Élodie Paradis was born in 1840 in L’Acadie, Quebec, Canada.  At age 17 she took vows with the Marianite Sisters, a branch of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

She taught in Montreal, New York and Indiana before finding the opportunity to fulfill her calling and dedication to the care of priests and seminarians.

In 1877, Mother Marie-Léonie (Élodie’s religious name), with 14 young Acadian women, founded the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, in Memramcook, New Brunswick.

Mother Marie-Léonie worked tirelessly for others and was known for her generosity and humility.  She died in 1912 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984.