Joseph Edmond Roy

“ Jeanne Mance, Sister Bourgeois, and Barbe d'Ailleboust, rivals in virtue, have given Canada examples worthy of the great ages of the Church. After the death of her husband, with whom she had lived in continence, in order to fulfill a vow made in early life, she withdrew to the Hôtel-Dieu at Montreal, where she divided her time between prayer and good works. In 1663, with the assistance of the Jesuit Father Chaumonot, she founded the Confraternity of the Holy Family, a devotion which spread all over Canada and did much to preserve good morals. ”

“ A childless widow, she entered the Carmelite convent in Paris, fully determined to end her days there; but after Richelieu became premier of Louis XIII she had to follow him, and was appointed lady of the bed-chamber to Marie de Médicis. Obliged to do the honors of the Cardinal's palace, she took into her hands the distribution "of his liberality and of his alms", to use Fléchier's expressions. Convinced of the vanity of worldly honors, she only busied herself in distributing riches without seeking any enjoyment from wealth. ”

“ With Olier, she conceived the plan of founding the Colony of Montreal and got the Pope to approve of the society which was formed for this purpose. Finally she had the creation of the bishopric of Quebec brought before the General Assembly of the French clergy, and obtained from Mazarin a pension of 1,200 crowns for its support.
This woman of great mind was sought in marriage by princes of the royal blood, but she preferred remaining a widow the better to pursue her good works. ”