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

From 1901 on, the French government required that "Congregationists" submit an authorization request for each of their establishments, together with complete information,
such as : origin and purpose, property value, staff and resources. 

In June of that year, Mother Marie Fidèle sent requests for many of the houses : Beiz, Cléguer, Trinité-sur-Mer, Etel, St. Gildas de Rhuys, Crédin, Rohan, Lorient section Merville, Plévin, le Chatellier near Pléchâtel, etc. Then page after page, we read in the registers : 

In France, houses are closed. In Canada, the apprehension of a refusal from 
Mgr. André-Albert Blais  persists.  Something must be done : Mother Marie Fidèle delegates Sr. Marie de Jésus, mistress of novices to resolve the situation.

However, the cross marked the first months following our Sisters’ arrival in Norht America… That is why Mother Marie Fidèle deemed it wise to come to the rescue of  her Sisters in distress : she decided to send to Canada the mistress of Novices, Sister Marie de Jesus. 

She boarded the Kensington, in Liverpool on June 3, 1903. She disembarked in Quebec on June 12, following a relatively smooth sailing, evidenced by the gestures of friendship that were bestowed upon her. Meanwhile, Sr. Anne de Gonzague was asked to go to Pabos, where she would teach to replace Sr. St. Eugénie who had to travel to Quebec. (RCG)

In the morning of June 12, passengers disembarking from the Kensington, were bidding farewell to their friends and acquaintances; suddenly a sailor said to Sister Marie de Jesus: "A sister dressed like you is waiting for you down there." One minute! And both religious were embracing; they had never surmised on October 23, 1902 that they would see each other again. They were now together to work on this American soil. It was a great joy! (R-2).

"Where do we go from here? "asked Sister Marie de Jesus.  "To the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary", was the response. It was done so. Once we were at the Grande Allée, we had to talk about France; one never loves it so much as when one is far away! We also had to share the news, but the traveler could not forget her mission. Both religious surveyed the situation, drafted an agenda, and… started their search. They paid a visit to Sister Candide de Jesus and decided to leave the following day for St. Anne de Beaupré. (R-2)

* Sr. Marie de Jésus was warmly welcomed by the Sisters Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Grande Allée, Quebec, a friendly gesture that these same religious would extend to all the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis landing on Canadian soil. (45 Years of Devoted Service on American Soil, p. 25)

** Brief narrative of this visit…next page…

For Bretons, to pay homage to the 'good' St. Anne was fitting at the start of their "campaign." But another motive attracted us there: we had been advised to meet the Bishop of Pembroke* who was on a pilgrimage at that time; perhaps he might welcome us to his diocese? The kind bishop was receptive, but in his recently founded diocese**, he did not see where he could place us. He wanted to offer us a decent location; we were not demanding and would have readily accepted the least position. God's Providence awaited us somewhere else; we did not know it.  (R-2
*   Mgr. Narcisse Zephirin Lorrain, D.D.
** Diocese found on May 4, 1898