{"id":384,"date":"2018-01-08T10:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T15:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/?page_id=384"},"modified":"2018-06-05T11:41:32","modified_gmt":"2018-06-05T15:41:32","slug":"the-grey-nuns","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/the-grey-nuns\/","title":{"rendered":"The Grey Nuns"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Grey Nuns<\/h1>[vc_toggle title=”THE GREY NUNS OF MONTREAL”]<\/p>\n
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Since 1737, The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, \u201cGrey Nuns\u201d, have maintained their mission of love, respect, and compassion for poor and deprived people as it was defined by their Foundress, Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville.\u00a0Throughout the centuries, the faces of the poor, the sick, and abandoned children have changed. However, poverty, loneliness, and exclusion transcend time. Thousands of Grey Nuns have dedicated their lives to the enormous task of bringing care and comfort to the largest number of these people they could. They vowed to \u201cwalk in the footsteps\u201d of their Foundress, Marie-Marguerite Dufrost de la Jemmerais, the Widow Youville.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”MISSION & VALUES”]<\/p>\n

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The mission of The Grey Nuns of Montreal, following in the footsteps of Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville, is one of compassion for the most deprived and marginalized people of society. Inspired by a deep faith in a God of goodness and justice, the Grey Nuns offered services that have expanded and flourished over the 275 years of their history. Women of action, the Grey Nuns embody a spiritual reality that accompanies them in their charitable works with their beneficiaries. They acknowledge the constant presence of God in their lives.<\/p>\n

The mission of the Grey Nuns is based on the following values: solidarity with the poor, promotion of social justice, protection of the sanctity of life, especially through respect for human rights, and conservation of the environment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”COAT OF ARMS”]<\/p>\n

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The coat of arms of the Grey Nuns illustrates the spirituality that Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville has bequeathed to her community, and that sustains their mission.<\/p>\n

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Colors<\/h3>\n

A three-fold color scheme of enamel constitutes the crest:<\/p>\n

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  • The bottom<\/em>\u00a0in azure, or sky blue, reminds us that prayer and contemplation are the source of the inspiration and joy that will ensure a loving and effective presence among the poor according to the example of Jesus.<\/li>\n
  • The top<\/em>\u00a0in sinope, or aquagreen, symbolizes the active life of the Grey Nuns, who have promised to follow the example of Saint Marguerite d\u2019Youville \u201c\u2026 and to unreservedly consecrate our time, our industry, and even our lives\u2026 to provide subsistence for the poor and for ourselves.\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n
  • The centre<\/em>\u00a0in fire-red and gold
    \nThe heart of the crest represents the charity that animates the Grey Nuns in their relations with each other, with every person, and most especially with every poor and afflicted person.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Images<\/h3>\n

    The Triangle<\/h4>\n

    A symbol of the Holy Trinity, the triangle reminds us of the beloved Person of the Father, Marguerite d\u2019Youville\u2019s principal devotion. As a precious legacy of family life, this devotion characterizes the Grey Nuns\u2019 spirituality: the poor and they have one and the same Father, who is the original source of love.<\/p>\n

    The Hand<\/h4>\n

    The hand represents Mother d\u2019Youville\u2019s trust in Divine Providence. The Grey Nuns rely on the Father\u2019s Providence, and on his infinite wisdom and mercy more than on their own efforts and achievements. The hand is pointing to the triangle, the source of their unfailing trust.<\/p>\n

    The Cross<\/h4>\n

    The Congregation has a special devotion to the cross; through it the Grey Nuns participate in the poverty and humiliation of Jesus crucified. The cross gives them strength to bear the sufferings inherent to a daily life of work and prayer dedicated to the Father\u2019s love for the least of his little ones. Thus, the Grey Nuns glory only in the cross and in it they find joy, even in trials and tribulations.<\/p>\n

    The Heart of Jesus<\/h4>\n

    Following the example set by their Foundress, the Grey Nuns find in the Sacred Heart of Jesus their most powerful intermediary before God the Father for all the poor and deprived. The Heart of Jesus unites the Grey Nuns in fraternal charity. It is also the source of their patience and kindness towards all those in need.<\/p>\n

    The Crown of Thorns<\/h4>\n

    It symbolizes the difficulties of the mission that God the Father has entrusted to the Institute. Faithfulness to this mission requires boldness and creativity, which can open new avenues for responding to new needs. It is a faithfulness that is nourished by an authentic relationship with God, fraternal union, and a generous asceticism borne with the hope and strength of the martyrs.<\/p>\n

    Motto<\/h4>\n

    \u201cIn hoc signo vinces<\/em>\u201d (By this sign you will conquer)
    \nFor her Institute dedicated to the relief of all the marginalized without distinction, this motto evokes the cross of Christ as the final triumph of love over every kind of human suffering.<\/p>\n

    Monograms<\/h3>\n

    The monogram of Mary<\/h4>\n

    Marian devotion, which is dear to the Grey Nuns, goes back to the origins of their history. Mother d\u2019Youville wanted her Sisters to venerate Mary as the beloved daughter of the Father and to pray to her as Our Lady of Providence, their mother and the mother of the poor. Furthermore, she chose to use the monogram used by the Priests of Saint-Sulpice in recognition of the faithfulness and devotion to her Institute of those she called \u201cour Sulpician Fathers\u201d.<\/p>\n

    The monogram of Saint Joseph<\/h4>\n

    The Grey Nuns have a great devotion to Saint Joseph. Mother d\u2019Youville entrusted the General Hospital to him from its beginning. Faithful and vigilant, Saint Joseph merits the gratitude of the Congregation, which recognizes him as its protector.<\/p>\n

    Emblem<\/h3>\n

    The Lily<\/h4>\n

    It signifies the purity that liberates and opens the heart to joy and universal charity.\u00a0 Purity enables the Sisters to be open to finding the means that can help them to identify with and serve \u201cour lords the poor\u201d.<\/p>\n

    The lily is also a fragrant flower that represents the virgin soil of Ville Marie, the birthplace of their religious family.<\/p>\n

    As the image of their rule of life, their coat of arms calls them to a conversion of the heart as disciples of Jesus, following in the footsteps of Marguerite d\u2019Youville. It is also an invitation to a joyful hope, to an indomitable faith in the eternal kindness of God the Father, to the abiding presence of Christ, and to the divine assistance of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”SYMBOL OF THE \u201cDAISY\u201d (TRANSLATION FOR \u201cMARGUERITE\u201d, ALSO A FLOWER)”]Daisy is a pearl in the flower kingdom, greatly appreciated by all flower gardeners and florists around the world; and so too is our Foundress Marguerite d\u2019Youville a pearl of great value for all the needy people of the world.<\/p>\n

    Daisy is a simple plant, thriving in any flower garden or flower pot.\u00a0 The Grey Nuns try to live a simple life, to be happy where they are planted and to be ready to be of service to those in need, with a welcoming smile, a caring heart, a helping hand, a listening ear, and a word of hope.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”PROFESSION CROSS”]<\/p>\n

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    In 1755, Mother d\u2019Youville wanted to have silver crucifixes for the Sisters of her little community. In New France, it was very difficult to have works of gold and silversmith\u2019s crafts. Consequently, Father Louis Normant, PSS (1681-1759), had to order the first twelve crosses from France.<\/p>\n

    An embossed heart representing the Sacred Heart appears above the figure of Christ, the heart of charity. Four fleurs-de-lis terminate the arms of the cross in acknowledgement of Louis XV, King of France, who approved the young community in New France by bestowing on them their Letters Patent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    (The old cross: before 1981) Collection of The Grey Nuns of Montreal 1999.041<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The form of the cross has varied over the years. For example, the forms of the motifs have become more rounded, the corpus was raised up, and the fleurs-de-lis have become more indented and detailed. This style was in use until the General Chapter of 1981, when a new cross was accepted by the capitulants. While maintaining the old tradition \u201cof the first mothers\u201d, the new cross united the prevailing forms from the past and at the same time pointed towards the future with the figure of Christ being simplified almost to an abstract symbol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”WHY \u201cGREY NUNS\u201d?”]The activities of Marguerite, the Widow Youville, among the poor at the beginning of her charitable work were frowned upon by Montreal\u2019s social elite. Even her two brothers-in-law, along with 26 other people, signed a petition in 1738 to prevent her from taking over the administration of the General Hospital from the Charon Brothers. In fact, it was very new for women to form communities and undertake charitable work in common for the \u201cwretched\u201d. She was accused, among other things, of continuing her late husband\u2019s illegal trade in alcohol with the First Nations and of being a drunk herself. \u201cYou and your Sisters are tipsy\u201d, people yelled at them as they walked down the street. In French, \u00ab grise \u00bb has two meanings: \u2018tipsy\u2019 and \u2018grey\u2019. In memory of these calumnies, the Sisters of Charity of Montreal also call themselves the Grey Nuns.[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_row chk_border=”true”][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”THE GREY NUNS OF MONTREAL”] Since 1737, The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, \u201cGrey Nuns\u201d, have maintained their mission of love, respect, and compassion for poor and deprived […]","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-384","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/384\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgm.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}