The Missionary Sisters of The Immaculate Conception
Our Foundress
Our Foundress is Délia Tétreault, known in religion as Mother Marie of the Holy Spirit, born in 4th February 1865 in Marieville, Quebec, Canada. From an early age, she was deeply moved by the stories of missionaries and felt a strong desire to bring the Gospel to distant peoples who did not yet know Christ.
As an adolescent, Delia recounted a dream that marked her deeply. One night, while kneeling by her bed in prayer, she suddenly saw an immense field of golden wheat stretching as far as the eye could see; then, before her eyes, each ear of wheat transformed into the faces of children from different parts of the world, of many races and colors. In that moment she understood that many of these children did not yet know the Good Lord, and she felt called to offer her life for the poorest and most forgotten among them.
As a young woman, Délia tried to enter several religious communities, but fragile health and various circumstances forced her to leave and to let go of her first plans. Gradually, in prayer, she came to understand that God was inviting her not necessarily to go abroad herself, but to dedicate her life to forming and supporting women who would be sent on mission. Encouraged by Church leaders, she opened an apostolic school in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, in 1902, to prepare young women who wished to become missionaries.
Delia started an apostolic school to train young ladies for the foreign missions on 3rd June 1902. The project was quickly recognized by the Church. In 1904, Pope Pius X supported the foundation of a new women’s missionary congregation, and in 1905 the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception were officially established in Quebec, with Délia, now Mother Marie of the Holy Spirit, as the first superior general. Under her leadership, the community grew and opened missions in China, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Africa and other regions, becoming the first Canadian women’s congregation dedicated specifically to foreign missions.
After a stroke in 1933, Mother Marie of the Holy Spirit’s health declined, and she died on 1st October 1941 in Montreal. Her humble yet determined faith, and her love for peoples living in poverty, helped spark the missionary dynamism of the Canadian Church at the beginning of the twentieth century. On 18th December 1997, she was declared Venerable by pope St. John Paul II. This recognition by the Catholic Church is significant as it shows that Delia tetreault led an exemplary life and she continues to inspire us to respond to today’s needs with creativity, gratitude, courage, gentle compassion and joy.
