The gift of self is a form of commitment that has spread since the beginning of Christianity. Over the centuries, monastic communities came into being, and then with the approach of St. Pachomius who promoted community life, new forms of grouping developed.
Numerous religious congregations were founded in the 17th century to meet the needs of the sick and the education of children.
In New France, the first presence of missionary works dates back to 1615 with the Recollets and in 1625 with the Jesuits. Then, two women religious communities settled in Quebec City in 1639. They were the Augustines de la Miséricorde de Jésus, who founded the first hospital: Hôtel-Dieu, and the Ursulines, who founded a school for young French-speaking girls and the Natives.
In 1658, Marguerite Bourgeoys founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame, while in 1659, the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph arrived in Montreal to found a hospital. In 1737, Marie-Marguerite d’Youville created the Grey Nuns congregation, which took over the reins of the Montreal General Hospital.
The needs are increasing both in Europe and in Canada, hence the birth of many religious congregations in the nineteenth (19th) century. They then compensate for the lack of public services. It should be noted that many of these new foundations in North America are now of Canadian origin.
