[Editor’s Note: The following
information documents the history of the Sisters of the Assumption in
Saint Louis
Sensitive to the religious and educational needs of their Canadian compatriots in the United States, the sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin contracted on April 23, 1907, with the Archdiocese of Boston, to staff St. Louis de France School of Lowell for the same salary as in former foundations, $200 per teacher per year payable in September and in February.
An appointment to
Ranging in
age from twenty to forty-five, these sisters settled down to the serious business of
providing Catholic education to the children of immigrant factory-working parents. They sought spiritual leadership and were very
willing to promote social and cultural activities that would integrate them painlessly
into the American scene.
As long as the bilingual atmosphere dominated the home, the bilingual approach to
curriculum existed in the classroom. What
students needed to nourish their spiritual life and to keep alive their Canadian heritage,
they learned in French. What prepared them for
the work force and assured their growth as Americans, they studied in English.
Sr. Sainte Gertrude, Principal, maintained the tradition of monthly report cards. In October after the school’s opening, it was
already time for the pastor to come in contact with each student and evaluate his or her
performance in studies as shown on the monthly report card.
By the end of the second school year, the students’ achievements at
In conforming to current practices in the public school system, Sr. Sainte Gertrude
readily communicated with the Lowell Public School Superintendent, Mr. Arthur K. Whitcomb. As special guest at graduation exercises, the third
year of the school’s history, Mr. Whitcomb was impressed. His letter of
1. Chroniques du couvent
Saint Louis Academy
An
eighth-grade diploma was no qualification for a child to join the labor force. Too many parents chose to end their children’s
schooling after grammar school, usually at age 14. A
stop had to be made to finding young teens on the job in the
Convinced that his parish could provide education beyond the elementary level,
Father Labossiere requested a secondary-level teacher from the General Administration of
the sisters’ community. Mother du
Sacre-Coeur and Mother Marie-Eustelle, Supervisor of Education, coming for the annual
visitation, were asked to open a high school to be named
Father Labossiere’s pet project envisioned lofty goals.
~ To form a group of elite women capable of preserving and living Christian principles.
~ To train competent businesswomen ready to assume on-the-job responsibilities.
~ To provide refinement and
cultural enrichment to these women through the study of literature and the arts.
When the Academy opened in September 1918, such objectives were condensed in a
two-year program, taught by a team of two genuinely talented teachers, in a two-room
school setting. The first class numbered
sixteen students, brave pioneers of a yet to be proven academic program. Under the guidance of Sr. Saint Jean du Cénacle
and Sr. Sainte Hombéline, their journey was a fascinating one. 1
Sr. Saint Jean du Cénacle (Dolores Peloquin) was no teenager when she joined the
Sisters of the Assumption. Having matured in
the world of business and experienced nine years of classroom teaching, she arrived at age
32 to be foundress of St. Louis Academy. Her
stenography writing glorified art. In all business courses, she revealed the clearness and
understanding of subject matter as well as sensitivity to students' level of
comprehension. To have Sister John, as she was
called, was to witness drama, humor, pathos all wrapped up in fast moving class time. During her fourteen years at
Sr. John’s teammate, Sr. Sainte Hombéline, imparted to the students,
Christian training, good manners and a love for classic literature. At age 38, she brought to the classroom the wisdom
and experience of a superior intellect. With
her Academy Literary Club, she presented three or four plays a year. Her fluent literary style facilitated the writing
of formal speeches. Tutoring their delivery,
she enriched students with frequent elocution lessons.
Although unlisted in the curriculum, public speaking and choral speaking were part
of sister’s teaching. Many of
today’s graduate school requirements for a master’s degree in the French
classics were course of studies material for her young girls in high school.
It is no wonder that Fr. Labossiere looked with pride on what he termed “his
Academy girls.” With a family background
in French, students could study the classics in their own language. The Canadian-born Sr. Sainte Hombéline also loved
English which she referred to as “the language of Shakespeare.” Audiences applauded Academy programs showing
fluency in both languages. Whether on the stage performing a Molière play or at a summer
picnic or serving lunch after an evening of entertainment, the Academy girls displayed
refinement, social grace and mental swiftness.
Expansion of the Academy in personnel, offerings and space became imperative. In 1932, the school moved to the former rectory on the corner of Boisvert and West Sixth streets. The course of studies was extended to a three-year program. Seven years later, in 1939, the diversity of women’s careers required the addition of more arts and sciences resulting in the operation of a four-year high school favoring especially the college-bound.
For 73 years
Housing the Sisters
The first living quarters of the sisters were in the
school building. Foreseeing a steady growth in
enrollment and school personnel, Fr. Jacques made plans to construct a large convent
attached to the school. The work begun on
The
increasing enrollment reached 1,289 pupils in 1924. Twenty-three
classrooms were being used. It is not
surprising to find twenty-five sisters appointed to Saint Louis Convent. Guided by Fr. Labossiere, architects planned an
addition to the 1910 building, a project that began in May 1924. The new structure completed in November of the same
year, measured 64x46 feet within which were placed eleven bedrooms, two study halls, a
large 46x32 feet community room and a dining room of the same size on the first floor.
With the debt incurred by the parish for such a construction, it was obvious to the
sisters that the purchase of new convent furniture could be delayed. Quick to find a solution, Sr. Jean du Cenacle
suggested that a fund-raising campaign would accelerate the process. A letter, composed by her Academy companion, the
literary Sr. Sainte Hombeline, informed parishioners of the sisters' dilemma. "A charitable gift lives beyond the life of
the giver," said the letter. Donations
started pouring in. A $25 gift from Mrs. John
H. Beaulieu came first and was followed by donations amounting to $600. In a few months, the living quarters of the sisters
were ready for an Open House. There was
rejoicing, gratitude and admiration on the part of both the sisters who received and the
parishioners who donated.
Mission
Schools:
The Billings School
To deprive children of a Catholic education because of
lack of space was totally opposed to Father Labossiere's pastoral goals. He found solutions to the problem. First he opened the wooden chapel serving a parish
hall to accommodate six classes. Then he found
that a small public school on
Four sisters from
After seventeen years of existence, the
Sainte Marie School Lowell
The youngsters at Sainte Marie Parish in
An enrollment of one hundred twenty pupils proved worthwhile. They were divided into three classes: Sr.
marguerite de Paray (Cecile Hemond) taught kindergarten and grades one and two, Sr. Anne
du Saint Esprit had grades three and four while Sr. Sainte Maxime taught grades five, six
and seven. There was no eighth grade. Other veteran teachers well remembered for teaching
at Sainte Marie were Sr. Sainte Andrea (Therese Bercier), Sr. Sainte Armande (Edith
Simoneau), Sr. Therese de Rome (Rose-Alice Hebert) and Sr. Jeanne de Marie (Jeanne
Ledoux).
The commute was done in the pastor's car. Every
morning, on his way to
In 1945, Fr. Lucien Brassard thought seriously of opening a convent. His rectory could be home to the sisters. He would rent “a humble flat” for
himself.
Five sisters arrived on
At Mass the next day, the sisters learned from the pulpit that the parish had a new
Pastor, Fr. George H. Lessard, o.m.i. The
following day, they learned from the new pastor himself that he would take his meals at
the convent.
Before the week ended, the sisters received a mysterious invitation to go to the
parish hall. To their great surprise, they
were offered gifts, large and small, of household necessities, provisions of food and
first aid supplies. The parishioners, right
from the start, exercised a characteristic generosity toward the resident religious.
The opening day of school, September 12, appeared as the usual in the eyes of the
87 pupils in attendance. That the sisters came
to school from their neighboring home was no different than when they had commuted from
The original purpose of establishing a Catholic school in
With government subsidies, the city of
Parish property acquired at heavy sacrifice was claimed by the government in order
to improve travel routes. Attempts to oppose
the plan were futile. Radical changes were
forced on Sainte Marie Parish by the highway that demolished everything in its paths
including the school and divided what remained of the parish buildings.
The parishioners immediately wanted to find new property to house their school
especially not to send the sisters away. Negotiations
failed. For the past seven years, closing had
hovered over their lives. Now the reality had
to be faced. No longer could they enjoy their
small, friendly school.
On
Sainte
Therese School Dracut
The Parish of Sainte Thérèse was the daughter church of Saint Louis de
France in
Life as usual
was interrupted in the fall of 1937. Following
the ninth Tuesday novena service, a crippled bone victim named Lorraine Fréchette rose
from her wheel chair and walked out of the church.3 This cure triggered a
series of events that led to the opening of a popular pilgrimage center honoring the
Little Flower. The small church could never
accommodate the 1500 pilgrims attending the Tuesday afternoon and evening novena. So an outdoor sanctuary-grotto was constructed on
the church grounds.
From 1928 to
1938, the sisters of the Assumption had been present to the Ste Thérèse Parish youth for
weekend catechism classes. In 1942, Fr.
Mercier expanded the sisters’ influence on the
In 1942, the
year after the closing of the
1. Letter from Mother Marie Eustelle to Fr. Victor
Alexandre, o.m.i.,
2. Chroniques du
couvent Sainte Marie,
3. L’Etoile,
Sancta Maria, Lowell , MA
Two years prior to the creation of provinces, the
community had opened the Sancta Maria Convent on
A big house, 13 big rooms, barn and garage, 4 acres or 134,240 sq. ft
of good land…. This plot is situated on the corner of
Farmland Road almost to
that you have the sun all day long. The
view from there covers most
of
Little change needed for a chapel. The
price is set for $12,000. It’s
the ideal set-up. 1
Negotiations for the community were in the capable hands of Mère Saint Athanase. “The big house” was an imposing stone
structure referred to as the
In November 1944, the amount agreed upon and paid by the community was $12,000 to
the Bellehumeur couple in payment of the house and a 4-acre lot. The sum of $2,000 was paid to Miss Appoline Picard
for the land completing the property down to
The teachers of Sainte Marie School; Sr. Thérèse de Rome (Rose Alice Hébert),
Sr. Rita de Jésus (Rita Therrien), Sr. Jeanne de l’Eucharistie (Marie Boisclair) and
Joseph de la Charité were dividing their time between cleaning the house at Sancta Maria
and teaching in South Lowell. Everyday they
found a different suitable corner to sleep. At
Open House at Sancta Maria, early in February 1945, brought neighbors and friends
in large number. Donations were not mentioned
yet visitors left free-will offerings amounting to $300.
The Pastor at St. Louis Rectory, Fr. Charles Cordier, was named chaplain at Sancta
Maria by Archbishop Cushing. He sang the first
Mass on Our Lady’s feast of the Purification on
On weekdays, the sisters were blessed to have Mass at their house by a priest from
St. Louis Parish. On Sundays, the entire
personnel of thirteen walked down
New orientations were taking place rapidly at Sancta Maria. No more postulants lived there. The
With Mother St. Athanase still directing operations, the Bellehumeur residence was
being transformed into an imposing Provincial House. The
large breezy porch, the curved asphalt walkway, the attractive landscaping, the majestic
line-up of evergreen trees, much was accomplished during the second year. By the summer of 1946, the Provincial House for the
Changes, however, were happening rapidly at Sainte Thérèse. The Pastor, Father Paul Martin gave up his rectory
to establish a convent for the six sisters teaching at
Life was too quiet. It was but the
prelude, however, of more changes that were eminent.
The personnel remaining on
After serving twenty years as the sisters’ residence, Sancta Maria, the
The mothers of the school children ran a cake sale and raised $314 to pay for the
chapel repairs. The Cercle Jeanne-Mance held a
Bridge Card Party to contribute to general Sancta Maria repairs. The sum raised, $700, proved very useful. Mr. Marchand painted six rooms and the corridors.
All sorts of services and donations given by numerous friends kept the place intact and
restored it to its original majestic splendor.
In June 1969, a section of land belonging to the house Sancta Maria,
Land situated on
Was sold after consultation with the Provincial Council and the
Provincial Treasurer to Messrs Gladstone of
To construct apartment buildings…3
1. Letter from
2. Chroniques du couvent Sancta Maria
3. Chroniques, op. cit., June 1969.
The Curtain Falls
A personnel of eight sisters at Sancta Maria in the 1960s made
possible special classes to satisfy the educational needs of 122 pupils enrolled in grades
K through 7. The jovial, systematic, energetic
Sr. Jeanne Ledoux served as
The 1970 school year opened with major changes in school. Pupils of grades one through eight were advised to
enroll in others schools in
Beginning in January 1971, the retired Father Sylvio Barrette came to say daily
Mass at
Echoes of the Sancta Maria closing became louder in January 1973. At that time, Mr. M. Achin paid a visit to evaluate
the entire property. In an official statement,
Sr. Marie Fournier, Provincial Superior, notified the sisters that no pupil need register
for the coming school year.
The large stone