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19 April

Madeleine Carmel, SSA

Born on March 19, 1908 in Montreal from a Catholic family of eight children, Madeleine inherited from her parents her passion for studies and for culture. On August 3, 1925, she enters the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Anne. She is 17 years old at the time and already has a solid education. She then completes her studies to become a teacher and once she takes her vows, on July 24, 1927, she begins teaching in different institutions of the Congregation.

In 1946 she leaves Quebec to join her sisters in Marlborough (Mass). She is known as one of the four founders of the College Anna Maria. She will be a teacher and head of the French Department since the foundation of the College in 1946. In 1976 the College will assign her an honorific doctorate degree to honour the 18 years she taught and worked for this institution. Once she returns to Quebec in 1964, her passion for teaching leads her to work at the alphabetisation of adults. She eventually will find herself working for the prisoners. Soon she will understand the importance to create some institution to help the prisoners to return to normal life.

With the help of her community and of the Franciscan Sisters of Bay St-Paul, in 1972 she opens a house with ten beds, rue Charlemagne Montreal. In four years, one hundred and fifty people will have benefited of this structure. One of the parts of it is now named after her, the “Residence Madeleine-Carmel”. In 1989, having given up some of her work, she is asked to do some writing for the Congregation. She then retires at the infirmary of the Mother house where she consecrates the rest of her days to prayer for those whom she had helped to recuperate their dignity and find a better life. She died on April 19, 2000.

LINK: http://www.maison-charlemagne.org/residence-madeleine-carmel