconciliation? Could the small steps we must take not be done “groping our way,” which is what “Tekakwitha” actually means? What if Kateri\u2019s example were a possible source for becoming the presence of Christ in our society; a step-by-step presence to meet others in their darkness and challenges? <\/p>

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If it is true that a daisy (marguerite) is plucked to let us know if we are loved “a little” or “a lot,” why couldn’t the “stripping away” experienced by Marguerite d\u2019Youville serve as a path or starting point for how we act toward the least among us?<\/p>

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If it is true that everything is calculated and our world runs on profit, why not take a pause with Marie-Rose to open ourselves to the beauty of the “superfluous”\u2014to the music emanating from the heart of the beloved toward the Divine Redeemer? Driven by a love for the names of Jesus and Mary, why not proclaim that loving is never superfluous, and that helping the poor who lack access to education is a wealth, not an expense?<\/p>

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And if it is true that the priest is a central figure in our Church, perhaps we can\u2014like Marie-L\u00e9onie and the Little Sisters of the Holy Family she founded\u2014place ourselves at the service of the Pastors sent to edify us, praying for those who must raise their arms like Moses for our victory.<\/p>

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Nothing is small when one is in the school of service. Each of these women reminds us of this, bringing to life the quote from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (for Saint Bernard is much more than just a border crossing): “The measure of love is to love without measure.”<\/p>

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This is why taking the time to discover these figures who have dotted the spiritual landscape of Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie and the Eastern Townships is not merely a matter of curiosity. If we take an interest, their lives can be a spark\u2014even a starting point\u2014to go out and meet the “other” and the “OTHER.”<\/p>

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By Father Simon Roy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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N.B.: Discover our [next pilgrimage in Quebec<\/a><\/strong>], as well as the [next pilgrimage accompanied by Father Simon Roy<\/a><\/strong>].<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article, discover the richness of the spiritual, historical, and religious heritage left to us by Quebec\u2019s women saints and blesseds: Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville, Saint Marie-L\u00e9onie Paradis, Saint Kateri in Kahnawake, and Blessed Marie-Rose. Throughout the history of Christian values in these snowy lands, women have left their mark on the shores of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":44094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[531],"tags":[646,652],"class_list":["post-46100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-at-the-sources-of-faith","tag-christian-life","tag-quebec-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}