183rd Anniversary of the Foundation Congregation of the Sisters of Providence – March 25 1843-2026
On this feast of Feast of the Annunciation, once again, we celebrate, the founding in 1843 of the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor, later to be officially named the “Sisters of Providence”. Our founding story reminds us of Providence at work in the midst of changing realities that bring disappointments and disruption of carefully made plans. Bishop Ignace Bourget had grand plans for welcoming the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul from France to minister and give permanence to the charitable works already established by Madame Émilie Gamelin. The Asile of Providence was under construction to receive the sisters from France and to provide for the ever-growing number of people in poverty needing compassionate care. In November 1842, Bishop Bourget received word that the French sisters could not come to Montreal due to missionary demands in Algeria.
In February 1843, Bishop Bourget announced his decision to found a diocesan community of religious women rather than entrusting the ministry of Madame Gamelin, so close to the work of Saint Vincent de Paul, to another congregation in Montreal. Canon John Charles Prince was appointed as canonical superior. On March 17, 1843, seven women, including two of Madame Émilie Gamelin’s assistants, began their novitiate with a retreat at the Yellow House (La Maison jaune, Madame Gamelin’s refuge for poor, elderly, and infirm women) since the Asile of Providence was not yet ready for occupancy.
The retreat ended on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, with the opening of the novitiate by Bishop Bourget and the receiving of the holy habit by the seven first novices. Thus, March 25, 1843, is observed as the Foundation of the new Institute, and the Yellow House is considered the cradle of the Community.
Remember that Madame Gamelin was not among the seven first novices. However, Bishop Bourget had decided that Madame Gamelin, although still a secular, should take on the role of superior of the novices. She was responsible for the temporal administration of the new institute. The novices learned compassionate care and deep love for the poor from the example of Madame Gamelin, her trust in Providence, and her deep spiritual life. She shared in the spiritual exercises and sacrifices imposed on the novices.
On May 18, 1843, anniversary of the founding of Ville-Marie (Montreal), the elderly women moved from the Yellow House to the Providence Asile, followed by Madame Gamelin and the novices on May 24, 1843, the Feast of Our Lady of Good Help.
It was on the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, on July 19, 1843, that the call to religious life seemed clear to Madame Gamelin through a providential experience with a twenty-three-month-old orphan girl entrusted to her. After returning from the visit to the Sisters of Charity in Maryland, USA at Bishop Bourget’s request to obtain a copy of the Rule of St Vincent de Paul and observe their ministries, Madame Gamelin became a novice on October 8, 1843.
Sister Gamelin was the eldest of the novices and continued as superior. She initiated the novices to the ministries of home visits to the poor and of begging in the wealthy parts of the city to provide food and alms for the poor and infirmed.
As we reflect on our founding story today, on this Marian Feast Day, let us give thanks to God-Providence for the grace of saying YES to God’s vocational call, not only by Mary, Mother of Jesus, but also by every Sister of Providence and Associate since the foundation of our Congregation. Providence has been and continues to be faithful every day every way. We ask God to strengthen us in our fidelity to our Mission and Charism amid our current realities and to guide us in our responses to all those whose needs for our care and compassion are made known to us. Let us also renew our trust in Providence, knowing that even when our cherished plans are interrupted, God opens new possibilities for us.
Happy Founding Day to all!
Reflection
- What touches you most about our founding story and encourages you in living our Providence mission and charism today?
- Why are the Feast of the Annunciation and the scripture readings of its liturgy very relevant for our Congregational Foundation Day?
- Consider Émilie Gamelin’s thoughts, prayers and actions on March 25, 1843. What might Émilie say to us today on this 183rd anniversary of Foundation?
Feast of the Annunciation
Reflection
By Sister Nicole Kunze, Prioress, B.M.V.
Annunciation Monastery
March 25, 2023
In reflecting upon Mary’s Fiat, her yes to God, I am pulled into the ordinariness of the event. Luke’s Gospel doesn’t provide a picture of the setting, but artists over the years have shared their ideas of it.
I continue to be drawn to Henry Ossawa Tanner’s painting of the Annunciation. It appears that Mary is in a simple bedroom when the angel Gabriel arrives in the shaft of light. What was she doing at that moment? It is hard to say, it doesn’t appear that she was in the midst of any particular household task. Maybe she was in the middle of her daily prayer when the angel came on the scene. Lacking any details, we can choose the scene for ourselves.
This past Advent, I read The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander for the first time. What a wonderfully rich book! In the section entitled Fiat, Houselander writes about the ordinariness of Mary’s life. “She was not asked to lead a special kind of life. She was simply to remain in the world. She was to give Him her daily life.” God is asking the same thing of each one of us. God is asking us to be faithful to the commitment we made as members of this monastic community. We are to offer the dailyness of our lives, the tasks, duties, and activities that compose it all. Benedict set for us a way of life where the daily schedule repeats over and over again and we are asked to show up, to participate in that life each and every day.
After more than 25 years of monastic life, I’m finding my relationship with God growing deeper through the dailyness of the liturgy of the hours, the Eucharist, and my personal prayer and reflection. There may be an epiphany now and then, but it’s the ordinary things of life where I’m finding God and feel I’m living out what He is asking of me.
So, I would ask us to consider:
In my ordinary life, can I say yes to God?
Source:
Sister Karin Dufault, SP
Vice-Postulator
Office of the Cause of Émilie Tavernier