Saint Marguerite d'Youville, founder of the Grey Nuns
- Intro
- Early life
- Tragedy strikes
- Shame
- Difficult love
- Beginning of the nuns
- How the Grey Nuns received their name
- Message
- Closing
Intro
Dear Parents and Students,
As a new teacher, I was asked to attend an informational session on
Marguerite and her amazing life. It was important for all of the new
teachers to understand the spirit of the Grey Nuns, and their core beliefs
as it affects the GNA community. I wanted to share some of the interesting
and inspirational stories of our loving founder's life.
Early life
Marguerite was the eldest of six children. The only reason Marguerite was
provided with an education was so that she could return to her family and
educate the younger siblings-imagine the stress and pressure on this young
girl!
Tragedy strikes
Marguerite's father died when she was only six years old.
Shame
After the death of her father, Marguerite's mother remarried an Irishman.
Marguerite herself was very much in love with a young man, but her mother's
new marriage was not considered "acceptable" in society, so Marguerite and
her boyfriend were forbidden from marrying- she was devastated!
Difficult love
Marguerite eventually marries a man named Francois, but she finds nothing
but heartbreak. Her new husband is illegally selling alcohol to the Native
Americans in exchange for furs. Francois himself was a terrible alcoholic.
Marguerite and Francois have 6 children together, but more sorrow finds her-
only 2 of the children survive. It is here that she turns to prayer and a
deep love of Jesus.
Beginning of the nuns
Marguerite and other women like her begin to take in the poor, the wretched-
basically anyone who was considered an outcast in society. They became the
Sisters of Charity of Montreal, today known as the Grey Nuns.
How the Grey Nuns received their name
The community around Marguerite did not support her good deeds. She and the
other sisters were constantly criticized and ridiculed. One book writes
from Marguerites point of view, "Since nothing happens without reason, the
insults of the crowd lead me to think. They call us names so why not take
on those names. From now on, we will be called "Les Soeurs Grises." And why
not! In French, "grises" is the word for drunkards. It also translates to
the color grey. Therefore the name of our community is a real play on
words".
Message
Marguerite d'Youville lived such an early life of sorrow, yet she was able
to overcome her sadness, and build a community of sisters who set out to
help all of God's children, even those people considered dirty, unworthy, or
devilish. We all can learn from her story of generosity, love, and
compassion.
Closing
This is such a short overview of her life, but my hope is that it motivates
all of you to learn more about Marguerite. Her accomplishments are numerous
and invaluable, especially in the founding of our own GNA community. God
bless!
