Echoes of Emilie

Echoes of Emilie
Volume 37 No. 3 - November 2014
In this issue
issue:
Page
- The International Spirit
of the Sisters of Providence
1-2
- Emilie Gamelin has a place at
the St. Charles Borromeo
Parish in North Hollywood,
California
- Providence Boutique:
2015 Calendars
2
- Tribute to the Vineyard
of Emilie Gamelin
3
- Gratitude to Emilie
4
Redaction:
 Emilie Gamelin Centre
Nancy Prada, Coordinator
 Bureau of the Cause of
Blessed Emilie Gamelin
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP, Secretary
Translation, edition, graphic design
and diffusion:
 Emilie Gamelin Centre
Lorena Otero,
Adm. Assistant / Museum Tour Guide
Proofreading:
 Sr. Linda Jo Reynolds, SP
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT
NO 40046221
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
EMILIE GAMELIN CENTRE
12055 GRENET STREET
MONTREAL (QC) H4J 2J5 CANADA
LEGAL DEPOSIT - 2006
National Library of Quebec
National Library of Canada
ISSN 1203-987X
Request your electronic copy
of our bulletin at:
[email protected]
Echoes of Emilie on the Web:
www.providenceintl.org
To submit a comment, a new address or
to place an order at our Boutique
Providence, please contact us at:
Emilie Gamelin Centre
12 055, Grenet Street
Montreal, Qc H4J 2J5 Canada
Phone: (514) 334-9090
[email protected]
The International Spirit of the Sisters of Providence
Each year the Congregation of the Sisters
of Providence, friends and collaborators
celebrate the month of Blessed Emilie
Gamelin. During this period several
activities are organized honoring and
reminding us of this great woman's virtues
and legacy... her dedication to others.
As part of these celebrations, as well as
part of the training program for lay
employees of Our Lady of Providence
Residence — a residential care facility in
Winooski, Vermont, in the United States —
the Emilie Gamelin Centre was invited to
give a presentation on the history of this
great lady and the mission of the Sisters
of Providence, an international religious
congregation since its foundation. Our
Lady of Providence was originally a
convent of the Sisters of Providence.
Emilie Gamelin was a religious sister for a
very short period, the last eight years of
her life. Almost the entire of Emilie's life
was lived in Montreal where she engaged
in social work and being Providence for
those in need.
The history of the Sisters of Providence
officially began in 1843. This was the year
of the founding of the Institute of
Providence by Bishop Ignace Bourget,
who wanted to ensure the continuity of
the social works established by Mrs.
Gamelin in Montreal during the previous
fifteen years.
From the hands of Bishop Bourget, seven
candidates received the religious habit on
March 25, 1843. Mrs. Gamelin was
present at the clothing ceremony, but as a
lay person and member of the Ladies of
Charity. The new congregation was
supported by this association of lay
women and benefited from the
association's fundraising. Bishop Bourget
asked Emilie Gamelin to train the seven
novices in serving the poor. It was not his
intention to ask or invite her to become
one of the novices.
However, on October 8, 1843, after one
of the seven novices had returned home,
Emilie Gamelin joined the Institute of
Providence as a novice. March 30, 1844,
Emilie Gamelin became the first superior
of this new congregation. Bishop Bourget
identified the spirit of the new
congregation in relation to the virtues of
humility, simplicity and charity. He
entrusted to the sisters their major work:
"to do everything that the other
congregations cannot do."
Much social upheaval was being
experienced in Montreal at this time. The
needs of the poor, sick, immigrants, and
elderly were on the rise. As the needs
increased and spread, so did the newly
formed religious community as its
members responded to those needs.
Within eight years of its founding,
nineteen houses were opened in and
around Montreal; they were called
"Houses of Providence".
In 1851, Mother Gamelin died of cholera. However, her
legacy continues to this day.
Extending the Mission…
160 years of presence in the United States
In May 1854, only three years after Mother Gamelin's death
and eleven years after the foundation of this new
congregation, the Sisters of Providence
accepted to minister in the United
States. Louis de Goësbriand, Bishop of
Burlington, requested the Sisters of
Providence to administer St. Joseph
Orphanage in Burlington, Vermont. The
congregation responded by sending
three sisters. Sister Thérèse-de-Jésus
was at the head of this first mission in
the United States. The sisters’ care
extended beyond the children of the
orphanage; they also cared for the sick
and poor of the area.
The mission was not easy; life was hard. Compassion,
confidence in Providence and hard work highlighted the days
of the sisters as they gave the best of themselves. Together,
the sisters and people of Vermont, found ways to raise funds
and collect what was needed to feed the poor and educate
the children. The sisters
begged door-to-door;
farmers contributed meat,
vegetables and fruit, with
some farmers travelling
three days to donate their
goods. In time, St. Joseph's
education department
came to be considered one
of the best in the State of St. Joseph Orphanage - Burlington
Vermont.
In 1862, a sister from St. Joseph Orphanage went to
Winooski, Vermont to open an English-French, bilingual class
for French Canadian children of both sexes. For six years
sisters travelled between the orphanage in Burlington and
the school in Winooski. The trip was made on horseback or
at times by walking, since there were no cars or buses at the
time. This was a gruelling trip, especially in the winter.
In 1868, the priest in Winooski
ordered the construction of a
convent-school house. A few
months later, four Sisters of
Providence were welcomed
to live and minister there.
The building was named
St. Louis Convent, in honor of
the Bishop of Burlington, Louis
de Goësbriand.
St-Louis Convent - Winooski
1869
The original convent was demolished in 1967; the present
building was completed in 1968 and given the name of Our
Lady of Providence Convent. Over time, changes have
occurred. In 1995, the building was completely renovated
into a residential care facility and was thus opened as Our
Lady of Providence Residence for those who needed
assistance in daily living, be they women or men.
For 160 years, the Sisters of Providence have responded to
the multiple needs of the people of Vermont. More than six
hundred Sisters of Providence have ministered in Vermont
over these years. Internationally, the legacy of Blessed
Emilie Gamelin continues in and through service to people in
need in the United States and around the world.
Nancy Prada
Emilie Continues to be
Recognized
Emilie Gamelin has a place at the St.
Charles Borromeo Parish in North
Hollywood, California.
Monsignor Robert Gallagher, Pastor of
the Parish, decided to add stained glass
windows to the renovation project of the
church, recently completed. His idea
was to incorporate depictions of saints
whose lives had influenced the people
of the area, and he included our
Blessed Emilie Gamelin (standing next
to Mother Cabrini).
Text from a contribution of Sister Lucille Dean,
Sister of Providence
Providence Boutique
2015 Calendars
with the image of
Blessed Emilie Gamelin
$ 1.00 / Each
(Postal fees not included)
Open
Monday to Friday - 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Self-guided or guided tours available
Reservations required for guided tours or outside
our opening hours (evenings/weekends)
12055 Grenet Street Montreal, QC H4J 2J5 Canada
Information: (514) 334-9090
[email protected]
Admission fees: Free
Printed on white glossy paper,
8.5 x 11 Inches (two sided)
Available in English, French and Spanish.
THE TEAM OF THE EMILIE-GAMELIN CENTRE
WISHES YOU A HAPPY END-OF-YEAR 2014,
AND BLESSINGS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR 2015!
Tribute to the Vineyard of Emilie Gamelin…
“She has chosen a field and bought it;
with what her hands have earned, she plants a vineyard.”
Proverbs 31:16
Did you know that the symbol of the vine has long been used to
represent Emilie Tavernier Gamelin?
To highlight the 25th anniversary of the death of Mother
Gamelin, a commemorative plaque was placed at the time on
her Tomb at the Providence Asile that had this biblical text
engraved on it: "She has chosen a field and bought it; with what
her hands have earned, she plants a vineyard." (Prov. 31:16)
This reading inspired the homily given during this celebration by
Father Pierre Poulin on September 23, 1876.
For nearly thirty years, the month of Mother Gamelin, from
September 23 to October 23, has been dedicated to celebrate
our Blessed Emilie and intensify our prayers, so that her Cause
moves to the next step, canonization. Recently, I discovered on
the internet that grape harvest time in the northern hemisphere
is between September 21 and October 21. Is this a coincidence
or Providence? ...
Emilie has chosen a field... she planted a vineyard...
After the death of her husband and three children, Emilie, the
courageous woman, looked for God's message through these
channels, confusing as they were... The many faces of human
misery appeared before her eyes... the elderly, sick, physically
or mentally disabled, prisoners, the deaf, the unemployed, etc.
Before an image of Our Lady of Sorrows, received from her
spiritual director, she discovered her mission: her husband and
children will be all those oppressed by human suffering. This is
an entire field; a vineyard that will require hard work and
dedication.
Then the vine grew in size and spread... For fifteen years, as a
lay woman, enrolling the help of a few charitable ladies who
were relatives or friends, she nurtured the growth of the twigs
of compassion and selflessness. She was known as a veritable
providence, the Angel of Prisoners, Mother of the poor.
The vine, so modest in its beginnings, was already producing
fruits of charity, devotion and even heroism.
Emilie experiences pruning...
Exhausted and in fragile health, Emilie became so sick she
almost died. However, by a special grace, she was healed so
as to continue her activities.
Being a woman full of wisdom, she requested help from the
government. She received the civil incorporation of the work
she had begun and that was growing day by day. She soon
learned that Ignace Bourget, Bishop of Montreal, intended to
entrust this work to a French religious community to ensure its
continuity. Emilie felt the cross that cut into her heart, but she
accepted the plans of Providence specified by the bishop.
Instead, unforeseen circumstances made possible the
foundation of a new Canadian
congregation in which she seemed to
be excluded. Yet providentially, she,
who felt no attraction to religious life,
will become the congregation’s
foundress and first superior. The vine
continued to grow... Houses of
Providence arose everywhere to
alleviate poverty.
Emilie, who became Sister Gamelin,
remained true to her YES, even when Bishop Bourget, in whom
she relied, showed her little understanding. Pruning is essential
to produce better fruit!
Emilie at the time of harvest
God's blessing makes humble beginnings prolific. The work of
the Lord multiplied because this faithful servant always
responded to God’s call; she was always available, always
present through her compassionate love.
A valiant worker in the vineyard, chosen by God, Mother
Gamelin burned with the fire of charity... The Eleventh Hour*
was about to toll... harvest time approached... the press was
full of fruit...
The Lord's call is heard: "I was hungry, I was thirsty ... Come ...
share my Kingdom!" On September 23, 1851 at four o'clock in
the afternoon... Three words, three simple words were
harvested from Mother Gamelin’s dying lips: humility,
simplicity and charity ... but most of all ... CHA ... RI ... TY!
The day after this sudden loss, one could read in the
newspapers:
"Glory to God forever, Author of the perfect gift of love, for
giving such a heroine to our people, such an example to our
century!”
In this month dedicated to Blessed Emilie Gamelin, let us
intensify our fervor in asking for the great grace of her
canonization. Nothing is impossible for God. Everything is
possible for those who pray with confidence and
perseverance.
Sister Yvette Demers, SP
Secretary
Bureau of the Cause of Blessed Emilie Tavernier-Gamelin
* The Eleventh Hour refers to the parable in the Gospels of
"The Workers in the Vineyard" (Mt. 20)
Gratitude to Emilie
Blessed Emilie, always attentive to those who ask her intercession...
I would like to offer my gratitude because my
health has enormously improved. I have
recovered my strength and vitality. Thank you
to Mother Gamelin to whom I prayed. Following
a recent diagnosis, I would love to entrust
myself entirely to Blessed Mother, to be
completely healed from lichen sclerosis.
I choose her as my protector and I am
confident she will intercede for me. I count on
your prayers and those of the sisters.
J.G., Laval, QC
I suffered from a severe headache. I entrusted
myself to Blessed Emilie Gamelin in whom I
have great confidence and I got relief.
R.A., Ste-Luce-sur-Mer, QC
I express my gratitude to Mother Gamelin for
helping me in renting apartments and assisting
me in various situations. C.B., Montreal, QC
Thank you to Mother Gamelin for the job
I found after praying for her intercession. Here
is a small donation as promised.
M.J., Boisbriand, QC
With this offering I would like to express my
gratitude to Blessed Emilie for protecting my
daughter on her trip.
J.D.T., Trois-Rivieres, QC
I thank Blessed Emilie for finding a notary to
examine the property titles that my husband
left me when he died.
G.V., Montcalm, QC
I just received very good news. A few months
ago, I entrusted my grandson to Blessed Emilie
Gamelin, so he would get a raise at the job he
likes so much. Afterwards, he told me that my
prayers had been answered and he had also
received a rewarding promotion. Thank you for
your prayers.
F.B., Pierrefonds, QC
Thank you to Emilie for all she has done for me
and my family, especially all through this year.
T.P. Columbia, Longueuil, QC
I want to thank Mother Gamelin for all the
favors she has granted me over the course of
my long life of 97 years. I entrust all my
children to her.
J.M., Quebec, QC
We prayed a novena to Blessed Emilie
Gamelin so that our daughter could sell her
house and buy another. Our prayers were
answered. Both transactions were completed
to her great satisfaction. A sincere thank you!
N.B., St-Lambert, QC
With this offering, I would like to express my
gratitude to Mother Gamelin who constantly
watches over our disabled son.
C.B.-S., St-Leonard, QC
I lost my hearing aid for several months. After
praying a novena to Mother Gamelin, I found it
by chance in a handbag that I had not used
since last winter. Enclosed is a check to show
my gratitude.
R.P., Montreal, QC
Thank you to Blessed Emilie Gamelin who
protected our children when traveling. They are
back safe and sound and very happy.
M.C., Edmonton, AB
Thank you for the prayers during my illness.
They have been of great help and comfort.
Thank you to Mother Emilie from the bottom of
my heart.
L. and M.G., Montreal, QC
During a terrible ordeal I prayed to Emilie
Gamelin and she gave me courage to get
through it. I continue to pray to her with
confidence.
L.L., Ottawa, ON
During a novena to Mother Gamelin I received
financial assistance just at the right moment.
She is really close to those in need.
J.-M.B., Montreal, QC
As promised, here is a contribution to thank
Mother Gamelin to whom I entrusted my
daughter's pregnancy. Everything went well.
D.L., Mascouche, QC
Here is my contribution to thank our good
Emilie following the success of the surgeries I
had to undergo. I have great confidence in her
and we pray for her canonization.
R.F., Longueuil, QC
My daughter was looking for a home. After
praying a novena to Mother Gamelin, her
prayers were answered; she received above
and beyond what she expected: price, location,
etc. Thank you!
G.S., Montreal, QC
Here is a contribution, a token of gratitude to
Mother Gamelin for the sale of my
condominium.
J.F., Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC
Here is my contribution for the Cause of
Canonization of your foundress. She has
accompanied us during our life. She helped us
in the sale of a boat and truck. Thank you for
keeping us in your prayers.
R. and L., Moncton, N.B.
Emilie, thank you for being present in my life.
I entrust my husband, daughter and family to
you. You know what is best for them.
L.P.-T., Montreal, QC
Thank you to Blessed Emilie who helped my
husband through two surgeries for different
cancers. He is fully recovered from his illness.
N.J.-B., Pabos, QC
Since last year, I’ve desired to sell my mother's
house without success. A friend gave me a
medal of Mother Gamelin which I placed in the
entrance of the house. Four weeks later, the
deal was closed. We also hope Emilie helps us
find a place for our mother where she will
receive the care necessary for her health
condition.
S.B., Armstrong, ON
We would like to share with you that through
the intercession of your foundress, Mother
Emilie Gamelin, our son-in-law B. found a job
beyond his expectations. This job makes him
feel very appreciated and useful to society.
L.G. and B.A., Laval, QC
Gratitude to Emilie
Please address all favours obtained to:
Bureau of the Cause
of Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
12 055, Grenet Street
Montreal, QC H4J 2J5 Canada
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP, Secretary
Phone: (514) 334-9090 (Ext. 208)
[email protected]
My granddaughter was pregnant and had not
received her maternity leave payments for five
weeks. We entrusted her to Mother Gamelin.
This morning she received the first payment
and another will soon follow. Thank you,
Emilie.
A.L., Lachine, QC
Emilie, thank you for the success of the major
surgery I had to undergo. Now, I am entrusting
my daughter and granddaughter to her; they
both suffer from asthma. M.C., Montreal, QC
Blessed Emilie Gamelin,
pray for us !
Sister Yvette Demers, SP
Secretary
Bureau of the Cause
of Blessed Emilie Tavernier-Gamelin
To Blessed Emilie
we confide
all the intentions
that you carry in your hearts,
both spiritual and temporal;
she will certainly know how to lend
an attentive ear
to all your needs.