En route to Canada   The crossing   Departure for Sainte-Adélaïde de Pabos 
 A Letter Instead of a Trip   Letter From Mother Marie-Fidèle   School opening 
Second  Departure to Canada   Arrival of the Second Group   Stay at Halifax   A trip to Rimouski 
  Letter March 26, 1903     1897, A difficult end of year    October 9, 1897   On the way to England 
  Arrival in Minehead    A decisive meeting   Seeking Answers to Puzzling Questions
 Sr. Marie de Jésus, delegate of Mother Marie Fidèle   From on attempt to the next  New attempts
Endeavors of Mgr. F.-X. Bossé   Unusual offers   Mgr L-N Bégin Accepts the SCSL
The North American Branch Takes Root

 

A TRIP TO RIMOUSKI


The stay of Srs. St. Pascal, Anne de Gonzague et St. Achille at the Sisters of Charity of Halifax is fortunately ensured until spring 1903. This news is comforting.

Is the sky entirely bright for Sr. St. Eugénie? Not really. Clouds are 
building up on the Rimouski side. A visit to Mgr. André-Albert Blais is imperative.

 

SAINTE-ADÉLAÏDE DE PABOS TO MATAPÉDIA (140 miles)

Finally, Sr. St. Eugénie took off for Rimouski on March 2 in order to clarify this situation. After traveling 45 miles by sleigh under a temperature of below 35 degrees, the poor Sister almost died of cold upon crossing the Grand-Pabos River. On Monday evening, overnight rest at Port Daniel; on Tuesday, arrival in Matapedia at 11 p.m. 

HALIFAX TO MATAPÉDIA (217 miles)
Sr. Anne de Gonzague, coming from Halifax to accompany her was waiting. 

MATAPÉDIA TO RIMOUSKI   (96 miles)

They boarded the train at 2 a.m. and arrived in Rimouski at 6 p.m.: quick wash, brief breakfast at the hotel, quick visit to the chapel to pray for the success of this affair, and en route to the bishopric : it was on March 4, anniversary of the death of their Venerable Foundress.   (R-1)



A VISIT TO MGR ANDRÉ-ALBERT BLAIS

Bishop's house in Rimouski where 
Sr. St. Eugénie and Sr. Anne de Gonzague
 met Mgr. André-Albert Blais. 		Archbishop's house in Rimouski at the end 
of its construction in 1903

Renewed request

Introduced in the small parlor, they waited a short time; His Highness appeared soon and from the doorway, he looked at the visitors for a long time. Mr. Duguay, the School Board secretary, who accompanied them, handed out a letter of introduction from Mgr. Bossé, and pleaded as warmly as he could on behalf of the Sisters. He was so intent on keeping them.  

Mgr André-Albert Blais

Final refusal ?

It was useless : the response was that the Bishop could not intervene to annul previous negotiations with the authorities of the Sisters of the Rosary, the school board and the pastor of Pabos. Besides, the diocese was poor and could not afford to support so many religious communities. Also, the Chapter approval was required… but Sr. St. Eugénie insisted : "Well, Monsignor, should your Chapter be favorable to us, could we rely on the kindness of Your Highness?"  "Ah! But , my good lady, I do not have to obey my Chapter…"

Ah! Dear Monsignor, a straight refusal would have been better.

Sr. St. Eugénie asks for a blessing
Having discussed and pleaded long enough, the Sister felt that he was about to dismiss her, so she knelt down and asked for a blessing, which might later on, allow the Sisters of Charity of
St. Louis to enter the Rimouski Diocese*,  which would enable Mgr. Blais to view from heaven, their accomplishments.
*  Sisters of Charity of St. Louis  worked  in the Diocese of Rimouski from 1966-1996
 

The Matane School 1969

 

The Sisters
 of Charity of St. Louis 
worked in the 
Rimouski Diocese from
1966 - 1996.

Return trip
At 3 p.m. the two travelers boarded the train from Matapedia and arrived at 11 p.m.; Sr. Anne de Gonzague left for Halifax at 2 a.m., and Sr. St. Eugénie arrived in New Carlisle at 3 p.m. the following day.  She reached Port-Daniel around 8 p.m., and finally Pabos at 1:30 a.m. 

Sr. St. Eugénie's reflections

All along, she kept thinking about her predicament : they  were here, two young Sisters, without any assistance, and almost homeless, since the Bishop did not want them in his diocese, and three other Sisters were waiting in Halifax at the Sisters of Charity of 
Madam Seton, where they were given room and board. What was then the reason for this abnormal situation? (R-1)


SCSL au Québec