We learn from a letter of Sister Bourgeois, that these same religieuses had been previously burned out in 1695, but that their hospital escaped the fury of the flames at that time. They sought and found a refuge with the Sisters of the Congregation, after the second burning, issuing forth daily to serve the sick, and returning at night to discharge the reciprocal duties of charity, consequent upon two different communities residing in the same house, and unavoidably crowding each other, yet no violation of charity ever occurred, and long before the day of separation came, an enduring friendship founded on Christ had mutually existed between them. This famous chapel of Bon-Secours was burned, and reduced to ashes in 1754, as was also a portion of the city of Montreal.
The war between France and England occurring about that time, the citizens neglected to rebuild Bon-Secours, and the capture of Ville-Marie by the English, which took place on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, 1760, was perhaps justly attributed to public disorders and licentiousness (the colonists in many instances having lost their first fervor), and was also considered a just punishment for not having erected anew the once favored shrine of Mary. Canada having exchanged masters, and being under the dominion of the King of England, who was a Protestant ruler, the inhabitants of Montreal did not think the time favorable to rebuild the church, and it remained a ruin until 1771. They repented of their inaction, however, and reproached themselves with cowardice, attributing to their neglect the extraordinary calamities that befell them. The city was scourged by two other general conflagrations, the first occurring on the 18th of May, 1765, when in the short space of four hours, one hundred houses were consumed. The burning was so violent, that the flames leaped beyond the city limits, reaching out to the General Hospital, which was soon a mass of smoking cinders. The second occurred on the 11th of April, 1768, more than eighty of the best public buildings being destroyed, including the chapel and residence of the Sisters of the Congregation, also the chapel of our Lady of Victories, which was built on their grounds in 1711, the repaired ruins of which serve to this day for school purposes.
Much suffering and misery was the result of these calamities, but what struck terror to the hearts of the entire community, more than any other scourge of God, was the insolent demand made by some British officers, for the land on which Bon-Secours, or rather its ruins, stood. They then thought seriously of repairing their fault, and a general assembly of the citizens of Montreal was called in June, 1771, at which it was unanimously decided that they must labor strenuously to rebuild the chapel. They at once appointed persons to draw the plans and superintend the work, and in less than eight days the foundation was dug, and everything was in readiness. On the 30th of the same month they inaugurated the building of the second temple with the same religious ceremonies that a hundred years before had called down the material benedictions of Mary Immaculate on the first cornerstone, or rather on those who laid it. The entire city turned out in procession, with an enthusiasm and splendor worthy the admiration of succeeding ages, the foundation-stones being put in place by the most distinguished men of Montreal. The first was laid directly under the sanctuary, by Etienne Montgolfier, Vicar-General of the diocese, with the following inscription: "This church is dedicated to the Great and All-powerful God, and the Blessed Mary of Good Help, with the title of her glorious Assumption." The second was laid under the grand entrance door, by Louis Jollivet, beneath which was placed the following scroll: "This church was built nearly a century ago, by the Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois, Foundress of the Congregation Sisters of this city, but having been burnt in 1754, the citizens of Ville-Marie, who have ever been the devoted clients of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on this day, June 30, 1771, place the first stone for its re-establishment, on a much more extensive plan than the original design." The other stones were placed under different parts of the building, by persons of the highest rank, and under each was deposited a leaden plate, on which was engraven the name and rank of the depositor. In the midst of this general enthusiasm, there soon arose the vast and magnificent edifice that we behold to-day. Every one worked for it in some way or other, and believed it was an act of religious reparation to defray the expense. Sister Bourgeois and her daughters had contributed largely the first time, and their descendants would not be outdone in generosity on this occasion. They donated 600 livres to "the rebuilding of the temple." The work was pressed forward with all diligence and zeal, and was completely finished in less than two years. On the 30th of June, 1773, it was solemnly blessed amid the acclamations of the entire people and Mass was celebrated in it ever after.
But to return from this long digression. When Sister Bourgeois arrived at Ville-Marie in 1672, she realized the full responsibility of governing and providing for so many young aspirants to religion, and began to think seriously of giving some regular form to the community. Her second batch of postulants had already obtained in Paris the approbation of M. de Laval, who received their primary engagements, and she ardently desired that her first beloved companions should enjoy the same precious advantage, having labored with her faithfully for twelve years at Ville-Marie. She wrote on the subject to M. Bornieres, arch-deacon of Quebec, who represented M. de Laval in his absence, this prelate being still in France. The reply of the distinguished ecclesiastic, dated November 4, 1674, was:
"MY DEAR SISTER,—I have received the letter in which you ask, 'Is it proper to receive now, formally, in your Congregation, the Sisters who first came with you to Canada, or will it be necessary to await the return of the bishop?' Although I am persuaded of the propriety of what you ask, nevertheless, it will be more prudent to await his return, as he has written to me regarding both you and your Congregation, for which he testifies much esteem. It will be best that he regulate everything himself, as he will certainly make his intentions known to you. I trust that all will be arranged satisfactorily, for the glory of God, the salvation of souls, and your own consolation, and shall offer every assistance in my power for the good work. I salute your esteemed daughters, and recommend myself to their prayers and yours."
M. de Laval returned to Canada the following year. The Sisters were all of the same grade, no distinctions having been made; all wore a uniform dress, similar to that ordinarily worn by pious women of the middle class. The color was black, being the same in every respect as Sister Bourgeois herself wore on her first arrival at Ville-Marie, and which the Sisters continue to wear to this day. We will refer again to her Memoirs. She says:
"In 1670, I found it necessary to undertake another journey to France, and had long felt inspired to make it. As I was suffering much from mental anxiety, I hoped that an interview with M. de Laval would afford me some solace. He was then only Vicar-Apostolic of Canada, but I had great confidence in his wisdom, and hoped he would impart to me the light necessary for governing our community. I was told that I should bring with me to France the King's letters, and endeavor to procure more postulants. For these purposes, I obtained the consent of the Sisters, and was furnished with many letters of recommendation, from the priests of the Quebec and Montreal Seminaries. I also had one from M. Perrot, Governor of Montreal, and successor of M. de Maisonneuve. The Governor, who was a Parisian, recommended me to his family there. I left Montreal accompanied by M. de Fenelon, who gave me a passage in his boat, to Quebec. He was returning to France on business, and wished to sail in the same ship with me. Father Fremi, a Jesuit, also embarked with us. On arriving at Quebec, I found myself very much indisposed, and was obliged to remain in the hospital a few days, as the ship was to depart when the wind became favorable. I requested M. de Fenelon to permit his servant to take charge of my box, which contained the papers above referred to, and of a little package of clothing, that constituted my entire baggage, and to place them safely on board. The captain politely consented, but his servant entirely forgot both myself and my baggage. Recovering from my indisposition in two or three days, I went on board without further precaution, but alas, found that I was minus the precious box, M. de Fenelon delayed a short time to find it, but all in vain. It was not forthcoming. As the vessel was obliged to sail with the wind, I wrote in haste to M. Dupuis, Major of the garrison of Montreal, who was in Quebec at the time, begging him to search for my box, and if he found it, to forward it to France, by any ship he might find convenient. I particularly requested him to send the papers, and to return the rest to our Sisters in Montreal. He fortunately found the box, and I received it in France shortly after. Behold me, then, embarked without clothing, without provisions, without money, without anything for the voyage. Worse still, I was the only female in the ship, but there were two good priests among the passengers, who gave me great consolation. I arranged a sack and a roll of cordage for my bed, on deck, with an improvised enclosure. This was my chamber during my passage; which was not very long, however, as we arrived at La Rochelle in thirty-one days. I had not made a change of underclothing during the voyage, as I had nothing to make it with, except a piece of coarse canvas given me for a mattress. This I converted into a night-dress, but, like all the rest, it was lost. In this unpleasant condition I found myself at La Rochelle, which country was strange to me, and I was one hundred leagues from Paris. It was truly an embarrassing position, and I felt it so. It is true, one of the priests offered me a supply of money, as payment for some work that I and my companions had done for him during our first stay in Quebec, but as I knew I had money in my box when it would arrive, I refused his offer, saying I would be better pleased to receive it in Paris, where I should need it more. It is also true that I had lent 132 livres to a young man in Montreal, who had given a note for it, payable in Paris, and that I had forwarded this note to M. Blondel, who had hitherto transacted our business in France, but he died some time previous to my arrival, and I was left without resource, the note not having been paid, nor could it be found at the time. M. Fenelon was also short of funds, yet he contrived to lend me fifty livres, the greater part of which I used to pay my fare to Paris. With the balance I bought food, and an absolutely necessary change of clothing. The captain and the two priests managed to get me a comfortable seat in the stage, and also a good room at the inn, but I took my meals apart, although they invited me to dine with them."
She at last arrived in the great city, and went directly to the church of Notre Dame, to renew the consecration of herself to God and His holy Mother, then visited the College of Foreign Missions, to receive her Bishop's blessing, and give him an account of her voyage, although she did not reveal her distress to him. The prelate received her with kindness, but as it was late, the visit was necessarily a short one, and she went away, almost dead with hunger and fatigue, to pass the night at the house of a poor woman, in the quarter of St. Sulpice. Next morning very early she went to the church, to perform her usual devotions, and after Mass a priest carried the Blessed Sacrament in procession to a sick person. She followed till they arrived at the door of the Seminary. Here Divine Providence again interposed in her favor, for one of the two priests who stood near the door said to his companion in a loud, distinct voice, "I have just received a letter from Canada, in which I am directed to pay one hundred livres to a person I do not know. Her name is Margaret Bourgeois." "That is my name," she said, turning quickly, "but, if the money is for me, I do not know from whom it comes." The good priest named the person who had written to him, and she instantly recognized the name of a valued friend, one of the priests in the Seminary at Quebec, who, not having funds to pay her before the embarkation, took care that the money should reach her safely in Paris. It was accordingly handed to her, and she went directly to pay the kind captain his fifty livres. Again this favored daughter of God adored His Divine Providence. She now confidently expected to receive her papers, and did receive them a few moments later. On opening the box, she took out her letters of recommendation, and, leaving a few at the Seminary, set out to find the relatives of Messrs. Perrot and de Maisonneuve. She first called at the address given in M. Perrot's letter. As her appearance was not very presentable, after a long, and not over-clean voyage, she met with a very cool reception. However, when her fashionable entertainers read the letter (the contents of which she did, not know), they soon changed contempt into respect, as M. Perrot had requested them to receive her as they would receive himself, assuring them that in Canada she was regarded as a little saint. She was consequently invited to dinner, which she gladly accepted, as she was much in need of it at the moment, but their ceremonious attentions did not agree with her spirit of mortification and humility, and she absolutely refused to remain over-night, although they pressed her quite warmly to do so. She next visited M. de Maisonneuve, arriving at a very late hour, as it was in the suburbs of the city. It is impossible to express the joy that this great servant of God experienced on seeing her again. He actually ran to meet her and cordially offered the hospitality of a little house he had just erected in one corner of his garden, telling her that he had it made to look like an Indian cabin, expecting some one from Canada might call who would be pleased to see anything to remind them of home, and her visit fulfilled his presentiment. She gratefully accepted the kind offer, and lodged there during her stay in Paris. This tried and life-long friend then took charge of her affairs, and rendered her the most important services. A few days after, as they were talking about old times in Ville-Marie, he desired to show her some papers, and laying his hand by chance on a shelf of the library, took down a paper, which proved to be the identical note for 132 livres, that she had believed lost. After the death of M. Blondel, it had been placed for safe-keeping in the hands of M. de Maisonneuve. She received it very gratefully, of course, but not at all avariciously. Here the memoirs of Sister Bourgeois become irregular, in both dates and events, which were perhaps so crowded that she could not devote time to take note of them in the order of occurrence, so we will content ourselves by relating a few incidents of traditional report before again returning to the authentic manuscripts. At the time of her second return to Montreal, with the six new subjects that M. de Laval received in France, she found it necessary to secure the services of an honest, robust man, who would be willing to work for them, when necessary, during their travels. She accordingly made a contract with a man named Louis Frin, whom she also hoped to employ in teaching a boy's school in Montreal, in place of the young man that died after his arrival in Canada. This Louis Frin became afterwards Brother Charon, and eventually was known as Brother Louis. Her next care was to secure passages for her young charge of eleven girls, three of whom were her nieces. Six of this band were intended for the community, the remainder being destined to become the wives of as many colonists. On this occasion they set out from Paris by way of Normandy, taking a boat on the Seine as far as Rouen. Here they were compelled to remain one month, and as they were not rich, their funds were on the point of being exhausted, the expense of maintaining so many persons being very considerable. Madeline Senecal kept the purse, and found it necessary to warn Sister Bourgeois that she had not sufficient money to meet the current week's expenses. "You seem to distrust the Providence of God, my child," replied Sister, in a tone of rebuke, but immediately added in a pleasant manner, "Since it is evident that we must have a dinner of some kind, fear nothing, God will provide it himself." And God did provide it, for that same week, Louis Frin, who had remained in Paris with M. de Maisonneuve arranging some business matters, arrived at Rouen, bringing to each of the girls a draft for 200 livres, and also the means of purchasing a full supply of provisions, until their arrival at Quebec. Behold how God provides for those who trust in Him. Departing from Rouen, they arrived at Havre-de-Grace, one of the seaports of Normandy, and were obliged to wait fifteen days for the arrival of the ship that was to take them forever from home and country. During these unavoidable delays, Sister Bourgeois occupied both herself and them with the most fervent exercises of piety. Among others, they proposed a pilgrimage to the celebrated shrine of "Our Lady of Snows," to procure through her intercession the favor of a successful voyage. This shrine was one of the most famous places of devotion to the Blessed Virgin in France. It was decided to make the pilgrimage on foot, and although they set out early in the morning, they did not arrive at the shrine until quite a late hour. Two priests resided here in a kind of monastery, one of whom had just concluded his morning Mass, the other being confined to his room for six weeks by sickness. When Sister told the first Father the object of their pilgrimage, he immediately repaired to his invalid brother priest, whom he found partially dressed and still fasting. Both returned to the church, and heard the confessions of the devoted young pilgrims. The sick Father, who had not been able to walk for a long time without the aid of a crutch, then said Mass without the least inconvenience. All fervently received Holy Communion from his hands, and he was fully restored to health. Two days after they set sail for Canada, Father Jean Baptiste le Fevre, who was destined for the Montreal Seminary, accompanying them on the voyage. The anchor was weighed, while all on deck with uncovered heads, implored the protection of Mary, Star of the Sea. The heroic young postulants, with Sister Bourgeois, formed a sort of travelling community, of which she was the head, and during the passage performed regular devotional exercises before the statue of Our Lady of Good Help. They were indeed under the protection of God and His holy Mother, for, although England and France were then at war, they carried in the ship no other, artillery than brave hearts and arms. When the voyage was about half made, the captain, who was constantly on the look-out, descried four English ships, which he calculated contained at least twenty-six pieces of cannon. They were making, as it seemed, direct head-way for them, and as he was totally unprepared for such an emergency, he called out to Sister Bourgeois, in accents of unfeigned terror: "We are lost, we are lost; betake yourselves to prayer, at once, you and your companions." But before his entreaty was ended, one-half of her companions had fainted. Strange to say, all on board, including the strongest men, turned to Sister Bourgeois for protection, feeling persuaded that her prayers only could save them from becoming the prey of the dreaded English. But her brave and holy spirit knew no fear. She was looking intently at the white statue of Notre Dame de Bon-Secours, and said, smiling, "If they do take us prisoners they will lead us to England or to Holland, and we shall find God there as well as here, and is not God everywhere?" Her wonderful tranquillity restored immediate confidence, and all knelt quietly in prayer. It being Sunday, Father le Fevre prepared calmly to celebrate Mass, although the English ships approached rapidly, and, wonderful to relate, in less than two hours, the foe had disappeared completely, so that the Holy Sacrifice was followed by the glorious Te Deum. Every one on board believed that this remarkable deliverance was the work of Notre Dame de Bon-Secours. They arrived without further accident at Quebec on the 13th of August, having been at sea just one month and eleven days. She had scarcely set foot on land, when an imprudent person informed her that the community in Montreal were in a state of starvation, and that their house was in a ruinous condition, to which she replied simply—"God's holy will be done—even if it falls to the ground, he can raise it again, when it pleases Him." She found the report unhappily verified, however, on arriving at Montreal, as the Sisters were absolutely destitute, yet she entertained no fears. Her confidence in God being unshaken, she could always look calmly and hopefully at the vicissitudes of this changeful passing life. The poor Sisters were exceedingly pained to have nothing better than bread and lard to offer her for dinner, but she assured them it was very acceptable to a hungry person, and directed Sister Genevieve, the cook, to prepare a good supper for the community. "What shall I prepare it with?" said the simple Sister, "we have nothing in the house." "Never distrust the Providence of God," was the answer,—"go to your kitchen, and you will find food." In fact, that very afternoon several persons came to visit them, bringing abundance of all kinds of provisions, so that the Sisters were lost in astonishment, and silently adored the providence of that God, who never abandons those that trust in Him.