IMAGE EVALUATfON TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. 4!s 1.0 I.I 1.25 lis 1^ u lii 1= 1.8 U ill 1.6 V] <9;^^ cS c-; e^# ^/. w '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ ^ .n^^ '^v> 'i^ s Original copies in printed paper covers ara filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol T (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Las axemplalres originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimie sont filmAs en commenpant par !e premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par te second plat, selon le cas. Tous ies autres exemplaires originaux sont film^s en commenqant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniAre page qui comporte une telle amprainta. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »- signifie "A SUIVRE", le aymbole V signifie "Fif^". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be fiimed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure ara filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method; Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s it des taux de reduction d^ff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmii A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gfuche h droita. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. irrata to pelure, n i 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 t jjEEiia LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INGA FOUNDRESS OF THE URSUUNE MONASTERY OF Marie Guyart, better known as Marv of the Incarnation, was born on October 28th. I'jQt), at Tours, (France). Her maternal ancestors were of gentle birth, while her father was of more humble parentage. Thus, would it seem, she was in some measure prepared for the arduous duties which filled her life, for, both noble and serf was she to educate side by side in the wilds of Canada. Both parents were moreover noted for their piety in times when piety was the rule, and their child was from infancy surrounded by an atmosphere of virtue which deeply influenced her youthful mind. Venerable Mary of tlie IncarnatioQ. LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION When but a child, the servant of God was visited by the first of these supernatural ^avors which later became so frequent : *' I was only seven years old, she writes, when " in my sleep, methought I saw Heaven open and Our " Lord coming down to me. He, the fairest among the " children of men, (1 u (( drew near and tenderly embracing me ^ said : Wilt thou be Mine ? I answered Yes; and having re- ceived my consent, He reascended to Heaven." The Sa - viour's gra- cious visit increased tenfold the fervor of the little mai - den ; prayer was hence - f o r t h her only plea- sure and in it she found a relish till then unknown, addressing the Divine Master in all her childish wants as the kindest and the dearest of fathers. Her delight was to spend long hours before the altar or in some solitary nook where unobserved she might commune with God. All the amusements which children of her age so eagerly pursued were utterly void of pleasure in her eyes, while reading pious books became a constant source of enjoyment. Pious childhood of Marie Guyart. LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE TNCARNATION \ (f^ Whatever time was not employed in prayer the saintly child occupied in visitinj? the suffering poor, ministering io their #ants and consoling them in their affliction. Such pious inclinations are often the prelude of a vocation to the religious life; indeed, Marie Guyart,had but reached her fourteenth year when she manifested the desire to enter a convent, but God had otherwise ordained for the lime being. Our he )ine was about seventeen when her parents, after the approved fashion, sought out a suitor for their daughter's hand and speedily found one pleasing to them. It was with great distress that the servant of God listened to the disclosure of these plans for her future. However, so completely was she inured to obedience, ever consider- ing her parents' desires as the will of God, that she offered no objection and was shortly after married to Claude Jo- seph Martin, a respected tradesman of her native city. This event took place in 1616 and marks a new^ era in our heroine's life. We know but little of the two following years : however, it appears from the writings of the Vene- rable Mother that careful attention to the duties of her state did not prevent the young woman from leading a thoroughly devout life. Marie Guyart among the poor. I LIFE OF VENERABLE MAUY OF THE INCARNATION ■ #:: Her husband was a master silk-weaver and as such re- quired a large staff of journeymen ; this cir- cumstance became the occasion of an admirable act of virtue. At the meal-hour, having attended to the wants of the household : the servant of God, motioning the rude audience to silence, would seek to benefit their souls by instructing them in the truths of religion and the duties of a christian. Every moment she could spare from the manifold occupations of a wife and a mother was zealously devoted to religious and charitable works. Twn years have elapsed : alas ! Trials are at hand. In 1618 Mr. Martin died leaving his business in a most in- volved condition, thus dooming his widow and infant son to affliction and poverty. The courage of the heroic woman was greater than her misfortune : placing her trust in God she resolved to have no oiher solicitude but to search His kingdom. Vainly she was urged to remarry, for within her soul she heard the voice of grace calling her to a life of grater perfection. God alone was to be the object of her love forever. Marie Guyart teaching the ignorant. LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION A wonderful vision contributed not a little to stren within her this resolve : going one day to a distant part of the city, slie was suddenly ravish- ed in spirit and beheld herself plunged as it were into the Precious Blood. Meanwhile her soul was filled with bitter con- trition for her sins and a firm determination to leave the world as soon as pos- sible. Unable for the time being to enter any reli- gious order, the servant of God proceeded how- ever to wind up her husband's estate, dismissed her attendants and retired to her father's house where ^J^^^ she led the life of a ~^ v recluse. A room in the upper story of her old ^ ^ home was placed at her disposal and ^ there she spent her days in prayer and ^^^^^^"^v penance. The only visits she paid were to the neighboring church and to the poor ; the only friends welcomed to her solitude were the suffering and disabled whom she tenderly nursed and comforted. Marie Guyart in her wiilowhood. it <( 44 (( 6 LIFE OP VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION The pious widow had been only one year in this peace- ful abode when it pleased God to call her back to the world and its cares: " After a twelvemonth of solitude, *' she relates, the *' Almightydrew me *' from it to help one " of ray sisters who, ♦* overburdened with '* work, requested my assistance. Af- ter some hesita- tion I accepted, " with the condition ** that I would be at liberty to perform my usual exercises ot piety. " Our Lord rewarded this aci of self-sacrifice by granting our he- roine a higher gift of prayer and a more iniimate union with himself. Not that her position was in any way favorable to growth In holi- ness ; quite the re- verse. The kitchen w^as her abode and she was expected to fill the most menial offices. During three or four years she dwelt with the servants more as a helpmate than a mistress. In the evening and a few times every day she went back to her father's residence so as to attend to the education of her son whom she brought up in the fear of the Lord. At no period of her life was the servant of God more overwhelmed with consolations from above, favors indeed M n J a ''..-', I of in Fo vis ace abi ay House at Tours iti which M. Guyart lived ten years with her sister. LIFE O^ VENERABLE MAUY OH' THIi INCARN TIOM t of SO exalted a nature that none but persons well versed in spiritual matters can understand their excellence. Foremost among these manifestations of divine love is a vision of the Blessed Trinity. She thus describes it : " The morrow of Whitsunday (1624), I was hearing Mass in the chapel of the Cistercian Fathers when suddenly my eyes closed to all around me and my soul became en- tirely rapt and absorbed in the contemplation of the Most Holy Trinity. What I beheld was not conveyed by the senses but it was more palpable and real than any knowledge proceeding from them. I saw the un- speakable operations of the three Divine Persons : the Intelligence of the Father contemplating Himself and begetting the Son from all eternity ; the mutual love of the Father and Son from which proceeds the Holv- Ghost ; " then continuing her account she explains in accurate terms what in theology is considered as most abstruse on the subject of the Blessed Trinity. How could a young person whose religious instruction was limited to The Most Holy Trinity. 8 LIFE OF VENERABLE MAKY OF TUB [NCARNATION JSa k k^ — ^->^.^^ the word of the catechism acquire this information if not directly en- lightened by the Almighty ? Ten long' years had our heroine borne the self imposed yoke of servitude in her sister's house when she determined to accomplish her long d^-ferred and ever cherished desire of entering a religious order. No sooner had she mari- fested her intention than a storm of opposition arose: her nearest relatives were loudest in their reproaches, accusing her of cruelty to her son, but nothing could induce the servant of God to change her mind. The Ursu- lines had quite lately founded a convent in the city of Tours and from the outset the pious widow had felt an inclination to join t-hem. She applied for admission and was ace pted with joy, for her virtue was already known to the community. A few days later, on January 25th. 1631, bidding adieu to her aged father who wept bitterly at the parting and leaving to God's care her little son who bewildered and with wistful eyes accompanied her to the conventual door, she crossed the threshold : to God she belonged for ever more. Children's resolutions for either good or evil are not \f The Ursulino Monastery of Tours {IQ?\). / L-IFE OP VENERABLE MA.RY OF THE INCARNATION always very steadfast and f our heroine's son was no exception to the rule. He had consented to his mother's becoming a re- ligious, but a few days later he though olherwiic of the matter and in his frantic efforts to see her caused no small distur- bance in the cloister and its immediate vicinity. A number o'i workmen were engaged in com- pleting the monastery buildings: often, the poor v^ boy would follow ihem through the open gates in search of his mother; on several occasions he came upon the nnns in the garden, he once sur- prised the community by rushing into the refectory du- ring dinner. But the crowning ex- ploit of the or- phaned child was to lead a troop ot his little com- rades armed with sticks and stones to attack the mo- nastery. Amid the bhouiing and general uproar that followed , the poor novice could but too clearly distin- guish a well known voice cla- mouring : " Give me back my Mother ! Give me back rav Mother! " " Gi*'e me back my Mother 10 LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION She trembled lest the community should dismiss her to put an end to this annoyance, but her fears were unfound- ed. Shortly after this last feat, the youth was removed to a Jesuit college in the neighbouring province and troubled the religious no more. . The newly admitted novice was most edifying in ner deportment with her sisters of the cloister. Unmindful of her age learning, and experience in spiritual matters, she was simple as a child and took counsel of the youngest of her companions. After two years of unmingled spiritual joy the servant of God made profession on January 2^th. 1633. During the first years of her religious life, the alternate sway of light and darkness, of consolation and dereliction in her interior life, was a source of much perplexity to Mary of the Incarnation : happily she found an able direc- tor in the person of Father de la Haye, a Jesuit, who assured her that in all she experienced he recognized the workings of the Holy Ghost. A few years after her pro- fession, she was named sub-mistress of novices with the obligation of giving a course of instructions in the chris- tian doctrine to all those com- mitted to her charge. " These instructions, says her son, were so replete with unc <>' Mary of the lucaruation teaching the novices. % din LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION 11 1 unction that the wholp community was animated to new fervor on hearing them. " At this time of her life Mary of the Incarnation had a vi- sion which revived the missionary spirit telt in her early youth. " It seemed to me, she relates, that I was in a strange place in com- pany wuh a lady whom I had chanced to meet. I took her by the hand and led her away over a rough and faiiguing road... Steadily advan- cing, we a'l iijst reached an enclosure not un- like the inner court of a monas- tery : on one side rose a marble church of small di- mensions where thf Bles- sed Vir- gin was seated with the child Je- arms. Far sus in her beyond, on every side extended a desolate mountainous region overhung with a heavy mist through which a diminutive church might be taintly discerned. I observed Mary, the protectress of Canada. la LIFE OF ViiNB*lABLE MARY GF THE INCARNATION that the Blessed Virgin seemed to be speaking to her Son glancing meanwhile in my direction. Finally, stooping down, she tenderly embraced me. " I at once awoke wondering what this could mean, but filled with unspeakable consolation. " Shortly after, a vision similar to the one just descri- bed solved the mystery, for she plainly heard these words : *' The country you be- hold is Canada, go thither to build a house in honor of Jesus and Mary. " God in the meantime was pre- paring the way for the realization of His merciful de- signs. Madame de la Peltrie, a pious Norman L?dy, being dangerously ill, vowed to Saint Joseph that should she recover she would build a church in his ho- nor in Canada and devote her life and fortune to the conversion of the Indi^.ns. No sooner was the prou'ise made than she fell off into a peaceful sleep and awoke per- fectly cured. Madame de la Peltrie needed assistance to accomplish her vow but little knew where to seek it. The Jesuits of Paris urged her to secure the services of Mary of the Incarnation: this was done at once but kept secret. Shortly after, the pious Lady announ- ced h"' int*"rt'-oTi of navinor a visit to the convent at Tours. It happened that when "this news was brought all the The Saint Joseph Hermitage (January 22nd. 1630). LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION M commuuity was assembled at an oratory in the Monastery garden called the Saint Joseph Hermitage, and then only were the wondering religious told of the impending event. The appointed visit took place on February iglh. 1639. The noble Lady was received with due ceremonial at the cloister door and then led to the commuuity hall where the religious were introduced to her. One and all evinced the debire to be selected for the perilous mission she was undertaking, but only ^r two could be given. " As for me, after- wards wrote Mary of the Incarnation, I at once recognized in Madame de la Pel- trie the lady of my vision, the cast ot features and manners were exactly alike. Events now followed in quick succession : a companion was found for Mary of the Incarnation in the person of the youth- ful Marie de la Tro- che, known in Ca- nada as Mother Saint Joseph, it was determined that February 22nd. would be the day of depar- ture. Archbishop D'Eschaux who then governed the church of Tours de- sired to see the Missioners, invited them to hear Mass in his chapel and when taking leave of the courageous e' iles, with tearful eyes A Father's blessing. 14 LIFfi OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION blessed both their persons and their under- taking. Not less affecting was the scene at Ihe con- vent when the parting hour had come. A few days later, the foundresses had reached Paris where they were de- tained by various incidents. Their arduous mission oc- cupied public attention a moment and visitors came in numbers to the convent where they dwelt. The Queen, Anne of Austria, invited them to Court and took great interest in their plans for the future. April was drawing to a close, all the preliminaries were settled, and the little colony set off for Dieppe where they were to embark. A companion was here found for the Ursulines in the person of Mother Mary of the Holy Cross, while three Hospital Nuns bound likewise for Quebec took passage in the same ship. They sailed on May 4th. 1639 amid the cheers of an admiring crowd which had gathered to witness their departure. *' As I " entered the launch which conveyed me on board, says " Mary of the Incarnation, it seemed to me that I was ** entering Paradise, so hapjpy did I feel to risk my life " for Him who gave it. W'ithin my heart I sang the I Adieu to France (May 4th. 1630). LIFE OP VENERABLB MaRY OP tHB IKCARNATIOK ^ l '* praises of my God who had led me on with such tender " mercy. " The passage was a long and perilous one : the sea how- ever was not so boisterous as to generally prevent the celebration of Mass, and the fervent religious had the advantage of almost daily communion. The vessel which bore the missionary band resembled a monastery, so regularly were the observances kept and all the usual intervals of prayer and silence. Many were the dangers encountered : hardly had the french shore faded away when a Spanish squadron gave them chafe ; a few weeks after, a huge iceberg came bearipg down upon the vessel w^hich narrowly escaped destruction, lastly, when neariog the american coast they were almost shipwrecked. Amid all these perils,Mary of the Incarnation did not experience the least anxiety, so great was her faith in the promises made her. On the first of August, the lofty cliffs of Cape Diamond were in view with the straggling row of warehouses which lined its base and constituted the french settlement of Quebec. The Governor of the colony. Chevalier de iviOntniagay, gave tiic iicW"COiiicrs tuc west reception in nis Quebec ia 1G39. x6 LIPB OF Vfil4ERABLfi MARY OF TITE INCARNATION power. From early davsm, the whole po- pulation thronged the beach and when the boat containing the weary pilgrims touch- ed the strand, the first to welcome their arrival was De Montmagny in person escorted by the offi- cers of his command. The cannon thundered from Fort St. Louis and salute followed salute as the religious came ashore and prostrate kissed the soil of their adopted country. They were led in triumph to the only church then existing where Mass was heard, and were entertained at Castle St. Louis until evening when th^y proceeded to the dwelling assigned them for the time being. The daughters of Saint Ursula longed to see the Indian children for whom they had left their native land : great was their delight when the day after their arrival the Superior of the Jesuits conducted them to Sillery, an Indian hamlet near Quebec. The religious were overjoyed at the sight of these poor savages ; they went through the village, entering every wigwam, caressing the children and taking the greatest interest in the Indians who gazed upon their visitors with childlike admiration. The miserable cabins inhabited by the natives had ex- cited the pity of the missionaries but their own dwelling was not much better. The building was small and con- < / The Ursulines at Sillery (1639). LIFE OF VENEUABLB MARL OH THE INC A1NATION 17 ~V' tained but two rooms : one of them, an apar- tment 16 feet square, was used as communiiy-hall, choir, parlor and refectory ; the other, no lar- ger than the first, became the class-room for both the French and Indian children. The chapel, vestry and kitchen were loca- ted in a w^ing hastily built of rough tim- ber. Such was the sumptuous abode w^here during three years the Ursulines cheer- Mary of the Incarnation studying the Indian language. 1 8 LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION fully endured privations and hardships of every kind. Immediately after their arrival the religious commenced the study of the In- dian dialects ; Mary of the Incarnation applied herself to this wearisome task with such energy that in two months she was able to teach the na- tives catecliism in their own tongue. Happiness reigned within the little cloi- ster under the govern- nt of the servant cely leaving of God: however, her patience and that of her sisters was soon put to a very severe test. Hardly had the mer- chant-vessels sailed for France when the small-pox broke out among the Indians. It soon invaded the convent : one by one the children were attacked and in a few days the monastery became a hospital. So nu- merous were the little sufferers that their pallets had to be laid on the floor, scar- room to move among them. This conti- Mary of the Incarnation tending the sick. HFB OF VRNERA.BLB MARY OF THE INCARNATION I9 ^ nued till mid-winter; still, strange to say, these heroines of charity escaped the contagion, greatly exposed as ihey were in breathing the deadly air of the sick-room and attending the dying patients. In July 1640 the little community rejoiced in the 'arrival of two sisters from the Paris monastery : welcome were the recruits, but their coming rendered it imperative to provide a more spacious convent. The corner stone was laid in the spring of 1641, on the very site occupied by the present monastery and the work progressed favorably although the Venerable Mother was beset with innume- rable contradictions. Interior trials, most crucifying to natur' , were not among the least of her troubles: God and man seemed to forsake her alike. Her chosen compa- nion. Mother Saint Joseph, cruelly grieved her ; the Su- periors at Tours found fault with her doings ; no comfort was to be had from her director; and to crown all, Ma- dame de la Peltrie, the constant benefactress of the con- vent, intimated her design of leaving for Montreal. Amidst these trials Mary of the Incarnation did not lose courage : the customary number of Indian children was maintained, the poor were assisted as usual and the buil- ding of the monastery suffered no delay. God rewarded his servant's faith : one by one the ditficulues vanished, peace returned to her soul, abundant succor was received from France and Madame de la Peltrie, after an absence of The first Monastery (1642). 30 LIFE OF VBNEKAHLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION eighteen months, came back to share the . - bors of the Ursulines, with whom she spent the remainder of her life. The new monastery- was inaugurated amidst all these consolations on No- vember aist. 1642. The buil- ding was of stone and measured ninety-two feet in length, but it was far from being completed ; the chief partitions only had been put up and the flooring except in one story consisted but of loose plankslaidacrossthebeams. However, such as it was, the new house seemed a palace compared to the wretched dwelling on the beach. After governing the monastery for six years, the servant of God was trans- ferred from the office of Superior to that of Treasurer which comprised r . ' eral other functions. The bakery for instance was under her care, but to complicate matters, she first had to f •. ' ♦'.ic wheat and sift the flour, work that not infrequently caused her hands to blister and bleed. It was about this time the religious first perceived that bread multiplied in the hands of the Venerable Mother, It often happened that having but two or three loaves to distribute among fifty or sixty savages, she gave to all a goodly portion and dismissed them praising God. I his wonderful increase she never failed to attribute to the childlike faith of these children of the forest. _ ^ ^ Ever mindful of her own spiritual good, Mary 01 xne ^«^>/\/v>^^« " Deal thy bread to the hungry. " (Is. 58, 7.) LIFE OF VENERABLE MA.RY OP THE INCARNATION Incarnation had long cherished the desire of promising by vow that she would seek in everything the greatest glory of God. Her director at once allowed the request of his holy penitent knowing, as he did, her forti- tude and love of God : this ; -O- raise was a distant preparation for future trials. In the meantime, free from the responsibilily which the office ot Superior entails and despite her other occupation?, the Venerable Mother took de- light in teaching the Indian child- ren who were preparing for baptism. The tradition of the Monastery points out a s hallowed above all others wt the servant of God was won resort ; here of old, a stately afforded its shade while Mary of the Incarnation seated beneath the protect- ing boughs taught Christ and His doc- trine to an attentive group of Indian girls. On December 29th. 1-650, by the imprudence of a lay- sister, fire broke out in the basement of the Monastery and in the night the religious were a\> by the crackling flames and timbers. By miracle only, boi and pupils escaped from a death so rapid was the spreac devouring element. But they had only fled fr danger to fall into anothei most intense and though s Mary of the Incarnation under the old ash-tree. 91 LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION .^ m MMig; f l!1 P » B ■:::.4sLiA&-3 had to stand shivering in the snow ; no accident however followed from this exposure. Mary of the Incarnaiion was the last to emerge from the burning edifice after securing at the risk of her lite papers of importance to the commu- nity. Everything had been destroved- furniture, clothing, provisions, yearly sup- nlies required for the subsistence of the community, tte very walls were clcined and useless. In this calamity the Venerable Mother remained quite self- POssS and perfectly calm : - I experienced, she ^'afterwards wrote, neither sadness nor anxiety but - submissively and lovingly adored the hand that chas- u Sed u '' No thought' of discouragement entered her mind Rebuilding and that immediately was her Prompt determination^ A few days after the fire ^t was decided to erect a new monastery on a larger plan than the first and at once the valiant sisters set to work on the vet smoking ruins preparing the way for the jour- neymen and the^masons. Mary of the Incarnation, though not in office at the time of the fire, had to bear the burden of rebuilding for in June 1651 she was reelected for another term of three years. crjircelv The work was carried on so rapidly ^ba in scarcely more than a year the community was sheltered in the Burning of the first Monastery. LIFE OF 7ENERAM.E MAEY OF THE .NCAENATION «} ■> ,' '■' ■ '^^''-^^ '. Jiif IIP f convent which had risen from its ashes more spiciousthan before. The Venerable Mother ad- " mits in a letter to her ' _,, son that this restoration was nothing short of a miracle. After rebuilding the Monastery, she was free once more to devote herse f ^^^iff^^^ ^^.j^J^ Viih struction of the Indians She^^^P; ^;, Ji^, - " equal fluency four °| ^^ ^^'^Uh Huron /liilprts and was la'Hitiar dius.v^ o..:i4:..., «h« sfiftiind Monastery. from the 24 LIFC OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION year 1652 to the year 16^4 was one of peace and consolation. It is in a letter to her son about this time that she ac- quaints him with a de- votion practised by her for thirty years and which God himself had taught her, we allude l; to the devotion to ihe Sacred Herrt of Jesus. In 16^1, when the ser- vant of God was sub- mistress in the monas- tery at Tours, one night as she was praying for the extension of the kingdom of God, an interior light showed her that her prayers were unheeded. More earnest became her preading and she was rewarded by hearing these words : " Ask by " the Heart of Jesus *' my beloved Son, by " Him will I hear Thee ** and grant ihy re- " quest. " *' From that *' moment, says th( " Venerable Mother, " I was preserved in •' union with the di- " vine and most ado- " rable Heart of Je- *' sus, so that I neither " spoke nor breathed " but by it." In i66r, she added the details which follow : " You ** desire to know what practices of piety *' I generally perform. The Sacred Heart of Jesus. bIKE OF VENERABLE MAUY OF THE TNCARNATION 25 '' I shall tell you in all sim- '* plicity of one which God himself inspired me. It is in honor of the most adorable Heart of Jesus. For thirty years I have continued this devotion, concluding my daily prayers by it and never have I lefr it aside unless compelled by illness or total inability. Thus do I pray addressing God the Father By the Heart of Jesus, my vs^ay, my life and my truth i come to Thee, O Eternal Father, ^y the Divine Heart I .• adore Thee for all who adore Thee not ; I love Thee " for all who love Thee not, I acknowledge for all those who in their wilful blindness refuse to acknowledge Th^e Bvthe Divine Heart I rtnder Thee the homage •• which all creatures owe Thee. In spirit I go to the ends '* of the earth to seek for the souls redeemed by the *' Precious Blood of Jesus. I embrace thena all to present them all to Thee by It, and by It do I implore their conversion. Eternal Father, sutler them not to ignore my Jesus, suffer them to live but for Him who died for all. Thou seest, O heavenly Father, that they live not as yet; O give them the life of grace by this Divine •• Heart! And Thou, O Word I"f ''"^^^ • if ''p.TlTpr b^ - loved. Thou knowest all I would ask of Thy Father by «' Thy Divine Heart. What I ask of Thee I ask of Him for " Thou art in Thy Father and Thy Father is in Thee. 1 Old Chanel of the UrsuUne Monostpry vhere Mary of the Incarnation prayed to the Sacred Heart as early as 1G42. (( (( (C (( (( LIFE OF VENERABLE MATIY OF THE INCARNATION *' present Thee all these souls, make them one with Th'^e '' forever. " — " Is it not a thing most w^orthy of remark, " says a historian of Mary of the Incarnation, that this *' saintly religious practised during the latter half of her '' life such a tender devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. " How God must have loved His servant to have thus " revealed to her a devotion which was made known to " His church but fifty years later 1 " Was not this adoration of the Sacred Heart the secret of her strength, the source of her serenity and calmness in the midst of danger ? Whether it be the hostile Iroquois encamped in sight of ^e convent walls, threatening the little colony with destruction as in 1660, or the earth it- self convulsed and trembling under her feet, she manifests the same intrepidity. " While universal terror prevailed, " writes her son alluding to these events, while the con- " sternation of all could only be likened to the fear which " men will experience at the end of the world, Mary of " the Incarnation undismayed retained her usual equani- ** mity. " The apostolic labors of the Venerable Mother are drawing to a close. Not many years are now left her and they are to be filled with suffering : thus God will give the finishing stroke to her sanctification. " In 1664, she writes, it '* pleased our Lord to send me a very severe illness for •*-f a u u (( il li a n (< The Monastery besieged (iG60). LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION / ;':-'v.vv:.vi_ - f^f^^ '' which He prepared .£j " dinary way. la my " me that I beheld " ed to the Cross '' wounds. His distress <* feel inwardly that '' soul to comfort His " but in all my subse K remained in my '' impression of our *' the Crucifixion " to my sight. " She her sufferings: " they ,-_>.o- me in a most extraor- slumber it seemed to our dear Saviour nail- and covered with ing plaints made me He needed a loving agony. I saw no more quent illness there mind such a vivid Lord's sufferings that seemed ever present added alluding to ner suuenug.. .u.y are dear to me beyond ** expression and my only fear is that my weakness '* will oblige the Almighty to diminish them. I deligtit «' in this cross and I prefer it to any possible pleasure, and elsewhere : " God in His goodness has sent me^^is '' illness as a token of love, with all my heart do i " thank Him. " ^ ,. ., .. ,^ Although hardly convalescent she was for a fourth time elected Superior and through respect for. the wishes of her sisters she accepted the office. The Venerable Mother fulfilled all the duties of her position as if in the best oi health • ever present at the observances, she tasted an entire Lent although her weakness was so extreme that it prevented her from kneeling more than [^n minutes at a time. During the three following years the health ot the aged mother somewhat improved and she took advantage of the respite granted to complete several unfimshed works The Grucilixion. 2S LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATtON (( <( in the Indian tongue. However, her yearning to be with God every day grew stronger : *' I rejoice, she wrote in *' 1669 to a religious at Tours, I rejoice in the thought '* that the world and the things thereof will vanish from " our eyes and that communion with the Blessed alone " will become our happy lot. '' The last letter written to her son describes a state familiar to extatic souls : are we not listening to Saint Teresa when we hear Mary of the Incarnation say? *' Whatever subject of meditation I take, " I at once forget it. In a moment I am carried off into '* my usual train of thought and my soul contemplates " God in whom it lives. With Him I commune as He " Himself inspires me; I contemplate Him and in so doing my soul cannot be silent. 1 speak to Him as to my Spouse and I am powerless to use other language 3ut what He " lends me. My love is never mute and my heart beats but for charity alone. The aspirations which give me life come from my Heavenly Spouse and so consume " me with love that if God did not measure His grace to '* the weakness of human nature; I would be overcome '' and this life should cause my death. " Mary of the In- carnation was evidently laboring under the same difficulty as Saint Paul after his vision of Heaven, she could not express what she plainly understood and with touching simplicity she adds: " I am trying to say what words ara " powerless to explain, and how far I am successful 1 " know not. " This letter, the last written to her son, gives an exalted idea of the perfection the Venerable Mother had attained. On January 13th. 1670 a sudden weakness accompanied by most intense fever laid her prostrate and henceforth the servant of God was the victim of untold suffering. Not a sigh escaped her lips: joyful to see herself crucified with the Divine Master, she frequently exclaimed : " With " Christ I am nailed to the Cross ! Five days later the physicians gave up all hope and the last sacraments were administered. Meanwhile the com- munity in the greatest grief besought Heaven to prolong the existence of one so dear. Her spiritual advisor. Father Lallemant bade her ask the restoration ot her health. With perfect resignation she complied, saying : " O my '« Lord and my God ! If Thou knowest I can still be useful " to this little community, I refuse neither pain nor " labor. " No sooner had she said these words than a -Uono-p f/%rwir r.1-3^0 anH <;hnrtlv nftfip she was declared out LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION 20 again received of piety that of danger. She apparently grew stronger during Lent, but on Good Friday the Venerable Mother had to inform her Supe- rior that she was suffering acutely from abscesses in the side. The surgeon who was called to give her relief had some hopes of her recovery but a few days after declared that owing to ex- treme weakness the patient could not survive. . ,.^ ,. At this news a sudden joy lit up the invalid's features and from that moment till her death she seemed to be in conti- nual extasy. On Friday April 27th. she the Rites of the Church with sentiments drew tears from the eyes of her sisters. With Christ . am nailed to the Cross. " 30 LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION Feeling that her end was now ve ry near, on A- pril 30th. she sent for the Indian chil- dren and blessing them from her heart spoke to them of the beauty of our holy re- ligion and of the happiness of serving God. Towards evening as the weeping sisters were all kneeling by her side, she opened her eyes and looked at tl a final pan calml)'- res soul to Goc moment, j heavenly lig nated her c( and the r mingled grie miration coi notice the transform All who witnessed holy dea Mary of the Incarnation blessing; the liluiau chiidfCu LIFE OF VENERABLE MARY OF THE INCARNATION 3* circumstance and to preserve it from oblivion, ever since on this anniversary, the inmates of the Monastery- chant a " Te Deum " of thanksgiving. At the news of Mary of the Incarnation's death the whole population showed the greatest sorrow, manifesting in the same time the deepest veneration for the *' Saintly Mother " as they called her. Everything that had belonged to her, [whether garments, books or medalsj, was claimed as a relic. One of her earliest biographers, Father Char- levoix, says that at the moment of her dci^th she was canonized by the public voice the world over. Years have only increased the renown of sanctity which Mary of the Incarnation enjoyed all her life and her name in our own times is everywhere invoked. The prayers of the Venerable Mother have proved efficacious, for one of her latest his- torians was able in 187^ to publish a list of over sixty im- portant favors attributed to her intercession, and the number has greatly increased since. As early as 171^1 the question of the canonization of the servant of God was discussed, but political changes and the difficulty of corresponding with the Roman Court de- barred the proceedings. A hundred years went by and still nothing had been done for the glorification of Mary of the Incarnation. At last, in 1867, the first steps towards securing her Beatification were taken and the preliminary il Death of Mary of the Incarnation. ^3 LIFE OF VEMRRA^LE MARY OF TirR INCAKNATION process was admitted by Rome. Since, at intervals regu- lated by the progress of the Cause, the Congregation of Rites has published several decrees which have filled the children and clients of the Venerable Mother with joy. May Heaven grant a speedy realization to the hopes awakened by such an auspicious beginning! It will be a happy day for Canada and all the Ursuline Order when the infallible voice of the Church will authorize the faith- ful to invoke publicly as a saint the one who still living was styled by Bossue't, ** The Teresa of New-France. " Imprimatur : Quebec!, die 18 Julii 1893. f E. A. Cahd. Tasciiereau, Arch. Quebeoen. The Ursulini! Moniistei-y of Quel)ec (lS9:i) ABBEVILLE ( Somme ) C. PAILLART, pRiNTE R AND PUBLISHER fs\