SNJMs Celebrate 180 Years Since the Founding of Their Congregation

October 28, 2023 marks the 180th anniversary of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). An important date that recalls the modest beginnings of this first Congregation of teaching Sisters founded by Canadian women.

On October 28, 1843, Eulalie Durocher and Mélodie Dufresne set off from Beloeil to join Henriette Céré, already a teacher at École de la Fabrique in Longueuil. Since then, more than 7,000 women from some 30 different countries have followed in the footsteps of these pioneers, working and still working on several continents.

At the provincial gathering of Quebec SNJMs on October 6, 2023, Sr. Denise Riel, provincial animator, recalled this significant anniversary. We have a cloud of witnesses above us… consecrated women who have gone before us, who have sown seeds, who have given life to the mission. Women who paved the way with creativity and daring… And they have transformed so many people, young and old, so many milieus, so many generations and societies.

“Our first Sisters paved the way. And for 180 years, we have followed in their footsteps, faithful to our charism and our values, throughout time and the ages, between productivity, detachment, fragility and faith, always attentive to the newness of the Spirit…”

Celebrating and sharing the SNJM legacy

The SNJMs of Quebec will be joining with others to mark this anniversary at key moments during the year, whether through religious ceremonies or special activities. A leaflet to mark the anniversary is available in the Marie-Rose Chapel at the Co-Cathedral during weekend celebrations.

At the same time, parishioners and devotees of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher take advantage of the chapel’s new layout to discover the story of this inspiring woman and of the Congregation. A religious community, moreover, that continues to defend the rights of marginalized people and the principles of integral ecology. In addition to the redesigned signage incorporating QR codes and web links, there are three artifact display counters, also complemented by web-based information.

For everyone’s convenience, the six posters are linked to this website, which you can consult at any time. Each of the three artefact counters covers different aspects. The first deals with the foundress Mother Marie-Rose and the Congregation. The second focuses more specifically on education, while the third illustrates some facets of the SNJM’s ongoing mission.

In conclusion, during the founding ceremony a few days later in 1843, the three young women received their religious names: Marie-Rose (Eulalie), Marie-Agnès (Mélodie) and Marie-Madeleine (Henriette). The event was held in the church that has since become the Co-Cathedral of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue. The links between the SNJMs and the Co-Cathedral go back to the earliest days of the Congregation’s foundation.