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Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois by Anonymous
page 62 of 163 (38%)
accordingly took possession of the ground on which the church of
Bon-Secours stands today, being about four hundred paces from the city
of Ville-Marie. The extent of the lot was only 40 by 30 feet, which
small enclosure she judged sufficient for her purpose, but she had no
earthly means to carry out her design. However, she set to work
hopefully, and enlisted the sympathies of the colonists. Nor was she
disappointed, as all were disposed to assist; some prepared lumber,
others quarried stone, mechanics worked as their services were required,
laborers waited on the workmen, several contributed money quite
liberally, and in a few days the foundation was ready to receive the
ponderous wooden structure to be laid upon it. Everything seemed to be
progressing favorably, but it was the work of God, and had to encounter
contradiction to make it perfect. The contradiction came, too, from a
quarter the least expected, God having so permitted in order to purify
still more the heart of this holy woman. Until then, there had been no
bishop at Quebec, and M. l'Abbe de Quelus, first superior of the
Seminary of St. Sulpice at Montreal, arrived from France, at the precise
time they were putting up the building. He came as Grand-Vicar of the
Archbishop of Rouen, in whose name all spiritual jurisdiction in Canada
had hitherto been exercised. He had never heard of Sister Bourgeois, and
with three other priests of his society, came for the express purpose of
founding a _seminary_ at Ville-Marie, being the first Sulpicians who
visited New France. M. de Quelus was therefore surprised to find a young
woman, whose humility concealed her talents and her virtues, take the
lead in building a church, for which she had, as we have seen, the
permission of a subordinate ecclesiastic. In his wisdom he ordered the
work to be discontinued, and she submitted to the voice of authority
without murmur or reply, but _reflected_, nevertheless, on the
_consequences_. There was a large quantity of valuable lumber ready for
the carpenters; it was procured at great expense and labor, but must, in
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