Thatwasn’t the first timeMarieGuyart had heard the voice of God speaking to her. Previously—at the age of seven— she had heard him ask her, “Will you be mine?” She had said yes. And ever since that moment, she had wished to be entirely God’s. But her path took many detours. Her parents refused to let her enter the convent, considering her too fun-loving tobecomeanun. Instead, they forcedher to marry a silk weaver. Two years later, her husbanddied. At the ageof nineteen, Marie found herself a penniless widow with a baby boy, Claude. At first, she livedwith her father. Then she livedwith her sister, with whom she worked and raised her son. Yet in her heart, Marie was devoted to God. One day, Marie felt God seize her whole being in his light, showing her all her sins. She was deeply moved and could no longer resist this mysterious call. She confided her wish to her son and her sister and entered the Ursuline convent, taking the name Marie of the Incarnation. During her years in the cloister, one desire grew in her heart: to become a missionary, like the Jesuits who were describing incredible adventures in their letters. Then came that December night’s dream. In a flash, things became clear. She would go to Canada. Yet, there was one obstacle: at the time, there was no such thing as a female missionary! Nuns lived in convents, where they ran schools or hospitals. That was fine with Marie, but she wanted to work among the Native Americans. Amazingly, everything suddenly fell in place for her to leave for Quebec. A rich woman, Madeleine de la Peltrie, wished toplaceherwealth in the service of New France. On meeting her, Marie recognized Madeleine as the woman in her dreams! In 1639, it was decided: Marie would set off with two other Ursulines and three nursing Sisters. Thus they boarded a ship bound for the great American north! Their ship came within a whisker of foundering on an iceberg, but they arrived safe and sound inQuebec, which at the time was no more than a little trading colony of wooden houses. “Welcome! Bienvenue! ” the French colonists exclaimed. TheUrsulinessettledintoalittlehouse near the port. There they welcomed their first boarders, the daughters of French colonists and Native Americans, who trusted the Sisters to give them a good education. As the Sisters soon outgrew their housing, Marie—a remarkably enterprising woman—had a largebuildingmade of stone outside the 67
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzMzNzY=