Just as contemplation and action tend to become attuned to one another in our lives, so too do spirituality and charism mutually complement one another.
The extraordinary gift of the Spirit given to a person or group for the common good of the Church and society is called a charism. It is a particular appropriation of the mystery of God and the Gospel. It makes a person able to read the “signs of the times” and find a way to respond to them. It confers upon a religious congregation its identity, so to speak.
Marie-Rose Durocher is an inspirational figure for us. With her early companions, she worked with the companions who were with her in the beginning to liberate her people from the situations which the lack of educational opportunities causes. Through Christian education, she sought to promote the identity and dignity of everyone, especially children and women. She embodied the values of faith, justice and love in the concrete reality of her time and her milieu: Quebec at the time of the Patriots (1837–1838).
Marie-Rose Durocher passed on her founding charism to us, inheriting it as members of her congregation. Since then, like a creative fire, it has never stopped unfolding, evolving and diversifying, more or less perceptible to our eyes.
On the occasion of the Second Vatican Council, all religious congregations were called upon to undertake a spiritual renewal of consecrated life. Among other things, the purpose of this renewal was to better understand the original inspiration (their charism) that animated their foundation.
A serious search led us to redefine our SNJM charism: