St. Marguerite D’Youville

Marguerite Dufrost de La Jemmerais was born in Varennes, Quebec on Oct. 15, 1701. She studied under the Ursulines. In 1722, she married Francois D'Youville, a bootlegger and fur trader. They had six children. In 1730, Francois died. Marguerite was left to support herself and her two surviving children, but also devoted a lot of her time to charity.

In 1737, she founded the Sisters of Charity, called the Grey Nuns, along with three others. In 1747 she was appointed Directress of the General Hospital in Montreal. The Grey Nuns established schools, hospitals, and orphanages throughout Canada.

Marguerite died on Dec. 23, 1771 at the General Hospital. She is the patron for widows, difficult marriages, and parents who lose young children. Her feast day is Oct. 16.

She was the first native-born Canadian to be declared a saint when canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1990.