1. Elisabeth Turgeon

2. Her Birthday Elisabeth Turgeon was born February 7, 1840 in
A village near Quebec
A view of the village at the turn
of the century

3. Her Baptism
February 8, 1840,
The pastor Father Louis Raby registered and signed the Baptismal record of the Parish, that he had baptized
Marie-Élisabeth
born the previous day,
daughter of
Louis-Marc Turgeon
and Angèle Labrecque.

4. Louise, Henriette, Angèle and her brother Louis-Pierre-Hubert,
After her baptism and once in her home it was a great joy for her sisters
Louise, Henriette, Angèle
and her brother
Louis-Pierre-Hubert,
to welcome their little sister.
But, she was a fragile child and the family doubted if she would live.

5. She remained a frail child, she could never play with the children of her age.
Her joy was bringing happiness to others.
She often helped her mother with the work
needed to be done in the home.
She loved learning what her father taught his children in the evenings.

6. Her Studies
Being a fragile, not to say sickly, child she could not always follow her sisters regularly when they went to school. But, she had the opportunity of being taught by her sister, Louise, who was a teacher in their school system in Beaumont. Thus, Louise helped her to pursue her elementary studies with ease.
In 1860, she succeeded her entrance exams for admission to the Laval Normal School, in Quebec, and she entered with the regular class in September.

7. Elisabeth Turgeon, Father Jean Langevin At the Laval Normal School
the principal
Father Jean Langevin
soon noticed that ,
Elisabeth Turgeon,
was endowed with the following qualities :
she had a sharp intellect, she was fundamentally good, was persistent, had a love for work and especially
an authentic love for youth.

8. Elisabeth, the teacher
From 1863, Elisabeth taught eight years in Saint-Romuald-d’Etchemin, a little town outside Quebec.
She then taught private classes in Saint-Roch of Quebec.
In 1874, she taught in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

9. It was a diocese where ignorance reigned.
Bishop Jean Langevin
Father Jean Langevin,
former Principal of Laval Normal School, became the first bishop of Rimouski.
It was a diocese where ignorance reigned.
The Bishop remembered
Elisabeth Turgeon .
She would be the ideal person to consecrate her life for the instruction and education of the youth of his diocese. Thus, he invited her to come to his city.

10. Her arrival in Rimouski
Because of the pressing demand of Bishop Langevin, Elisabeth arrived in Rimouski
the 3rd of April, 1875 and joined those who were already called:
« Sisters of The Little Schools. »
The Martin house on St-Germain Street
where Elisabeth was welcomed
April 3, 1875.

11. Elisabeth, superior
The sisters pronounced their first vows, September 12, 1879.
The celebration was presided by Bishop Langevin.
That same day he named
Elisabeth Turgeon
Superior of the congregation
« Sisters of The Little Schools. » es

12. One step further… In January 1880, the Foundress sent
two Sisters of The Little Schools
on mission to Saint-Gabriel.
That same month, they welcomed 18 students.
In the cold of winter the mission was realized…

13. September 1880, four sisters were sent on mission to the Gaspe coast:
Hope grows with time…
September 1880, four sisters were sent on mission to the Gaspe coast:
two to Saint-Godefroi
and two to Port-Daniel.
The Foundress
accompanied them.

14. Returning from the Gaspe Coast, Elisabeth was totally exhausted.
However, she resumed her mission She believed the time had come to found a private school in Rimouski that would allow the novices to practice teaching under her supervision.

15. She was always concerned about her sisters in the missions
She was always concerned about her sisters in the missions. She wrote them letters filled with motherly concern. She inquired about their students and sent her love to them.
Other parishes and dioceses asked the foundress for sisters to meet their needs Regretfully, Mother Mary Elisabeth could not always provide them with sisters.

16. Her death
The illness that had afflicted her for so many years recurred with fatal consequences.
The doctor, who came to her sickbed on March 23rd, advised her to prepare for death.
She received the sacrament of the sick. Turning towards her inconsolable sisters, she assured them that she was ready to go to her Spouse.
August 17, 1881,
Elisabeth Turgeon died.
Twenty minutes past midnight

17. Her mission continued…
After her death, the mission of Mother Elisabeth continued through the sisters of the Congregation she had founded :
« The Sisters of The Little Schools » .
They would be named:
«Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary »
in 1891.
Ses sœurs se souviennent d’un de ses écrits : « C’est le désir de leur donner un bonne éducation chrétienne et de leur ouvrir le ciel qui nous a rassemblées. »
* * *

18. Towards beatification
The devotion to
Mother Mary Eisabeth Turgeon
quickly spread from the Congregation to the people.
The official request, in view of the canonization
of this Servant of God,
was initiated in September 1990.

19. Prayer to obtain a particular favor:
God our Father,
in your infinite goodness
allow Elisabeth Turgeon
to be glorified on earth.
Through her intercession, graciously
grant the favor we ask of you.

20. Elisabeth Turgeon If you wish more information, documentation, relics,
picture prayer cards,
novenas
and the quarterly booklet:
Elisabeth Turgeon, Yesterday and Today,
site to visit:

21. Translation: Edwina Bouchard, R.S.R.
The end
Creation: Rita Gallant, R.S.R.,
Denise Beaulieu, R.S.R
Translation: Edwina Bouchard, R.S.R.
November 2005