The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) were treated to another concert by Lorraine Prieur, former student and renowned pianist. Under the theme of “Pèlerinage musical”, a chance to discover or rediscover classical and Quebecois authors, she played six pieces of music, from Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin to Pierre-Max Dubois and Alain Lefèvre.

Lorraine Prieur, her daughter, Geneviève Deschamps, soprano, and Luc Saucier, bass and Lorraine’s partner, were among the artists who came to perform their “Musical Pilgrimage” at the MJM.

Luc Saucier, bass

The concert then continued with the participation of her daughter Geneviève Deschamps, soprano, and her husband Luc Saucier, bass and poet. Lorraine Prieur accompanied them on piano as they performed songs by Charles Gounod, Samuel Barber, Andrew L. Webber, Gabriel Fauré, Gian Carlo Menotti, Renaldo Hahn, André Mathieu, Richard Desjardins and Félix Leclerc.

Quebec composer and pianist Anthony Rozankovik was also present at the concert. He had composed a song entitled “Regretter”, which he dedicated to Lorraine Prieur and performed at this high-caliber musical event. 

This magical moment was good for the hearts and souls of all those present at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) on March 24.

Lorraine Prieur, a renowned pianist, is a former student of Sr. Maryse Moisan. She never fails to tenderly greet her when she visits Maison Jésus-Marie.

Photos credit: Sr Suzanne Brault

Twenty Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) in Quebec are celebrating their 60th, 70th, 75th or 80th anniversary of religious life this year, along with two associates who are marking their 25th anniversary of commitment.

The SNJMs of Quebec organize an annual jubilee celebration to recognize and thank the Sisters and associates for their gifts and their ministries.  The festive event is planned for September 13 at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM). Details to follow.   

In the meantime, take a look at the list of jubilarians and take the opportunity to send them a word of gratitude, say hello when you cross their path and, why not, take a moment to meet them and talk about the richness of their lives.

“Gratitude is the music of the soul.” – Marie-Antoinette Grégoire-Coupal

In his message to religious women and men on the World Day of Consecrated Life this year, Pope Francis emphasized:

“Brothers and Sisters, waiting for God is also important for us, for our faith journey. Every day the Lord visits us, speaks to us, reveals himself in unexpected ways and, at the end of life and time, he will come. He himself exhorts us to stay awake, to be vigilant, to persevere in waiting. Indeed, the worst thing that can happen to us is to let “our spirit doze off”, to let the heart fall sleep, to anesthetize the soul, to lock hope away in the dark corners of disappointment and resignation.”

The atmosphere was festive on March 10, when a day of celebration was held to mark the 100th birthday of Sr. Rachel Leclerc. Surrounded by the residents of the 3rd floor of the Saint-Charles pavilion, and the lay staff, Sr. Rachel experienced some joyful moments.

The day began with a special blessing by the chaplain Fr. Serge Bélanger. The Mass began with a brief presentation of Sr. Rachel’s life journey. This journey was marked by her great and generous availability to serve in many capacities. In addition to her 25-year career in the world of education, she held positions as treasurer, accountant, secretary, print shop manager and driver-accompanist…

Sr. Rachel Leclerc with Sr. Beverley Wattling

Even though this last task was very demanding, as she had to respect other people’s schedules, Sr. Rachel was particularly fond of it. Sensitive and generous by nature, she knew how to listen and anticipate needs. It was not uncommon for her to offer to drive a companion to visit her family even before the latter had asked her to do so.

In recent years, her deafness had greatly impeded her ability to communicate with those around her. But it hadn’t made her lose her charming, welcoming smile. You could see the sparkle in her eyes and the teasing smile on her face as we celebrated and read out some of the messages she had received.

In short, those present felt they had experienced “a beautiful gift of life” in every sense of the word.

This woman who so loved Mary and the song “J’irai la voir un jour” (I’ll go and see her one day), while wishing that day would come soon, was granted her wish. On March 18, Sr. Rachel passed away not too long after receiving many expressions of gratitude and love on the occasion of her centenary.

The new centenarian is surrounded by Laurette Conombo, accompanist on the 3rd floor, and sisters Luce Boyer, Gabrielle Brunet and Beverley Wattling.

Photos Credit: Sr. Hélène Harvey

St. Patrick’s Day is always celebrated with joy and gladness by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). On this special day, green is in the spotlight throughout the house, with many Sisters sporting a touch of green in a variety of ways.

A little decorative touch

On March 17, the tradition continued at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM). At the 11 a.m. Mass, the Sisters were united in prayer, thought and spirit with all their Irish-born companions. The festive celebrations began with lunch.

And what better way to inject that proverbial Irish cheerfulness than with a touch of music! The Sisters of Saint-André pavilion gathered in the cafeteria to sing a Blessing to the tune of Edelweiss, from an original text composed by Sr. Suzanne Lavallée for the occasion.

During an Irish-style toast, participants raised their glasses high and wished each other “SLÁINTE MHAITH” (to your health!) in Gaelic. The meal also had an Irish flavour, with a succulent “Irish Stew”, and a dessert as colourful as the party itself.

And dessert!

The festive mood continued as everyone took part in a quiz to test our knowledge of Irish culture, before rounding off the festivities with a traditional sing-along “When Irish Eye are Smiling”.

There were smiles and twinkles in everyone’s eyes, including those of the “Irish girls” for a day!

We recognize Sisters Rita Brière, Phyllis Douillard, a “pure” Irishwoman, and Béatrice Landry, whose mother was also Irish.

Photos credit  Sr. Suzanne Brault

Forced migration is the link that unites the three SNJM collective positions. This is what the three young partners of the SNJM Quebec Justice and Peace Committee revealed during their presentation to the SNJM Sisters, some of whom had been missionaries, and to the Volunteers on March 2 at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM).

Simon Lantz 

In the run-up to their mini-conference, the three students, Simon, Sofia-Elena and Héloïse realized that forced migration was always in the background, whether in connection with climate change, immigration, refugees, aboriginal homelessness and, of course, trafficking. This was the first time that the SNJM Sisters, including those who had been missionaries, along with the Volunteers had joined together to hear the presentation that addressed these issues from this new angle.

Called upon to paint a portrait of each of their research, the three students demonstrated a mastery of their subject. A realistic portrait, can sometimes lead to discouragement on the part of an audience when the devastating findings are examined. In spite of this, the volunteers and the missionary Sisters, most of whom have worked in Haiti and Brazil, including one who had worked in Canada’s Far North, realized the significance of their presence at this meeting.

Call for a Quebec anti-trafficking office

Taking the time to continue learning about and understanding the intricacies of these three major current concerns is a major step towards identifying solutions and taking action. Action by the Comité d’action contre la traite humaine interne et internationale (CATHII) – (action committee against internal and international human trafficking) will begin with the signing of a letter addressed to Lionel Carmant, the Minister of Health and Social Services.

The letter calls on the Quebec government to address the plight of trafficking victims by setting up an office against trafficking. Although human trafficking falls under federal jurisdiction, Quebec can create an infrastructure to help survivors of this form of modern-day slavery, which is rampant in Quebec and around the world.

The SNJMs of Québec and the Volunteers are collecting signatures for this letter, which will be hand-delivered to the Minister or his political attaché in early spring.

Precious moments of exchange

Héloïse Vincent-Ozell

Following the mini-conferences, the three students and the volunteers divided up, one per table, to share a meal with the Sisters of Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM). Another great opportunity to forge links.

Sofia-Elena Ranke-Farro

The following day, Héloïse and Sofia-Elena met with over twenty Sisters from the MJM’s Saint-André pavilion. The former discussed the situation of indigenous people and links with migration. The second shared her experience with Talitha Kum’s “young ambassadors” in Rome. At the invitation of Pope Francis, these young people took part in a week of networking and training against human trafficking, held during the week in which February 8, the feast of Saint Josephine Bakitha, and the 10th anniversary of Talitha Kum were celebrated.

The Sisters were greatly impressed by the knowledge of the three partners and their ability to communicate on such complex subjects. These moments of exchange are invaluable, and demonstrate the relevance of thinking outside the box by involving young people in the work of the SNJM Justice and Peace Committee in Quebec.

Photos credit: Sr. Hélène Harvey

No fewer than 21 students are taking part in the 4th edition of the CATHII program—University at the UN in 2024. After completing a training program begun in January, the participants will travel to New York from March 10 to 14 to take part in activities organized in conjunction with the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68).  

The students come from the Universities of Montreal, McGill and Concordia     and also from ENAP (École nationale d’administration publique), a first for this knowledge transfer program. Eight of these participants are studying at Master’s level, which brings a touch of additional experience, notably through their internships, notes Sr. Lise Gagnon, SNJM, a member of the trio responsible for this program. The trio also includes project manager Kavitha Culasingam and another CATHII member, Élodie Ekobena from the Centre Justice et Foi. (Justice and Faith Centre)

Already aware of justice issues

Sr. Lise’s findings extend to other considerations, such as the diversity of teaching faculties and intercultural backgrounds, not to mention the already well-assumed open-mindedness towards issues of inequality and justice. “Our participants have already taken these notions on board. In fact, I am moved by their receptivity. We don’t have to convince anyone. All the members of the group already have a benevolent view of vulnerable people.”

This sensitivity, combined with everyone’s experience and knowledge, fuels the discussions, from which emerge pertinent questions and reflections that lead everyone to go further, according to Sr. Lise: “It may seem odd, but for me, I see that they already share Gospel values. This leads me to reflect spiritually as I watch them.”

The members of this 4th cohort will be accompanied by Kavitha and Sofia-Elena Ranke-Farro, partners of the SNJM Justice and Peace Committee in Quebec. In addition to visiting UN facilities, they will be able to take part in parallel activities according to their fields of interest, without losing sight of the status of women and human trafficking issues.

Preparing the next generation

The theme of this 68th edition of the CSW underscores the urgency of action: “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing from a gender perspective”.

The students of this 2024 cohort will take part in a final debriefing meeting in mid-April to report on their findings, share their experiences and provide ideas for improving the program and helping to create a new generation of human trafficking experts.

The creation of this program by the Comité d’action contre la traite humaine interne et internationale (CATHII) (Committee against internal and international human trafficking) has always been aimed at raising awareness of this issue among young people. It is a way of preparing a new generation of young people who can pass on their knowledge in their areas of intervention and in their surroundings. The ultimate goal is to counter human trafficking in all its forms and provide better support for victims.