Madam,
As I am obliged to absent myself, I have only time to give the year of the present foundation at Quebec. The first house was in the Upper Town, established in 1688 under the direction of the venerable Mother Bourgeois. This house was transferred to the Lower Town in 1692, under Mons. de St. Vallière, and in 1844 the convent of the Lower Town not being any more convenient, the sisters went and fixed themselves in St. Roch's under Monseigneur Signai and the Rev. Curé Mr. Charest. Rev. Mère St. Madeleine was Superioress of the Congregation of Notre Dame.
I am sorry not to be able to give you further details.
Your humble servant,
Sr. St. Alexis de St. Joseph.
SEQUEL TO OLD CONGREGATIONAL CONVENT.
FRIDAY, October 10, 1890.
I have just returned from a very pleasant visit (my first) to Villa Maria, the Maison Mère of the old Convent of the Congregation, forty-seven years ago at the foot of Mountain Hill, Quebec.
Taking the St. Catherine street cars as far as the Post-Office, at the toll-gate you enter an omnibus (at certain hours) which takes you, for the moderate sum of five cents, to the gate leading into the grounds of Villa Maria, the first educational establishment of the Congregation de Nôtre Dame, formerly Moncklands.
The approach on the Côte St. Antoine Road is beautiful, especially at this season, when the trees surrounding the various pretty homes to some of our Montreal gentry are just taking on their autumn tints. At one residence especially I noticed the leaves of every color, from varied green and red, pale pink, and deep crimson. One small house especially attracted my attention, that of Maxime St. Germain—a real old-fashioned humble country stone cottage, with the cross standing, a rendezvous in old time for prayer when churches were few and far between.