Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys And The Making Of A New World Faith

We trace the life of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys from Troyes to Ville Marie, showing how grief, Marian devotion, and grit shaped the spiritual mother of Montreal. Her blueprint for mission—education, hospitality, and courage—offers a living path for the new evangelization.

• early life in Troyes and Marian devotion
• call to serve the poor and teach catechism
• courage to sail to New France in 1653
• hardships in Ville Marie and first school
• founding the Congregation of Notre Dame
• education and hospitality as evangelization
• lessons for modern Catholics and communities

Be sure to look at the description for special information of interest to you in Saint Marguerite Bourgeois, Apostle of the New World and Mother of Montreal
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Open by Steve Bailey

Chapters

• 0:22 Welcome And Episode Context
• 0:42 Portrait Of A Saint’s Legacy
• 2:22 Early Life And Marian Devotion
• 4:02 Invitation To Join The Mission
• 5:43 The Call To Apostolic Adventure
• 8:28 Voyage To Ville Marie And First Works
• 10:15 Read More And Special Offer

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:11

Hello, family. Welcome to Journeys of Faith Super Saints Podcast at Brother Joseph Ryaldenhoven here at your service. Be sure to look at the description for special information of interest to you in Saint Marguerite Bourgeois, Apostle of the New World and Mother of Montreal. In the sun-dappled streets of 17th century Montreal, where hardship and hope mingled beneath the endless Canadian sky, there walked a woman whose unwavering faith helped carve out the heart of a new world. Saint Margaret Bourjois, a name echoing gently through centuries of Catholic devotion, stands as a tireless apostle and the spiritual mother of Montreal. Her legacy is not merely one of bricks and mortar, though her tireless hands built the city's first school and church structures, but of spiritual resilience, Marion devotion, and a deep missionary zeal that continues to inspire Catholic faithful today. At journeys of faith, stories like hers form the lifeblood of our mission, to reach hearts hungry for holiness, to bring the luminous stories of saints and miracles into every home, and to invite each pilgrim into a deeper union with Christ. Saint Marguerite's journey from the quiet fields of Troy's France to the wild, rugged shores of New France is a tale of sacrifice transformed into sanctity, a journey as relevant for today's seekers as it was for those pioneers sturdy enough to follow her steady example. As we delve into the remarkable life and mission of Saint Marguerite Bourgeois, we invite you, our fellow pilgrims, to walk alongside this great apostle of the New World. Her story is your story, one of challenge and triumph, of deep Mary and faith and mission-focused living, all guided by the Holy Spirit. One heart, one mind, one spirit with one vision. Early life in Troy, France. In the heart of 17th century France, the bustling medieval city of Troy provided the backdrop for the formative years of Saint Marguerite Bourgeois. Born on April 17, 1620, Marguerite was the seventh of thirteen children in a devoutly Catholic family. The bourgeois household radiated an atmosphere of faith, virtue, and industriousness, qualities that would set the foundation for Marguerite's lifelong mission. Tragedy touched her early. Marguerite lost her mother at the age of nineteen, a sorrow that deepened her faith and awakened within her a desire to serve others. While Troy's was marked by prosperity, it was equally a community in need. Children lacked education, the poor were often forgotten, and many grappled with spiritual hunger. Marguerite's heart was drawn to those on the margins. Her devotion blossomed in the confraternity of the Blessed Virgin, where she cultivated a Marian spirituality keen to emulate Mary's humility and strength. Here, amid the ancient streets and the echo of cathedral bells, Marguerite discovered an interior calling. She taught catechism to the city's poorest children, quietly preparing herself for a mission that would one day stretch beyond the borders of France. What began as service in her hometown would ultimately ignite a bold apostolic journey, one that would carry her across the Atlantic toward a nascent new world, longing for light and hope. Embark on your own journey of faith. Join us in the mission of evangelization. At Journeys of Faith, we believe the legacy of Saint Marguerite Bourgeois is a living invitation for all Catholics to answer the call of the new evangelization. Her courage in the face of adversity, tireless devotion to education, and unwavering love for Christ and Mary inspire our mission every day. Don't let her story remain distant history. Make it a spark for your own spiritual journey and action. Get involved today. Discover more saints. Dive into our rich library of armchair pilgrimages and discover how ordinary believers became extraordinary apostles for Christ. Support our ministry as a 501c3 nonprofit. Your tax-deductible donations help us produce Catholic content, maintain holy family mission, and share the wonders of the Eucharist with the world. Join the community, connect with fellow believers passionate about saints, Marian devotion, and Eucharistic miracles. Share stories, prayers, and encouragement. Grow in faith. Subscribe to our newsletters for inspiring stories, Catholic resources, and updates on pilgrimages virtual and physical. Be a modern day apostle. Share our articles and films. Help spread the faith, just as Saint Marguerite Bourgeois did on the frontiers of Montreal. Saint Marguerite Bourgeois collection. One heart, one mind, one spirit with one vision. Become part of a movement fueled by prayer, mission, and the Eucharist. Join us. Your journey begins now. The call to apostolic adventure. Saint Marguerite Bourgeois heard the call of Christ at a young age, but it was not a gentle summons. It was a beckoning toward uncharted territory, a spiritual wild unknown. In 1653, with a courage forge in devotion and sustained by grace, Marguerite left the familiar streets of Troy, France, embarking across the storm-tossed Atlantic to a land she had only dreamed of, Ville Marie, the fledgling settlement that would become Montreal. What awaited her was dawning, a raw, snowbound outpost with few resources and even fewer comforts. But Marguerite understood the mission. She saw with apostolic clarity that the new world was fertile ground, not just for for cut uh crops, but for chakosimes uh for they see yes or cut rear the seeds of faith. Just as the first disciples had left behind fishing nets on the shores of Galilee, Marguerite abandoned the security of home and family to plant the gospel where it had not yet taken root. The early days in Ville Marie were a crucible. Marguerite ventured beyond the relative safety of the stockades, forging relationships with indigenous communities and settlers alike. She endured isolation, hunger, and relentless hardship, yet what radiated through was her unyielding conviction that Christ Himself walked with her, every frozen footstep a prayer, every hard won friendship a triumph for the kingdom of God. Marguerite's apostolic adventure was not a solitary quest. She inspired a cohort of women, the congregation of Notre Dame, adopting a mission unlike any the church had seen in North America, they eschewed cloistered walls, embracing instead the open world as their convent and the next soul in need as their calling. Through education, hospitality, and a Marian spirit of humility, Saint Marguerite and her sisters transformed the spiritual landscape, building a legacy that would shape the identity of Montreal and echo across the centuries. In answering the call to apostolic adventure, Saint Marguerite Bourgeois became the very heartbeat of the Church's mission in the New World, undaunted, compassion driven, ever bold in her pursuit of souls for Christ. Her journey reminds us that sanctity thrives at the edge of comfort where love and faith meet the unknown. Voyage across the Atlantic to Villemarie. In the seventeenth century, to leave behind everything familiar and cross the vast, unpredictable Atlantic was not for the faint of heart. Marguerite Bourgeois, deeply stirred by the call of Christ, embraced the unknown with the courage of a true apostle. Born in Troy, France, her spiritual journey reached a pivotal moment when she joined a group of settlers bound for New France. Their destination, a remote outpost in the wilderness, humble yet full of promise, called Ville Marie, what we know today is Montreal. The voyage itself was perilous. Marguerite and her fellow passengers braved raging storms, cramped quarters, and the looming threat of disease with only faith as their anchor. It was a passage marked by prayer and profound trust in Providence. During long, anxious nights at sea, she comforted her companions, offering encouragement rooted in the gospel, nurturing not only their bodies but their souls. Upon arrival in 1653, Ville Marie was little more than a series of makeshift houses pressed up against thick Canadian forest. Life in this new world demanded relentless sacrifice, but Marguerite discerned God's mission for her amidst the hardship. The colony cried out for more than just physical survival. It hungered for education, hope, and the light of Christ. It was here far from the grandeur of European cathedrals. But she began her apostolate bringing the love of God to the fledgling settlements, children, women, and the marginalized. Marguerite's Atlantic Crossing marked not just a move from one continent to another, but a voyage of the heart into the very frontier of Christian mission. Family, there is more to this article, so please see the Lilink in the description for the rest of the article. Be sure to click the link in the description for special news item. And since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offer. Visit journeysoffaith.com website today.