Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher
1811-49 | Feast: October 6
Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
 

Frederick Buechner, the American author and theologian once said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” In many ways, these words perfectly describe the life and vocation of Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher who, from a young age, deeply desired to join her four siblings in pursuing a religious vocation, and who, along the way, discovered the overwhelming need for education in rural Canada of the early 1800s. These two realities came together to shape her life and legacy in profound ways.

Although Eulalie Durocher aspired to be a religious sister at the age of 16, poor health prohibited her from entering a convent in Montreal. She went on to assist one of her brothers at his parish not only as a secretary and housekeeper, but with pastoral ministry too. As she welcomed new priests, taught catechism to children and cared for the poor, she discovered how very few people had much education and how great the need was for religious training. 

Finally, in 1843, when Eulalie was 32, she was asked by the Bishop of Montreal to take a leading role in founding a new community focused on educating Canadian girls. Under the direction of an Oblate priest, Eulalie joined with two other women to found the new congregation named the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. She took the religious name Marie-Rose. Despite the many obstacles they faced, Sister Marie-Rose and her companions built five convents and succeeded in bringing faith and education to girls across the province of Quebec.  According to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sister Marie-Rose added music, drawing, English, and home economics to the base curriculum to prepare the girls for their adult lives. She established a boarding school and the fees paid by the parents of its students financed free education for poor students.

Sister Marie-Rose died at the age of 38 and was beatified in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, pray for us!