BIOGRAPHY OF Saint Marguerite d’Youville

       Saint Marguerite d’Youville

Also known as

• Mary Margaret Dufrost de Lajemmarais d’Youville
• Marie-Marguérite d’Youville
• Marie-Marguérite Dufrost de Lajemmerais

Memorial

• 23 December
• 16 October on some calendars

Profile

Eldest of six children born to Christophe Dufrost de Lajemmerais, who diedin her youth, and Renee de Varennes; niece of Laverendrye, who ‘discovered’ the Rocky Mountains. Her father died when Marguerite was seven. Educated for two years by the Ursulines in Quebec, she returned home at age 13 to help her mother raise her younger siblings, and to teachthem what she’d learned. Her mother re-married, her step-father an Irish physician who was considered an outsider by their friends; the family fell out of favour in their own town, and moved to Montreal. There on 12 August 1722 at age 21, Marguerite married François de Youville, and the couple lived with his mother. François proved to be a negligent, adulterous bootlegger. Marguerite was mother of six children, four of whom died in infancy; both surviving sons became priests. Widowed in 1730 at age 28; François left her nothing but debt.

Marguerite opened a small store to support herself and her children, and spent much of her profits helping those even poorer than herself. With the help of Father Louis Normant du Faradon and three like-minded women, she founded the Sisters of Charity of the General Hospital of Montreal (Grey Nuns) on 31 December1737; the congregation received diocesan approval in 1755. She and her sisters took over operation of the failing and decrepit General Hospital in Montreal on 7 October 1747; Marguerite lived in the hospital the rest of her life, served as its director, and through the work of the sisters it became a success and beacon to outcasts. The hospital was nearly closed several times due to financial problems and armed conflict between the English and French for the region; Mother Marguerite and her sisters made clothes which were sold to traders in order to raise money, and her care for sick English soldiers caused them to avoid damage to the building. Today the sisters work throughout Canada, the United States, Africa, and South America.

Born

• 15 October 1701 at Varennes, Quebec, Canada

Died

• 23 December 1771 in the General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada of natural causes

Venerated

• 28 April 1890 by Pope Leo XIII (decree of heroic virtue)

Beatified

• 3 May 1959 by Pope John XXIII

Canonized

• 9 December 1990 by Pope John Paul II

Patronage

• against the death of children
• difficult marriages
• in-law problems
• loss of parents
• people ridiculed for their piety
• victims of adultery
• victims of unfaithfulness
• widows