ST. MARGUERITE D'YOUVILLE (1701-1771)

The first native Canadian to be elevated to sainthood, was born at Varennes, Quebec, the eldest of six. Her father died when she was seven years old leaving this family in great poverty.

     Marguerite always fought for the rights of the poor and broke with the social conventions of her day. It was a daring move that made her the object of ridicule and taunts by her own relatives and neighbors. She persevered in caring for the poor despite many obstacles. On February 2, 1745, she and her two early companions pledged themselves to put everything in common in order to help a greater number of persons in need. Two years later, this "mother of the poor" as she was called, was asked to become director of the Charon Brothers Hospital in Montreal which was falling into ruin. She and her sisters rebuilt the hospital and cared for those in most desperate human misery. With the help of her sisters and their lay collaborators, Marguerite laid the foundation for service to the poor of a thousand faces.

     This vision of caring for the poor of this daughter of the Church, has spread far and wide. Her sisters have served on almost every continent. Today, her mission is courageously carried on in a spirit of hope by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, "Grey Nuns" and their sister communities: the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe, the Sisters of Charity at Ottawa, the Sisters of Charity of Quebec, the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart (Philadelphia) and the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (Pembroke).

     Pope John XXIII beatified Marguerite on May 3, 1959 and called her "Mother of Universal Charity" - a well-merited title for one who continues to this day to reach out to all with love and compassion. The power of Marguerite's intercession before God was clearly evidenced when a young woman stricken with acute myelobastic leukemia in 1978 was miraculously cured. This great favor opened for Marguerite the door to the official proclamation of sainthood.         ~ https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints