St. Rita was born in Umbria, Italy in 1386.  Although she wanted to be a nun, her parents betrothed her to a cruel, ill-tempered man whom she married at 18. When her husband was murdered 18 years later, her twin sons were determined to avenge his murder.  Rita pleaded with...

Catherine de Longpré was born in France in 1632. At the age of 12, she entered the convent of the Hospataliers of Bayex, a branch of the Augustinians, the first order to send missionaries to Canada.  In 1648 she asked to go to Quebec City to help the sisters in...

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...

Esther Blondin (Sister Marie-Anne) was born in 1809 in what is now the suburb of Montreal.  She learned to read and write at 22 while working as a domestic for nuns.  Two years later, she started teaching in Vaudreuil. In 1850, with the permission of Bishop Gourget, she founded the...