Missionary Sisters of The Immaculate Conception
Venerable Delia Tetreault:
The Woman Who Embraced the Entire World
Born on February 4, 1865, in Marieville, Quebec (Canada), Delia Tetreault’s life was marked by the mystery of fragility from her very first breath. She entered the world alongside a twin brother who, sadly, passed away only a few months after birth. Sorrow would visit her family again when, at just two years old, Delia lost her mother. Despite these early losses and her own delicate health, she possessed an unbreakable spirit. Although she never physically left her homeland, her universal heart led her to found the first missionary institute in her country: The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MIC).
The seed of a missionary dream
Orphaned at the age of two, Delia was taken in by her aunt and uncle, who gave her a profoundly warm and Christian home. It was in the attic of this house that little Delia discovered stories of missions in the newspapers of the Propagation of the Faith and of the Holy Childhood. These readings kindled in her a flame that would never be extinguished.
When she was about ten years old, she had a prophetic dream: she saw a huge field of wheat where the ears of corn were suddenly transformed into the faces of children of all nations. At the same time, she understood that they represented children from unevangelized countries. She was struck by this dream that she would recount 50 years later.
Research and foundation
In her youth, Delia felt a strong attraction to religious life. She felt that God wanted her all to Himself. Possibly, her fragile health closed the doors of Carmel for her. Later, she remained for two months as a postulant with the Sisters of Charity of St-Hyacinthe. However, these trials only purified her vocation and confirmed that God had another plan for her.
After years of discernment and constant prayer, her missionary dream took shape. With the blessing of the Church through the approval of Pope Pius X, the Institute was officially born. After taking her vows, Delia took the name Mary of the Holy Spirit, reflecting her desire to be totally docile to the divine action of the Holy Spirit , just as was the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
Spirituality: a song of thanksgiving
Mother Delia's interior life can be summed up in a constant attitude of gratitude. Her spirituality was deeply rooted in gratitude, living her daily life as a long Magnificat.
In her writings and many letters to her sisters, she always emphasized that they should be women of thanksgiving. She constantly reminded them: "Let gratitude fill your life, let it overflow.”
This is the first purpose of our Institute: to thank God for those who do not thank Him, and then, as a testimony of our gratitude, to give Him souls, to make Him known to all peoples.
A Legacy That Lives On
Mother Delia departed for the Father's House on October 1, 1941, in Montreal, leaving behind a flourishing missionary family spread across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. On December 18, 1997, Pope John Paul II recognized the heroic nature of her virtues, declaring her Venerable.
Today, her cause for beatification continues, sustained by the prayers and favors granted to those who seek her intercession. Her life continues to invite us to ask ourselves: How can we be missionaries of hope and joy within our own reality?