Echoes of Emilie - Les Soeurs de la Providence

Echoes of Emilie
Volume 38 No. 2 - June 2015
In this issue
issue:
Page
- A bit of history
on Place Emilie Gamelin
- Emilie’s life…
a perpetual transformation…
1-2
3
- A New Vice-Postulator
of the Cause of Blessed
Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
- Gratitude to Emilie
4
Redaction:
 Emilie Gamelin Centre
Nancy Prada, Coordinator
 Bureau of the Cause of
Emilie Gamelin
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP
Vice-Postulator
Translation, edition, graphic design
and diffusion:
 Emilie Gamelin Centre
Lorena Otero,
Adm. Assist. & Museum Tour Guide
Proofreading:
 Sr. Linda Jo Reynolds, SP
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT
NO 40046221
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
EMILIE GAMELIN CENTRE
12055 GRENET STREET
MONTREAL (QC) H4J 2J5 CANADA
LEGAL DEPOSIT - 2006
National Library of Quebec
National Library of Canada
ISSN 1203-987X
A bit of history on Place Emilie Gamelin
Recently, we heard through various
Montreal media, that Place Emilie
Gamelin
would
be
completely
transformed into an "urban village". The
newly constructed “urban village” at
Place Emilie Gamelin was inaugurated on
May 7th, 2015 as Les Jardins Gamelin
(Gamelin Gardens).
very long time. It represents a place of
gathering, but mostly a meeting place for
the marginalized of our society. Place
Emilie Gamelin is located at the cradle of
the Congregation of the Sisters of
Providence, where 172 years ago, Emilie
Gamelin, as a religious, began a charitable
work of love and compassion.
A huge sculpture undulates above Place
Emilie Gamelin. This illuminated net,
created by the internationally renowned
American
artist
Janet
Echelman,
illuminates the night from May 7th to
October 4th, 2015. In addition to the
suspended artwork, there are architectural
video projections, restaurant areas and a
large patio. Some areas have also been
reserved for urban agriculture. Many
cultural events are planned to take place
in Gamelin Gardens during the summer.
In 1843, when French sisters told Bishop
Bourget that they could not come to
Montreal, he decided to found a
Canadian, diocesan congregation: The
Daughters of Charity, Servants of the
Poor, called by the people "The Sisters of
Providence". In 1843, Bishop Bourget
entrusted to them the mission "to do
everything that the other congregations
cannot do."
In the heart of Montreal, this park has
been well known by Montrealers for a
The Asile of Providence, which was
located at the current Place Emilie
Gamelin, was built thanks to the
dedication of Bishop Bourget and Emilie
Request your electronic copy
of our bulletin at:
lotero@providenceintl.org
Echoes of Emilie on the Web:
www.providenceintl.org
To submit a comment, a new address or
to place an order at our Boutique
Providence, please contact us at:
Emilie Gamelin Centre
12 055, Grenet Street
Montreal, Qc H4J 2J5 Canada
Phone: (514) 334-9090
ceg@providenceintl.org
« Gamelin Gardens»:
the new look of
Place Emilie Gamelin
The Asile of Providence
Gamelin, who begged to finance its costs. Novices moved
from the Yellow House to the Asile of Providence on May
24, 1843. Described by a newspaper of the time as a
"national monument dedicated to suffering humanity", the
Asile of Providence was the first Mother House of the
Congregation. Mother Gamelin, encouraged by her great
trust in Providence, multiplied the charitable works among
which are the most renowned: care of orphans, mentally
ill, elderly priests, the sick and the education for deaf girls.
At the heart of the city and the needs of the population,
the Asile of Providence represented a gathering point for
In 1995, the City of Montreal
honored the former site of the
Asile
of
Providence
by
renaming it Place Emilie
Gamelin. Since 2000, a statue
bearing the image of the
Blessed
Emilie
Tavernier
Gamelin, sculpted by Raoul
Hunter, embellishes one of the
entrances of the Berri-UQÀM
Metro station.
Times have changed and social
suffering has changed its face.
Emilie's charity still continues
today in those places where a
charitable work takes place. Place Emilie Gamelin, even
transformed, continues to be a refuge for the needy and
marginalized of our society.
Nancy Prada
Coordinator
the poor. Every day, for more than 120 years, its Soup
Kitchen distributed hundreds of hot meals a day; the line
on the sidewalk outside was very long. At the Asile, there
was also the "table of the poor" available daily for those
who stopped by. This charitable work continues to inspire
many other "soup kitchens" today.
MUSEUM
OF THE SISTERS
OF PROVIDENCE
If you wish to know more about the history of Emilie Gamelin
and the charitable work of the Sisters of Providence,
please feel free to call the team of
the Emilie Gamelin Centre
at (514) 334-9090 # 217 or 223
ceg@providenceintl.org
Our activities include guided tours for individuals and groups
at our Museum. We also offer Outside-the-Walls activities,
on request, to groups wishing to explore any topic related
to the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence
and their Foundress, Blessed Emilie Tavernier Gamelin.
The chapel of the Asile of Providence, designed by the
architect John Ostell, also served as the Cathedral for the
city, from 1852 to 1855. In 1911, the Sisters of Providence,
always eager to help, offered a place at the Asile to the
Bruchési Institute, a charitable work providing care for
tuberculosis patients.
In 1963, during the construction of the Montreal subway,
the Asile’s building and land were purchased by the City.
During the demolition, on December 16, 1963, the building
was destroyed by a fire. The land was then used as a
parking lot for thirty years.
Open
Monday to Friday - 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Self-guided or guided tours available
Reservations required for guided tours
or outside opening hours (evenings/weekends)
12055 Grenet Street Montreal, QC H4J 2J5 Canada
Information: (514) 334-9090
ceg@providenceintl.org
Admission fees: Free
Emilie’s life… a perpetual transformation…
Although the word "transformation" was not usual in her time,
Emilie Tavernier Gamelin, the first Blessed of Montreal, let herself
to be transformed by events throughout the various stages of her
life.
Motherless at the age of four, Emilie found herself transplanted in
her paternal aunt's home; she had to adapt to a new living
environment and other ways of living. Successive griefs decimated
her family, but the love towards the poor inculcated by her
mother remained strongly rooted in her heart. As a young girl, she
dreamed of starting her own family... On June 4, 1823, Emilie
Tavernier married Jean-Baptiste Gamelin, known for his charitable
work, "now, they will be two to practice charity." Three children
were born of this union; the first two died three months after
their birth; in turn, her husband died on October 1, 1827, and her
last child passed away on July 28, 1828, before two years of age.
Emilie saw her dream vanish... She
was left alone, except for a mentally
handicapped boy entrusted to her by
her husband, who was indebted to
the boy for saving his life after some
bandits had left him half dead. "Take
care of him in remembrance of our
love." And there she was, at a
difficult turning point in her life. She
grieved and wondered what the Lord
wanted of her. She sought comfort
from her spiritual director, Father
Bréguier (known as St-Pierre), a
Sulpician priest who gave her an image of the Virgin Mary, sitting
alone at the foot of the Cross after the burial of Jesus in the tomb.
He recommended that she pray and meditate.
Prayer and contemplation gradually transformed the young
widow. She decided not to remarry, "Now, her husband, her
children, will be the poor." She directed her steps toward those in
misery and her heart was touched by the suffering she
encountered: the elderly, the lonely, disabled, and sick. She
opened the doors of her home; she used the property left by her
husband to found shelters. She looked for volunteers, ladies of
charity, to better serve those whom she protected. Emilie was
living life differently. The needs increased: the victims of
epidemics, prisoners, the elderly, aged or sick priests. She gave
generously and even worked to ensure stability for her charitable
work by obtaining its civil Incorporation. She continued her
charitable action, convinced that she was where God wanted her
to be.
Yet, another event changed her plans and her life. Bishop Bourget
desired to ensure the permanence of this charitable work in his
diocese by entrusting it to a religious congregation. Emilie
collaborated with the decision of her bishop and remained open
to the future, knowing that "God's ways are not our ways." Not
attracted to religious life, on February 2, 1842, Emilie committed
herself, by a private vow, to "continue to serve the poor, as long as
strength would allow her."
When the project to bring sisters from France failed and Bishop
Bourget decided to found a Canadian religious community, she
remained faithful to her gift. She agreed to train the novices in the
charitable work, which seemed to be running through her fingers,
without even thinking for a moment of joining the new
congregation.
But grace continued its work in her soul... The transformation
continued to take place in her heart. Emilie felt a call to greater
self-giving. She proposed to Bishop Bourget that she become one
of the novices. He hesitated, but she insisted. Finally the bishop
"who recognized in her the foundress he needed" accepted and
even entrusted her with a mandate: he sent her to Emmitsburg, in
the United States, to the Daughters of Charity to visit their works
and obtain a copy of their Constitutions. The day after her return,
on October 8, 1843, she received the habit of the Daughters of
Charity, Servants of the Poor.
The transformation of her routines, ideas, and her way of living,
did not happen without suffering, clashes, or tears at times... but
in her heart she felt PEACE. She professed her vows on March 29,
1844 and was elected Superior the next day. She put herself in the
hands of The One who always called her to do "always more and
always better." Her faith, humility, patience, and tolerance were
strengthened by unfolding events, the needs that arose, and by
the requests that her bishop added to her daily occupations.
Yes, her soul was transformed... and one day, when her bishop
was unsympathetic and demanding, despite the suffering of her
heart, she still saw the hand of God was transforming her. FIAT!
Her serene, humble, offered resignation in response to the
reproachful letter sent by her bishop reassured Bishop Bourget.
Mother Gamelin’s mission of Providence continues daily through
the great devotion of her sisters and the charitable works that
continue to grow... During a time of epidemic, while Emilie
assisted the cholera victims, the divine Master welcomed her into
his Kingdom on September 23, 1851: "I was hungry, I was thirsty...
come, enter into the joy of your Master."
Docile to the transformation that the Lord asked of her, she was
ready to receive the promised reward.
Emilie, in these times where Providence calls us to personal and
community transformation, provide us with a little of the
abandonment and faith that enabled you to accomplish a mission
that lasts beyond time.
Providence of God, we thank you for all !
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP
Vice-Postulator
Cause Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
A New
Vice-Postulator
of the Cause of Blessed
Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
After receiving the nomination
from the General Leadership
Team of the Congregation of
the Sisters of Providence,
Father Éric Sylvestre, PSS,
legitmate Postulator of the
Cause of Blessed Emilie
Tavernier Gamelin (Protocol 1320) appointed Sister Yvette
Demers, SP to the position of Vice-Postulator of the said Cause,
with all duties and privileges pertaining to this mission, in Rome,
on May 2, 2015.
We thank our Provident God for the life and gifts of Sister Yvette!
We assure her of our support and prayer.
General Leadership Team - Sisters of Providence
Gratitude to Emilie
Blessed Emilie, always attentive to those who ask her intercession...
I had a serious illness; I almost died. My
family and I prayed to Mother Gamelin
and our prayers were answered. Thank
you so much!
P.-A. T., Shawinigan, QC
Thanks to Blessed Emilie for
her assistance in the sale or purchase
of a house, property, vehicle,
or for other financial problems:
T.B., Longueuil, QC
J.V., St-Justin, QC
M.C., Edmonton, QC
L.L., Sorel-Tracy, QC
Here is a contribution to thank Blessed
Mother Gamelin for the recovery of our
daughter.
There
were
serious
complications after the birth of her first
child.
L. and S. G., Mont-Laurier, QC
R.D., Joliette, QC
R.R., Charlesbourg, QC
G.B., Clermont, QC
L.T., Boischâtel, QC
L.B., St-Casimir, QC
A.G.G., Trois-Rivières QC
A.B., St-Lambert, QC
L.D., Montréal-Nord, QC
F.L. Rawdon, QC
A.L., Cowansville, QC
C.C., Mascouche, QC
M.S.G., Joliette, QC
C.M., St-Bruno, QC
B.M., Louiseville, QC
Thank you, Emilie, for successful
surgeries, quick recoveries and avoided
Interventions…
Thank you for helping my son pass his Law
exams; we had entrusted him to Blessed
Emilie Gamelin.
Y.P., Louiseville, QC
Our daughter got a job according to her
abilities in a private clinic. Thank you.
M. L., Moncton, N.B.
Some issues arose during the studies of
our daughter. We entrusted her to
Mother Gamelin and everything was
solved to her benefit.
P. G., La Serena, Chile
Thank you to Blessed Emilie, to whom I
prayed. The heart surgery I was to
undergo was not necessary.
L. D., St-Tite, QC
Mother Gamelin heard our prayers and
we thank her for the joyous birth of L. We
are very happy.
M. R., Montreal, QC
I think that the trust we had in the good
Mother Gamelin helped our son who was
not feeling happy... Today I see that his
attitude has improved, as if he had
decided to move forward and to take
charge of his own life. Tthank you!
R. T., Ste-Julie, QC
Various testimonies of comfort and
assistance due to the intercession
of Mother Gamelin that were sent to us:
G.G.I, Laval, QC
G.T., St-Édouard, QC
M.M., Anjou, QC
F.R., Moncton, QC
C.L., Ruisseau-à-Rebours, QC
J.-G.D., Longueuil, QC
M.L., Lanoraie, QC
P.P., Trois-Rivières, QC
L.B.-R., Charlesbourg, QC
L.J., Granby, QC
M.L., Grand-Mère, QC
G.A., St-Sauveur, QC
J.C., Lévis, QC
M.G., Adstock, QC
J.T., Montréal, QC
P.P., Cap-St-Ignace, QC
H.-P.G., Rosemère, QC
Gratitude to Emilie
Please address all favours obtained to:
Bureau of the Cause
of Emilie Gamelin
12 055, Grenet Street
Montreal, QC H4J 2J5 Canada
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP, Vice-Postulator
Phone: (514) 334-9090 (Ext. 208)
ydemers@providenceintl.org
KL.D.T., Polska, Poland
H.B., Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, QC
N.F., Yamachiche, QC
F.D.-B., St-Eustache, QC
M.F.-G., Viña del Mar, Chile
L.L., Verder, ON
B.M., Louiseville, QC
S.H., St-Édouard, QC
B.P., Drummondville, QC
G.T.-V., Trois-Rivières, QC
C.V., Ville St-Laurent, QC
R.L.-G., Laval, QC
C.B., Malaga-Andalucia, Spain
R.G.-G., Trois-Rivières, QC
A.M.-G., Hearst, ON
G.L., Louiseville, QC
Thank you, Emilie, for obtaining a job…
M.E.Q., Santiago, Chile
C.F., Laval, QC
G.R. et A.A., Trois-Rivières, QC
M.L., Grand-Mère, QC
J.C.M., St-Constant, QC
A.L., Montréal, QC
Blessed Emilie Gamelin,
Intercede for those who trust in you!
Sr. Yvette Demers, SP
Vice-Postulator
Cause Emilie Tavernier Gamelin
To Blessed Emilie
we confide
all the intentions
that you carry in your hearts,
both spiritual and temporal;
she will certainly know how to lend
an attentive ear
to all your needs.