NEAR THE TOMB
OF MARGUERITE
BOURGEOYS
(CONGREGATION
OF NOTRE-DAME)
Dear
Sisters of the Congregation of
Notre-Dame,
Time
does not permit me, before the mass that will bring together the whole Christian community of Montreal,
to share
with you all the thoughts that fill my heart here before the
tomb of your holy foundress. It was my honour
to canonize her on October 31, 1982. On that date, I spoke of her spirituality, of her admirable
apostolate with the
young and with families and
of the
interest her initiatives continue to have for the pastoral ministry today. We honour this saintly
woman as one
of the founders of Montreal
and of the
Church in Canada.
Today
to you and to all teaching
sisters, her dear spiritual
daughters, in this country as well as to all
others involved in the education of youth and
in the promotion of the family, I say simply: look at the zeal, the
realism,
the audacious love of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys. Think of the value she attached to the soul of
every little
girl: be she a colonial or an
Indian, she was like "a drop of the blood of Jesus Christ"!
Consider her devotion and her capability as a teacher, opening schools
where
they were needed, near the
families
and working with them. Appreciate her concern
for giving complete training to youth, emphasizing faith, prayer,
apostolic
sense and the cultural and practical abilities necessary to take on the tasks of an adult woman. Admire
her pastoral
imagination and tenacity
in preparing young
men and young women to establish stable homes, and in forming cultivated, hard
working and radiant Christian wives and mothers. Note the concrete support she
continued
to offer families and married women in associations. You know the
faith, the
firmness and the tenderness that marked all her work.
Today,
the
children and young people, like
those whom I am going to see this
afternoon and this evening, need
educators like
her to help them discover
the meaning of life
and to give of themselves generously. And above
all,
those families in distress have a greater
need than ever of a specific
apostolate in their favour (cf. Familiaris Consortio). Women
who rightly
desire their advancement have a
reason to contemplate this valiant woman
who wanted the women of her time to be worthy of their vocation.
Let
us pray
for all
these intentions to Saint Marguerite
Bourgeoys. And
you, dear
Sisters, continue to draw light and strength from her example. With all
my heart, I bless your congregation.
Conférence des évêques
catholiques du
Canada