Marguerite Bourgeoys

April 17th, 1620 - January 12th, 1700

French founder of the teaching of French language in Montréal

Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was born in Troyes, France, and died on January 12, 1700 in Ville-Marie, Quebec. It was she who inaugurated the teaching of French in Montréal. Invited to New France as a lay teacher by Sieur de Maisonneuve, her task was to teach the children of the colonists and the natives. She landed at Ville-Marie in 1653 and opened the city's first school in 1658. Her lifelong task was training women to take care of their homes and their farms. She also offered a motherly welcome to the "King's Daughter's", sent over to be married and bear and raise children for the colony. This won her the title of Mother of the Colony. She is seen today as a co-founder of Montréal, the others being Jeanne Mance, who was a nurse, and Maisonneuve. She was canonized on October 31, 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

Vidéo : The canonizing of Marguerite Bourgeoys