Date Published:
July 2008

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Sisters of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Sisters of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The "Congregation des Soeurs des Saints Coeurs de Jésus et de Marie" was founded at Paramé, near St. Malo, France, in 1853, by Amélie-Virginie Fristel. Her charity excited the admira­tion of all who came in contact with her. A rich and charitable gentleman of Paramé, seeing the good works done by Amélie, left her by will a large property where she could receive the old and poor. On Christmas, 1846, she took possession of her new home with one companion. The first poor were received on that day. This new institution was named Notre-Dame des Chênes. In 1856 at the request of the bishop, the Sisters took charge of the teaching in country schools in France, and they founded establish­ments in Guernsey, Canada, Belgium and Holland. The Sisters arrived in Canada in 1891. They first established themselves at Church Point, New Bruns­wick. In 1903, they took charge of the auxiliary work at the Seminary of Joliette, Quebec, and a novitiate was opened in Joliette in 1905. That same year, the Congregation opened its first school in Canada. The Congregation counts 22 parochial schools, 9 colleges or seminaries, an institution for the aged, a boarding school, and a juvenile house.

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Volume VI, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 398p., p. 22.