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Blessed
Marie Rose Durocher
(1811-1849)
Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, at Longueuil, Quebec, in 1843
At
Saint Antoine sur Richelieu
Tenth child of Olivier and Geneviève Durocher, Eulalie Durocher
was born on October 6, 1811 to a much respected family in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu
(Quebec). Eulalie received her initial education at the lap of her mother,
a former student of the Ursuline Sisters in Quebec City, and her grandfather
a former soldier and defender of Fort Carillon. She went on to attend
boarding school with the Notre Dame Sisters in Saint-Denis sur-Richelieu
for two years. She was a lively and joyous child. At the same time,
health problems made it impossible for her to continue her studies,
and her dream of religious life seemed to be sliding out of reach.
As a teenager, Eulalie proudly rode her beautiful horse Caesar to visit friends, the sick, and the less fortunate in her village. She also loved to spend time praying in the church and adoring Jesus in the Eucharist. Eulalie was eighteen when her mother died. This was a very difficult time in her life, but the young woman courageously stepped in to lead the household.
At
Beloeil
Shortly afterward, her brother Théophile, who had been appointed
pastor of Beloeil, invited his father and sister to live with him in
the presbytery of St. Matthew’s parish. Manager and hostess of
the presbytery, Eulalie welcomed visiting priests resting at the presbytery
and worked diligently for the parish and local community for some 12
years (1831-1843). Along with her dear friend, Mélodie Dufresne,
Eulalie visited the destitute, taught catechism to the children, organized
the liturgy, supported families through difficult times, and mobilized
other parish volunteers in concerted action.
With the arrival of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Saint Hilaire, in 1841, Eulalie lent her enthusiastic support to their evangelization efforts and founded the Association of the Children of Mary, the first organization of its kind in Canada. Her outreach and joyous personality attracted many young women do the work.
Her stay in Beloeil marks a very important phase in her life. Very much aware the political situation and the needs of the country, Eulalie deplored the level of religious instruction and the lack of schools, particularly for girls in the countryside. Her desire to enter religious life remained with her, and she dreamed of the day that small convents could be built in the parishes. She agreed to join a religious community that Bishop Ignace Bourget was planning to bring over from France.
At
Longueuil
To her great disappointment, the Sisters from Marseille were unable
to come to Canada. Very aware of her hopes and abilities, Bishop Bourget
asked Eulalie Durocher to found a community herself. On October 28,
1843, Eulalie and Mélodie Dufresne came to live with Henriette
Céré, who was already teaching at the parish school in
Longueuil. Their house, which was provided by Father Moïse Brassard,
pastor of the Longueuil parish, would serve as the cradle for the birth
of the Congregation.
Being initiated into the religious life and starting up an entirely new educational project was not an easy task, particularly as its pioneers were to face with a number of obstacles from outright opposition, to poverty, criticism, and a lack of understanding. However, a profound faith, a deep-seated sense of justice, and an ardent love for young people enabled them to lay a solid basis for the Institute.
Under the name Mother Marie Rose, Eulalie was able to reach out to talented women. Seven were to join in the space of ten months. Mother Marie Rose saw that they were given excellent preparation for their education work, while the Brothers of Christian Schools and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate provided vital assistance. Committed to education, Mother Marie Rose set out to give children a complete education and to see to the development of the gifts each individual child.
During Eulalie’s lifetime, four houses were built: the convents in Longueuil, Beloeil, Saint Lin and Saint Timothée. In an effort to make education available to many more, Mother Marie Rose wanted a school built adjacent to each boarding school where the same program could be offered free of charge thanks to the income from the boarding schools.
Mother Marie-Rose provided leadership to the fledgling congregation until her premature death six years later in 1849. Testimonies gathered at that time attest to the sanctity of her entire life, which was dedicated to God and to those around her. Her incredible interior energy and divine fire largely compensated for her frail health. Difficulties encountered along the way only served to fan her acute sense of the benevolent presence of the Lord.
On
May 23, 1982, on the occasion of her beatification in Rome, the Church
declared Marie Rose Durocher an apostolic woman, a herald of new times.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT:
Centre
~~~
Key moments
of the life of
Marie-Rose
Durocher
~~~
On May 1, 2004, the tomb of Marie-Rose
Durocher was transferred to
a new
location called
Marie-Rose Chapel
~~~
