Since the beatification of Mother Marie-Rose in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, May 23 is a day celebrated annually by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). Coincidentally, she was beatified at the same time as Mother Marie Rivier, foundress  of the Congregation of the Presentation of Mary (PM).

Sr. Michelle Gouin, snjm

Due to circumstances last year, a dozen Sisters from this Congregation now live at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM), the SNJMs’ main place of residence. Sisters Michelle Gouin and Jeanne Dagenais, snjm, together with Sisters Lise Gaucher and Liette Gagnon, pm, prepared a celebration marking the simultaneous beatification of the two foundresses on May 23.

Sr. Liette Gagnon, pm

The intercessory prayers during the morning celebration and the afternoon prayer paid tribute to these two daring women who promoted a similar spirituality.

Marie Rivier, with four companions, founded the Congregation, in France, on November 21, 1796. She was canonized on May 15, 2022. The Congrégation de la Présentation de Marie is present in 19 countries, including France, Canada, the United States, and a number of countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Mother Marie-Rose died just six years after founding the SNJM Congregation. At that time, the Congregation had already begun to flourish in several regions of Quebec. In 1859, the SNJMs established their first mission in Oregon, USA. Today, the Congregation which is celebrating its 180^th anniversary of foundation, continues its mission in six countries.

The morning Eucharist was presided over by Fr. Serge Bélanger. The afternoon prayer was presided over by Sr. Michelle Gouin. For the occasion, a décor paying tribute to the two foundresses was set up, which included a scarf representing the PM missions around the world.

Photos credit: Sr. Suzanne Brault, snjm

Under the evocative theme “A Star For You”, the 2024 birthday party took place on May 24 in the chapel at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM).

The event brought together the Sisters and Associates of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) and the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary (PM residents at MJM). This joyous celebration took the form of a summer adventure, whereby, under the light of the stars, participants were invited to reflect, pray a little, sing a lot and experience a few inspiring rituals.

SNJM associates, couple Richard and Brenda Brisebois led us in a sing-a-long at this successful event.

The meeting began with a reflection on the stars by Sr. Lorna Cooney. Interspersed with pauses and elements of animation encouraging interactions among the participants, this reflection led them to think about the moment of their birth, notably by affirming “When you were born, a star was born!” The everyone wished a “Happy Birthday” to everyone else.

The influence of the stars

When explaining the meaning and symbolism of the stars, Sr. Lorna noted “The references and quotations on the meaning, beauty and effect of the stars are innumerable.” She went on to remind us, “When we look at the stars, we feel that we are not just part of a particular piece of land on this little planet Earth, but we are part of the immense solar system and far beyond… Moreover, in recent years we have come to understand that we are made of stellar matter. You could say there is stardust in our veins.”

During the course of her presentation, she referred to universal traditions, customs and practices that demonstrate the influence of the stars in everyone’s life. In addition to the links with astronomy, Sr. Lorna provided some insights into the Biblical approach to the subject.

A beautiful moment

During the ritual, everyone was invited to place their star on the wall. A marvellous way of complementing the décor, while raising awareness of the importance of each individual.

The fun and musical part then followed. Invited to imagine themselves around a campfire in the evening under the stars, they sang several lively melodies, including one by Jean-Pierre Ferland (Fais du feu dans la cheminée). The Cowboys Fringants’ rhythmic song “Les étoiles filantes” (Shooting Stars) was also a highlight as everyone exited the chapel.

The event ended with outdoor refreshments. Many took the opportunity to strike up conversations with others using the facilities here and there on the grounds.

This annual event was organized by a committee made up of Sisters Hélène Harvey, Lorraine Mongeon, Lorna Cooney and Lisette Boulé.

Photos : Madame Julie Tétreault, SNJM affiliate

Since the beginning of 2024, SNJM volunteer Julie Tétreault and her husband Michel Lavallée, a chef by profession, have been involved in a food transformation project. Both retired, they transform the food received by the Pierrefonds food bank from grocery stores and bakeries.

Michel Lavallée with the pesto.

This commitment follows a personal initiative by the couple, who wanted to give themselves a mission. “We were inspired by the Lord’s words, ‘Give them something to eat yourself. As we have no children of our own, it is a project that fulfills our spiritual fruitfulness,” says Julie. The couple’s experience illustrates their beautiful complicity. “We work well together. This commitment brings us great joy, especially when we see how it makes the people around us happy,” she confides.

Food support for  approximately 300 people

From week to week, the challenges are different. They can find themselves cooking Thai chicken and rice, making banana muffins, pesto and even collecting broken pieces of Easter chocolate and then melting it. The result was some 20 liters of chocolate rearranged in molds.

The couple chops vegetables, makes soups, arranges fruits and separates condiments into smaller containers. And that’s not counting the quantity of baguettes they slice every week. At one point they had to deal with 200 baguettes at a time!

From left to right, Marie-Jaelle, Kathleen, Maria and Marthy in the FDOI collective kitchen, working with the couple to transform food every week.

Once a week, the two retirees go to the collective kitchen to take advantage of their extensive facilities. The rest of the time, they prepare food in their own kitchen which they then supply to Montreal’s West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF). They each devote about a dozen hours a week to this paid activity.

The FDOI de Montréal is recognized primarily for its food supply activities. Founded in 1966, the organization weekly supports an average of 250 to 300 people experiencing social and financial difficulties in the Pierrefonds area. It tries to organize complementary activities to promote greater autonomy.

Volunteering at the parish

At the same time, Julie and Michel volunteer at Jésus Lumière-du-Monde Parish. Michel recently cooked a chili meal for 250 people as part of the Pentecost celebration.

Michel preparing a meal at the parish with other volunteers.

And that’s without counting the couple’s contribution to the Alpha participants, another group in the parish. Inspired by the Anglican Church in England, the parish offers this 12-week training session which focuses on deepening one’s Christian faith. Various activities are organized, including conferences, video sessions and a meal every two weeks, prepared by Michel. Julie, with the help of volunteers, takes care of the collecting and washing of the dishes. The alternating week, participants meet for coffee and snacks.

“The fact that Michel is a professional chef inspires confidence in people. They often praise him for the quality of his dishes. It’s very rewarding for him,” adds Julie. Julie is not to be outdone. “All these actions make me feel grateful”. She recalls a theme that has always been meaningful to for her: “In the joy of serving you, Yahweh”.

Photos credit: Julie Tétreault

Top photo caption: SNJM volunteer Julie Tétrault and her husband Michel.

The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) in Quebec have long been concerned with integral ecology. And it’s certainly not because they are older that they don’t concern themselves with these issues or take part in day-to-day actions.

Sr. Monique Gendron pushing her full recycling bin.

Sr. Monique Gendron can testify to this. The residents of Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) contribute one gesture at a time to reduce, reuse, recycle, repair and give back to the earth (5Rs), as evidenced by all these actions.

It goes without saying that paper, cardboard and plastic have long been recycled as evidenced by how quickly the bins fill up. Of course, the use of plastic water bottles has long since been almost eliminated, replaced by reusable containers. We continue to collect all other containers that can be recycled. We’ve even installed an easily accessible bin for soft drink cans.

Concrete gestures

As another example of reuse, the Sisters collect bread bags and redistribute them to people who use them for a variety of purposes, such as picking up after their pets.

Sr. Gisèle Croteau in the sewing room.

When it comes to clothing, nothing goes to waste. Clothes in good condition are given to a Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, while those that are no longer usable are redirected to another organization that uses them to make rags, for example. In other cases, the clothes are handed to talented seamstresses who give them a second life and make many people happy. Sisters Gisèle Croteau and Lise Bernier are responsible for this aspect.

All objects that are no longer useful are collected for a bazaar organized to benefit the works of the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul and a family aid organization.

In a dedicated area, there are bins to collect used batteries and various items, including those that should be slated for landfill. Sr. Monique takes the various items to the right places, such as the ecocenter, to avoid contamination in landfills and thus to further protect the earth.

Raising awareness long before Laudato Si’

Sr. Monique’s concern for the environment goes a long way back. Right from the start of her teaching Grade 2 at Sainte-Marie-des-Anges school in Charlemagne, she was urging her pupils to carefully avoid ending up with “an earth that has become a mountain of garbage”. These words echo those of Pope Francis during Laudato Si’ Week.

Throughout her 33-year teaching career, she has always been concerned about protecting the environment. It is an interest that has led her to adopt ecological behaviors, raise awareness among others, and finally to overseeing this aspect at MJM. This daily operation is a success, because “the Sisters are aware of the impacts and are motivated.” They participate very well.

“Sowing hope”

Sr. Léa Dulude planting tomatoes.

Alongside all these actions, we must not forget the composting operation. From spring to autumn, Sisters who wish to do so, cut up the banana peels and other fruit peels from what they have eaten, before putting them into a compost container. Sister Léa Dulude, who is in charge of the garden and the vegetable garden, puts this natural fertilizer into the ground throughout the summer season and sometimes there are pleasant surprises. It’s not uncommon for her to see the seed of a fruit sprout through her plantings. She then hastens to put this young shoot in a small container that will brighten up a window sill during the cold season.

It is clear that the SNJMs in Quebec have adopted ways that support the Laudato Si’ theme “Sowing Hope”. Better still, they continue to raise awareness and develop new ways of doing things, such as considering a biomethanization project to recycle the paper plates and glasses used during meetings held at MJM.

Photos credit: Sr. Suzanne Brault

The Sisters at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) were delighted to welcome the young students from Externat du Mont-Jésus-Marie (EMJM) on May 10. During this visit, which has become a tradition, some 35 choristers presented their program under the direction of Ms Karine Marois.

Accompanied on the piano by Mr. Julien Girard, the youngsters sang a few songs, including “Crier n’est pas chanter“, “Le murmure du vent” and “Si on chantait“. The sight of these little faces concentrating on the measures and giving their best, brought a smile to many faces, and was a joy to behold.

The second part of the concert was under the musical direction of Carmen Turcotte. The audience appreciated the talent of these young elementary school pianists, who each in turn played their solo pieces. The selected pieces were drawn from the repertoire of composers such as Martha Mier, Eugénie Rocherolle and Mary Leaf, as well as Robert Vandal, Georg Anton Benda and Andrew Hardbridge.

All the young people experienced a magical moment during the recital, feeling the pleasure and encouragement of the audience.

Photos credit : Sr. Suzanne Brault

The “Les joyeux retraités” (The Joyful Retirees) choir was in high spirits when it performed in the chapel of Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) on April 21. The audience as well as the choir members enjoyed themselves.

Ms. Lise Pelletier

A succession of songs inviting everyone to clap their hands and sing along, combined, at times with amusing staging, gave the concert a lively rhythm, chasing away the springtime gloom.

Once again, this choir, renowned for bringing a breath of gaiety and pleasure, has successfully fulfilled its mission. Since its creation in 1990, this choir from the association “Les joyeux retraités de Longueuil” has lived up to its reputation, concert after concert. This musical performance at MJM was under the direction of Ms. Lise Pelletier. The choir was accompanied on piano by Hélène Carrière.

After the show, the audience went back to their duties with a smile on their faces, humming along to some of the tunes sung by the choir.

Photo and video credits: Sr. Suzanne Brault and Ms. Ingrid Lefort

The total solar eclipse of April 8, a rare phenomenon, delighted millions of people across North America. The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) did not miss this historic moment.

“Oh, Lord, it’s beautiful!” exclaimed many as they admired this spectacular phenomenon. Watching the precision ballet of the two celestial bodies unfold minute by minute, culminating in a darkness different from that which we know, amazed many. And what can be said about those who were listening to the ambient sounds of the birds loudly chirping before abruptly stopping and being quiet during the totality?

This magical moment even delayed the broadcast of the rosary at Maison Jésus-Marie before the Sisters returned indoors and gave thanks for this extraordinary natural event.

The last total solar eclipse in Quebec was in 1972, while the next one is scheduled for 2106! Of course, as the scientists remind us, that in the coming years, we’ll be seeing several partial solar eclipses, as well as total and partial lunar eclipses.

To understand the phenomenon and see simulations, visit the Canadian Space Agency website.

Photos credit: Sr. Hélène Harvey