Centralta Tourism & Historical Network

The Adventures of the Grey Nuns is a book completed in the Summer of 2012. This book is a compilation of 19 stories based on historical facts about the Grey Nuns incredible working in founding Alberta. Most of the stories are based their work in the St. Albert/Edmonton area. The book is geared towards the grade 4 curriculum and includes both chapter questions and curriculum ties for each story. It can be used as a resource for teachers in Social Studies.

For a list of resources used during the research see here

Here are a summary of each of the stories for in The Adventures of the Grey Nuns:

Marie Marguerite d’Youville (1701 – 1771)

Marguerite d’Youville was the amazing foundress of the Grey Nuns. Before founding the order she led a very difficult life, with a husband who provided her with no support and was more interested in gambling than his family. After his death Marguerite dedicated to helping other women in need. She fought hard for the rights of the poor, despite much opposition. Her vision spread throughout Montreal, then Canada and now through the whole world. She is the inspiration from which modern day Grey Nuns draw from to complete their generous work.

Modest heroes: before Alberta

Zoe LeBlanc was taken in by the Grey Nuns order after her parents passed away in a fire. She quickly learnt about their compassionate spirit and began to integrate into their way of life. When she became a Nun herself she wanted to share the love these women had shown her to everyone around her, especially the sick. Her journey west started with the young Nun innocently asking, where is Lac-St. Anne?

Modest heroes: the journey west

Leaving behind their Sisters in Montreal, four brave Grey Nuns begin their journey west. They first arrived in St. Boniface, Manitoba, with the help of a Métis woman. They battled hordes mosquitoes and black flies while being followed by the howls of wolves. They then made the 51 day journey to Lac-St. Anne, where they dwindling bison population was seriously threatening the livelihood of the Métis and First Nations. The women had to become resourceful in order to survive.

Serving in Alberta

Father Lacombe was very impressed with the Grey Nuns in Lac-St. Anne. They had proved to be hard-working, perseverant and able. The winters were the most difficult time in early Alberta, with little resources the Sisters had difficulties providing basic needs for the community. They spent 15 years trying to create a thriving mission but had limited success. It was perhaps time to find a new location…

Creating a Farm

Sister Valade’s mission to establish bountiful farmland in Alberta first started with a treacherous voyage portaging in a 40 foot canoe. The journey was longer and harder than she ever could have imagined. The Sisters endured terrible rain and wind as well as wild animal to finally arrive at their destination. However their situation did not improve, starting farmland from scratch is back breaking work. Relying on God and each other, the Sisters persevered until the first small sprout appeared.

Helping Hands

Based on past experiences with Europeans the Aboriginal community was very hesitant in accepting help from the Grey Nuns. However the Sisters wanted only to help the struggling community through teaching and agriculture. Slowly the community begins to trust the Nuns and a mutual teaching and learning relationship is built.

Keeping a Clean House

In the days of early St. Albert daily chores such as laundry, cooking and cleaning was back breaking work. The Sisters in charge of these jobs would wake well before everyone else and did not stop working till late in the evenings. Cleanliness was very important in those times, especially in the hospitals that the Grey Nuns worked in, to stop the spread of diseases. In 1890 the community built a laundry, which significantly helped lessen the load on the hard working Sisters.

The Family Pillar

A Grey Nun travelling to the St. Albert area is too sick and hurt to continue with the group, so a woman offers to take her into her home till she has recovered. There the Sister catches a glimpse into the daily life a woman single handedly took care of her family and doing it all with a light hearted spirit. The woman’s generosity and labor would make a lasting impact on the Grey Nun.

Modest heroes: St. Albert

With the mission in Lac St-Anne facing difficulties Father Lacombe was in search for a new location and he settles on the Sturgeon River region. Life for the Grey Nuns in St. Albert was much better and they began to operate a school and a hospital. They were able to begin what was a long and fruitful mission in St. Albert.

Sisters before Self

The Mother Superior has the difficult task of providing for all the Sisters, often with hardly any resources. She had to be skilled in many areas from finances to organization. A Grey Nun coming originally from a large family takes naturally to the task of caring for all the Sisters, her spiritual family. Through prayer she created a bonded group of women committed to fulfilling God’s will.

Sunday’s Best

In early St. Albert church was an integral part of the community. Mass was a time of reflection and renewal for the Sisters and all the community members. Afterwards the Grey Nuns tried to take time to interact with the people on a more casual level. In the Church the Sisters would always be helpers, below the Oblates, and this contributed to their generous spirit.

The Smallpox Scare

When a young boy is alone in the hospital after contracting small pox, a Grey Nun named Gisele comforts him. He spent many days in awful discomfort and she offered him his first sign of relief. While observing the Nuns working in the hospital, he had the chance to see firsthand how hard the women worked.

Healing the Body and Soul

One of the main priorities of the Grey Nuns was healing. The main way they accomplished this was through their work in hospitals. They first helped establish the hospital in St. Albert, then shortly the Edmonton General Hospital. The contributions they made were not only as nurses but to provide general upkeep to the facilities .They tried not only to heal the body but also nurture the soul.

Caring for Those In Need

The Youville home in St. Albert has transitioned from many different uses over the years. Once a school and a hospital, in 1949 the decision was made for it to be transformed in a center to care for the elderly. It then housed those who had founded Alberta, and it was the Grey Nuns who took charge to caring for them. Two decades later, with the help of the government, the facility was rebuilt to be able to fit the demand in the community. It is a legacy of the Grey Nuns care and compassion.

Innocent Comfort

Setting up an orphanage in an underdeveloped building, with little resources and few ways to get them, seemed like an impossible task. However the Grey Nuns rose to the challenge. They set up the orphanage but did not anticipate how many children they would end up caring for. Despite the large numbers they cared for the children to the best of their abilities, even educating them. The Sisters created a future for countless amounts of children.

Together with the Community

The Grey Nuns assisted many different groups to aid them in achieving their goals. Since their beginning in Alberta they have had close ties with the Oblates. The Sisters also work with the community, especially the women to organize activities and continue traditions going. They wanted to bring together people of all backgrounds, French, English and Métis, together as one strong community.

Love of Learning

The primary goal of the Grey Nuns was teaching and since 1964 they have been educating children in St. Albert. They endured hard winters with only a wood stove to heat the school house and little food to feed the children or themselves. Music class was a favorite for the children and the Sisters alike. The women wished to continue the work that Sister Alphonse, the first teacher, had established in Alberta.

Helping Change in a Changing World

The legacy Residential Schools have left behind fills the Grey Nuns hearts with sadness. Founded by the Canadian government as a way to integrate the aboriginal children into society, the Sisters acted as teachers under the operators the Oblates. They did not realize the impact of limiting the children’s access to their customs would have. Their actions were done with good intentions in mind and were not meant to harm the children or their culture.

Forever Changed

The aboriginal society was struggling and the government had promised to educate children in farming techniques that could help feed their communities through residential schools. It seemed like an appealing option for both parents and children. Those operating the school thought that assimilation would be the easiest path to take with the children, but it created shock in many of the kids.

First Christmas in Alberta

Prayer and mass were central to the first Christmas in Alberta for the Sisters. A snow storm could not stop the joyful spirit that the Christmas season brought to the community. After mass the Grey Nuns welcomed workers who were far away from their homes to enjoy Réveillon with them. The spirit of giving was alive with them.

Centralta Tourism & Historical Network

jQuery Cords

CSS by 2011 Summer Team

Multiple Event Icons

FACTSnet Logo

Home Links Bar

Home Links Bar Copy

INDEX menu and Search engine

Open/Close Index

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Index

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Adventures of the Grey Nuns

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The Adventure of the Grey Nuns: resources

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Vision Courage Heritage (Town of Legal History Book)

Friday, August 20, 2010

Sponsors Summer 2009

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

How to use this FACTSnet Blog

Slide

Slide

Slide

Click to See Posts in This Page

Search This Blog

Priority Links

Contributors

Translate This Page

Followers

Blog Archive