Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie

At that time, the Jesuit Relation of 1635 fell before his eyes and the appeal of Father Paul Le Jeune in favor of the missions of New France seemed to him personally addressed: “Alas mon Dieu!

he wrote, if the excesses, if the superfluities, of a few Ladies of France were employed in this most holy work [the founding of a convent of teaching nuns in Quebec], what a great blessing would they bestow upon their families!

From that moment, Madame de La Peltrie conceived the plan of devoting her person and her fortune to the conversion of the Amerindians.

While the doctors thought she was lost and only visited her by ceremony, she made a vow to Saint Joseph, promising him, in return for health, to go to Canada, to build a house there under his patronage and to dedicate herself to the service of little Native American girls.

In Paris, the foundress signed the deed which ensured the foundation of the land of Haranvilliers, near Alençon, a bequest representing an income of approximately 900 livres.

Upon landing at Quebec on August 1 , 1639, Madame de La Peltrie began to exercise her zeal for the conversion of the Amerindians.

In accordance with her last wishes, her heart was given to the Jesuits, as a strange token of the respect and affection she had always had for their company In 1739 some of the infirmary’s silver pieces, which had belonged in large part to Mme de La Peltrie, were given to make a sanctuary lamp.

[1] The Musée des Ursulines de Québec is located in a building just outside the walls of the monastery, on the foundations of the house of the community’s benefactress, Madeleine Chauvigny of Peltrie (1603-1671).