The hour appointed for the burial at last drew near, and the sacred body of this child of peace, became a subject of contention between the Fathers of the seminary, and the Sisters of the Congregation, each declaring that they were the legitimate custodians of her precious remains. The Sisters desired naturally that the interment should take place in their own chapel. While the Fathers of the seminary declared that, living or dead, she belonged to the city of Montreal. and that they could not permit the Ville-Marie of her love to be deprived of such a treasure. However, M. de Olier, Grand Vicar of the diocese, decided the dispute, by ordaining that the body should be interred in the parish church, but that the heart of Margaret Bourgeois should be deposited in the Sisters' sanctuary, that its silent presence might preserve in their hearts the odor of her virtues, and it appears that with the reception of the sacred relic, the Lord bestowed on the community the spirit of their mother, which has never departed from them.
The heart of the Foundress of the Congregation, that heart that had throbbed with a thousand hopes and fears for the glory of God, and the salvation of his redeemed children, lies enshrined in a silver reliquary in the convent chapel, awaiting the resurrection morning, when its life-pulses shall again return to waft it to its appointed place before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom alone it lived, loved, and labored, during life. This sort of divided burial was not infrequent in Montreal. For, in 1693, on the death of Jean Mance, the pious Foundress of the Hotel-Dieu, a similar disposition of her remains took place, her body being interred under the parish church, while her heart was deposited with the religieuses of the hospital where it was consumed in the fire in 1695. Also in 1708, after the decease of Pierre Leber, one of the first benefactors of the general hospital of Montreal, his body was interred in the hospital cemetery, and his heart was taken to the Church of the Congregation Sisters, where his own sister, Jane Leber, the recluse, was still living. In consequence of the decision of M. de Olier, the body of the venerable Sister Bourgeois was buried beneath the parish church, the day following her decease, with such religious ceremonial and solemnity as Ville-Marie had never witnessed until that day.
There was an immense funeral cortege, among the pall-bearers being Chevalier de Callieres, Governor-General of Canada, and Chevalier de Vaudreuil, Governor of Montreal, who, with other persons of rank and distinction thought it a religious duty to assist at the ceremony. All the priests and religieuses of the colony were present in the church of Montreal, and M. de Olier, himself an octogenarian, officiated. The body was interred under the entrance of the chapel of the Infant Jesus, commonly called the Sisters' chapel, the mother in life becoming the mother also in death, as her sepulture was truly a taking possession of the future burial-place of the Congregation, a deed of it being given to them three days after, dated January 17th, 1700. On the coffin-lid was placed the following inscription: "Here lies Venerable Sister Bourgeois, Foundress and first Superior of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame, established in Montreal for the instruction of young girls; who departed this life on the 12th of January, 1700. Requiescat in pace."
The heart of Sister Bourgeois was carefully embalmed, and respectfully enclosed in a leaden box—heart-shaped—having been purposely prepared to receive the sacred relic. It remained publicly exposed in the convent chapel for one month, during which time the people continued to come in crowds to apply objects of devotion to it, and also to obtain small pieces of the linen cloths ensanguined by the blood of the deceased at the time of taking the heart from the body. But these were distributed with much reserve. At the end of the month it was resolved to place the precious deposit in the niche prepared for it, this second ceremony being quite as solemn and imposing as the first. M. de Belmont officiated on the occasion, and during the requiem Mass the heart of the deceased was exposed on a catafalque in the middle aisle of the church, being covered by a soft white veil, the emblem of virginity. At the conclusion of the Holy Sacrifice, the prayers of the dead were solemly chanted, while the celebrant carried the cherished relic in his own hands to its final resting place, which was a kind of niche, cut in stone, and placed it in the middle of the long oriental panel of the choir, where the Sisters usually assembled to perform their religious exercises.
There the heart of one of earth's noblest and purest daughters was deposited, with aspergings and incense, after which the opening was securely closed with a plate of lead, on which were engraven the following words:—
"The heart that is covered by this stone
Renounced the earth to live for God alone,
It had no other treasure than the band
Of Christian virgins, who at the command
Left home and country for a foreign land."
[Footnote: The above is a free translation
of the original French rhyme.]
There the precious relic rested secure until the night of April 11th, 1768, when both the chapel and house of the Sisters were consumed by fire, the devoted daughters of the Foundress finding it impossible to save their mother's heart. But who can judge of their astonishment on the following day, when, having come to search for it among the debris, they found the crisped heart in the hollow of the stone, and saw drops of fresh blood trickling down the wall. It will be remembered that almost seventy years had then elapsed since the inhumation.
The Sisters being amazed at what they had reason to regard as miraculous, sent at once for one of the seminary Fathers. M. Havard, who was confessor to the community, answered the call and bore witness to the fact. He respectfully gathered the sacred ashes, and its wonderfully preserved blood, enclosed both in a silver reliquary, and so it remains to this day, an indisputable evidence of the wonderful providence with which God watches over the children of his election. Several remarkable cures are attributed to the relics of Sister Bourgeois. Among others it is recorded that the porter of the Sulpician seminary was attacked with inflammation of the lungs, so suddenly that his life was despaired of, and death seemed inevitable. He had applied a rosary to the body of the venerable religieuse on the day of the interment, and now laid the rosary on his breast. The application produced instant recovery, and robust health. A lady of Ville-Marie, who for many years had suffered excruciating internal pains, without being able to obtain relief from the most skilful physicians, was perfectly cured on the application of a piece of linen saturated with the blood of Sister Bourgeois' heart, on the day of the embalming. But it will not be necessary to enter more fully into these details here, than to state that numerous and undeniable wonders have been effected by praying at her grave, as well as by the use of her relics. Although these facts have not as yet been rigorously examined, or juridically proved, yet her beautiful life is a monumental miracle, and the Congregation she so wondrously founded is still young, fresh, and strong after two centennials that have seen in their flight, fire, storm, and opposition, yet leave unscathed (as indestructible) the enduring labors of her saintly life. If she has not been solemnly canonized by the Church, whose judgment is respectfully awaited, she has been proclaimed Blessed by the unanimous voice of people of all grades of society, among whom she lived and labored. Therefore, while awaiting the hour in which it shall please God to manifest her glory, let us confine ourselves within the just bounds of religion, and suspending judgment, listen to a few short extracts from the eulogies that were universally paid to her memory by the most distinguished persons, then living in Canada, who were remarkable for high social position, and eminent piety, and were in some cases intimately acquainted with her.
Perhaps no one knew her worth or extraordinary merit better than M. de Laval, who permitted her to found and spread her Institute in the diocese of Montreal, of which he was the first Bishop. At the time of her decease he was leading a humble, holy, private life in the seminary of Quebec, and on hearing of her death, wrote to the Sisters in the following terms: "Sister Bourgeois was indeed a precious fruit, ripe for heaven. She was a model of edification during life, and in death serves for an example. She was very humble, and God conferred great graces upon her, which leads us to hope that she will soon enjoy the beatitude of the saints, and will, by her intercession, procure great graces for her community."