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| Birth: | 29 Dec 1734 |
| Death: | 6 Feb 1773 in NEW ORLEANS, ORLEANS PARISH, LOUISIANA |
| Sex: | F |
| Father: | Rene Pierre LeBlanc b. About 1701 in ST. CHARLES DES MINES, NOVA SCOTIA, ACADIA, CANADA |
| Mother: | Anne Terriot b. About 1703 in RIVER AUX CANARDS, CANADA |
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Individual:
Louisiana's First Acadian Religious - Nuns
The article below was published in the
Attakapas Gazette
Volume XII, No. 4, Winter 1977
LOUISIANA'S FIRST ACADIAN RELIGIOUS
By James F. Geraghty
Quite fittingly for the purposes of epic poem, Longfellow cast the aging,
exiled Evangeline in the role of a Sister Mercy, nursing the sick and
wounded comforting the bereaved, and engaged in other humanitarian works
during the twilight of her long and frustrating search for Gabriel. This,
of course, added to the romanticism of her character and lent a divine
justification to her life. Without doubt, no Acadian religious served as
Longfellow's exemplar although Evangeline's religious counterparts did
exist.
Some months ago, the thought occurred that even if the Ursuline nuns of
New Orleans had not established any convent in the bayou country of
Southwest Louisiana, their influence might hay been felt in settlements as
distant a Poste des Attakapas (present-day St. Martinville) and Poste des
Opelousas. The author subsequently inquired as to whether or not the
Ursuline archives contained the names of any girls from these outposts
received in the convent as boarding students. The Ursuline archivist's
immediate response was negative. The only "lists" of the colonial period
were incorporated into such account books which had escaped the
catastrophic fires and floods so destructive in New Orleans' past. These
ledger books, however, seldom included he students' place of origin.
After a lapse of several months, the author received a more complete
reply, again not answering the immediate question, but providing an
interesting and thought-provoking insight into the Acadian exiles' initial
contact with the world of New Orleans:
Ursuline Academy
2635 State Street
New Orleans, La.
May 29, 1977
...I have found one reference to the Acadian girls in a
secondary source. Father Charles Bournigalle was chaplain of the Ursulines
from March 10, 1890 until his death in January 31, 1894. He had access to
all the early extant records of the Ursulines, and he was assisted in his
work by one or more Sisters. He left a typed unbound manuscript called
Annales des Ursulines de la Nouvelle-Orleans. It ends with the Spanish
colonial period. In volume II, chapter 2, he devotes some pages to the
Acadians. There is one brief paragraph that refers to the Ursulines.
Dans cette circumstance les Ursulines furent comme toujours a la hauteur
de la situation; quoique bien pauvres a cette epoque, elles cTdFrent tout
l'emplacement dont elles pouvaient disposer, et allongFrent leurs tables
pour donner place a un grand nombre d'orphelines acadiennes. p. 22
Note: Below is a translation by Lucie LeBlanc Consentino!
In this situation, the Ursulines were, as always, on top of things; though
very poor at this time, they disposed of whatever goods they could and
lengthened their tables to give place to a great number of Acadian
orphans. p. 22
I was more successful with the Sisters. Notes on the latter have been
taken from a large manuscript volume, Registre pour Tcrire les receptions
des Rses. de France et postulantes [Mar. 4, 1726 - Sept. 20, 1893] et les
lettres cfrculaires (July 6, 1728 - Jan. 31, 1894]. Receptions and
professions are recorded in the first half of the book and the circular
letters (really obituary accounts) which were sent to the houses in Europe
are copied in the second part.
Rose LeBlanc
Excerpt from page 17:
Rose LeBlanc was the legitimate daughter of Rene LeBlanc of Grand Pre,
native of Acadia in Canada and of Anne Terriot; was baptized in the
parish of the said place; 29 years old; widow of Raphael Broussard,
resident of PrTcou Riat in Canada. She had been at the convent some months
and all the religious agreed, at a meeting held [on] August, 14, 1765,
that she should be admitted to the novitiate in view of her good will, her
gently disposition and kindness to all. She was received as a coadjutrix
Sister, March 31, 1766 and received the religious habit [on] April 29,
1766 before the begin¡ning of the very hot weather. Reverend PFre
Antoine, Spanish Capuchin, officiated at the ceremony.
Excerpt from page 20:
She was given the name Sister Ste. Monique and made her vows in the
presence of Father Dagobert, Capuchin, April 30, 1768.
Excerpt from [a] circular letter [on] page 232:
Sister Ste. Monique LeBlanc died [on] February 6, 1773 at the age of 38
years, 6 months. She had come from Acadia with all her family. "We have
received her and she has edified us very much during the short time she
was with us.
As soon as she learned that there was a religious community in New Orleans
she asked to be received. She was a very useful member of the community,
skillful in all things, of a gay disposition, fervent and exact in all her
duties, rendering prompt service to all alike.
She was so grateful for her vocation that she said she could never thank
God enough for the great favor of her religious vocation.
She died of smallpox.
Marguerite Bourg
Excerpt from page 18:
Legitimate daughter of Joseph Bourg and Marie Landry, resident of the
parish of St. Charles of Grand Pre des Mines in Acadia, Bishopric of
Qu6bec in Canada; about 19 years of age. She was received unanimously as
a coadjutrix sister. She had passed more than a year at the Ursuline
boarding school in New Orleans. She received the religious habit [on]
October 26, 1767. Father Prosper, Capuchin and chaplain of the Ursulines,
presided. She received the name Sr. Ste. Claire. In April 1768, the
community decided that she did not have the qualities required for the
religious life and she returned to her family.
Anne Gertrude Braud
Excerpt from page 21:
Legitimate daughter of Charles Braud and Claire Trahan; native of Pigidie
and baptised in the parish of the Assumption of the same place in
Acadia, bishopric of Canada; about 23 years of age; arrived here with
her family and desired to consecrate herself to God in the Ursuline
Convent; asked to be received at the novitiate. [On] March 24, 1768 the
community consented that she test her vocation as a coadjutrix sister.
[On] April 30, 1770, she received the religious habit as a coadjutrix
sister. Father Dagobert presided. She received the name Sr. Marie
Joseph.
Excerpt from page 23:
She made her religious profession [on] April 30, 1772.
Excerpt from page 247:
Sister Marie Joseph died in 1818. The month and day are not given.
This dear Sister presented herself at the parlor with one of her sisters
to ask to become a coadjutrix sister. She was ad¡mitted to the house and
after sufficient trial she was received at the novitiate. She made her
religious profession with great fervor, a state which she retained all her
life. Sister served the community in every way she could. She had great
charity seeking to be of service to everyone. She died at the age of 72,
having passed 47 in religion.
Elizabeth Bro
(Sister of Gertrude Braud mentioned above.)
On page 21 there is a very short entry: August 6, 1768, Elizabeth Bro
[sic], sister of Gertrude, asked to be received at the novitiate and was
accepted. Her health became always worse and she died [on] May 12, 1771
after having received the last sacraments. She has been buried in our
cemetery.
Note: I find the case of this Sister very puzzling. In every other case
where a novice was found not to have the health necessary to function as
an Ur¡suline, she was returned to her family. I wonder what was so
exceptional about this Sister that they kept her at the novitiate for
nearly three years even though her health was becoming steadily worse.
I am sorry we do not have more to offer you about these Acadian girls.
Sincerely yours,
Sister Jane Frances Heaney,
O.S.U., Archivist
We can be grateful for Sister Jane Frances' diligent search. Besides
revealing the existence of some in¡teresting persons, the letter cited
above provides a small idea of the wealth of information in this
250-year-old educational institution, the United States' oldest
convent-school. By the same token, the LeBlancs, the Theriots, the
Broussards, the Breauxs, the Landrys, the Trahans, the Bourgs and others
in the Acadian Litany of Saints (and sinners) can take great pride that of
their name and lineage came Louisiana's first Acadian religious.
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