Émilie Gamelin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BlessedÉmilie Gamelin SP |
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Statue by Raoul Hunter, 1999 (at Berri–UQAM station, Montreal, 2008)
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| Widow, religious and foundress | |
| Born | Marie-Émilie-Eugène Tavernier 19 February 1800 Montreal, Lower Canada |
| Died | 23 September 1851 (aged 51) Montreal, Province of Canada |
| Beatified | 7 October 2001, Rome, by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 23 September / 24 September (Canada) |
Émilie Tavernier Gamelin (born February 19, 1800 – died September 23, 1851) was a kind-hearted Canadian social worker and a Roman Catholic religious sister. She is most famous for starting the Sisters of Providence of Montreal, a group of nuns dedicated to helping those in need. In 2001, she was recognized as "Blessed" by Pope John Paul II.
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Émilie's Early Life and Family
Émilie was born Marie-Émilie-Eugène Tavernier in Montreal on February 19, 1800. She was the youngest of 15 children. Sadly, many of her brothers and sisters died young. Émilie's mother passed away when Émilie was only four years old. Her father died when she was 14. After her mother's death, Émilie was raised by her aunt, Marie-Anne Tavernier, and her husband, Joseph Perrault.
From 1814 to 1815, Émilie went to school with the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. Later, she helped care for her brother François after his wife died. When she returned to her aunt's home, her cousin Agathe Perrault also helped care for her.
What Was Émilie's Dream?
When Émilie was 19, she enjoyed social events in Montreal. However, she also felt a strong desire to join a convent. In a letter from 1822, she wrote that she wanted to become a religious sister.
Despite this, on June 4, 1823, Émilie married Jean-Baptiste Gamelin. He was 50 years old and sold apples. Their marriage lasted four years. Jean-Baptiste died on October 1, 1827. Émilie had three children, but sadly, all of them died very young.
How Émilie Helped Others
After losing her husband and children, Émilie found comfort in helping others. In 1827, she joined two groups organized by the Sulpician Fathers. One group, the Confraternity of the Public Good, helped unemployed people find work. The other, the Ladies of Charity, visited poor families and gave them money or supplies.
In 1828, she also joined the Confraternity of the Holy Family. This group focused on spiritual growth and spreading the Roman Catholic faith. Émilie gradually used her own money to support these charities.
Opening a Shelter for Women
Émilie noticed that many elderly women lived alone and in great difficulty. In 1829, she invited four of these frail women to live in her own home. By 1830, she realized more space was needed. On March 4, 1830, she opened a shelter for sick and elderly women in Montreal.
The first building for the shelter was provided by Abbé Claude Fay, a local priest. In 1831, the shelter moved to a larger rented building. It could house up to 20 women and was also Émilie's home. The shelter grew, and in 1836, it needed even more space. A wealthy helper named Antoine-Olivier Berthelet donated a house, which became known as the "Yellow House." By this time, Émilie had 24 women helping her with her work.
Émilie's Role in Politics
Before the Lower Canada Rebellion, Émilie supported the Canadian Party, which later became the Patriot Party. Her brother, François Tavernier, was a strong supporter of the Patriots. In 1832, Émilie was one of 226 women who tried to vote in a local election. She voted for the Patriot candidate.
During the Lower Canada Rebellion (1837–1839), Émilie received special permission to visit rebels who were in prison and sentenced to death. She offered them comfort and helped them connect with their families.
Starting the House of Providence
In 1841, Ignace Bourget, the new Bishop of Montreal, visited Europe. He hoped to bring the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to Canada to manage Émilie's shelter.
While he was away, on September 18, 1841, the shelter was officially recognized as the Montreal Asylum for Aged and Infirm Women. When Bishop Bourget returned, he told Émilie and her helpers about his plan. The women decided to buy land for a new facility, to be called the Asylum of Providence. Émilie was elected Director. Construction on the new building began in December 1841. Émilie donated her remaining property to the organization in 1842.
However, the Daughters of Charity decided not to come to Montreal. So, Bishop Bourget decided to create a new religious community to run the asylum. He looked for women who wanted to join this new group. By March 1843, seven women were interested. Émilie was not among the first seven, but Bishop Bourget wanted her involved. She later joined the group.
Before officially joining, Émilie traveled to the United States. She visited the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph to learn how they ran their community. She brought back their rules to help guide the new group in Montreal. On October 8, 1843, Émilie officially became a novice, which is a person preparing to become a religious sister.
Founding the Sisters of Providence
On March 29, 1844, a special ceremony was held. Bishop Bourget officially recognized the new religious group. He named them the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor. This group later became known as the Sisters of Providence.
During this ceremony, Émilie and the six other novices became religious sisters. They took vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and a fourth vow to serve the poor. The next day, Émilie was chosen as the first leader, or Superior General, of the new group. She was given the title "Mother Gamelin."
How the Sisters Helped Montreal
From 1843, the Sisters of Providence provided shelter for orphan girls and elderly women. In 1844, they opened the Hospice St-Joseph, which cared for sick and elderly priests. In 1845, they started an employment office to help people find jobs. They also began caring for people with mental illness and opened a school.
In 1847, a typhus epidemic hit Montreal. Bishop Bourget asked the Sisters of Providence to help the sick. After the epidemic, Émilie took responsibility for a facility that cared for children whose parents had died from typhus. In 1849, she opened the Hôpital Saint-Camille to help during a cholera epidemic.
Émilie also successfully asked for permission to open an insane asylum in Longue-Pointe in 1849. She established new convents in other towns as well. In late 1850, Émilie visited the United States again to learn more about how other Sisters of Charity managed their facilities, especially those for people with mental illness.
On September 23, 1851, Émilie Gamelin became very ill with cholera and died within 12 hours. She was exhausted from all her hard work. Her last words were about "Humility, simplicity, charity..." She was buried the next day. At the time of her death, there were over 50 Sisters and 19 novices caring for nearly a thousand people.
Becoming a Blessed Saint
In 1960, efforts began to consider Émilie Gamelin for beatification and canonization, which are steps toward becoming a saint. On May 31, 1981, the official process started in Montreal, and Émilie was called a "Servant of God."
In 1983, a special church court began to gather evidence about Émilie's life. This information was sent to Rome. On December 23, 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Émilie "Venerable," which is the second step toward sainthood.
Also in 1983, a 13-year-old boy named Yannick Fréchette recovered from leukemia in a surprising way after prayers were offered to Mother Émilie Gamelin. Doctors in Rome studied his case and in 1999, they agreed that his recovery was a miracle. Pope John Paul II officially recognized this miracle on December 18, 2000. This miracle allowed Émilie to be beatified. On October 7, 2001, Pope John Paul II beatified her. As a result, Émilie Gamelin is now called "Blessed," and people can honor her in areas connected to her work.
Émilie's Lasting Impact
Today, the Sisters of Providence continue Émilie's work in nine countries around the world. These include Canada, the United States, Chile, the Philippines, Argentina, El Salvador, Cameroon, Haiti, and Egypt. The main center for the Sisters of Providence is in Montreal. It houses their administration, a center named after Émilie Gamelin, and museums and archives about their history.
The original Asylum of Providence building was taken down in 1963. Since 1995, the land where it stood is now a public square called Place Émilie-Gamelin.
Statue Honoring Émilie
A beautiful bronze sculpture of Émilie Gamelin was created in 1999 by Raoul Hunter. You can see this statue at the Saint Catherine Street exit of Montreal's Berri-UQAM station in Quebec, Canada.
