Towards the end of the 19th century, as the Catholic Church intensified its call to evangelize “terrae incognitae”, the Daughters of Wisdom, guided by the missionary spirit of their founders, Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort and Blessed Marie-Louise Trichet, embarked on a remarkable international expansion. This period was marked by unprecedented missionary impetus, supported by papal encouragement from figures such as Pius IX and Leo XIII, who saw in women’s religious congregations an essential tool for taking the Catholic faith beyond Europe’s borders.
Responding zealously to these calls, the Daughters of Wisdom undertook their first overseas missions, initially settling in Haiti in 1875. This mission marked the beginning of a series of expansions that would later take them to Canada in 1884, before spreading to various other parts of the world. In Haiti, they faced a difficult climate, disease and insecurity due to unstable political conditions, but they persevered in their mission of evangelization and education, founding schools, hospitals and orphanages despite these challenges.
Boarding School, Nôtre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur
A group of boarders
Their mission was clear: to respond to the pressing demands of bishops in remote territories, often faced with a shortage of manpower for evangelization and education. The bishops saw the Congregation of the Daughters of Wisdom as a vital partner in fulfilling their ecclesiastical mission.
Their commitment in Haiti was not limited to spreading the faith. The sisters also devoted themselves to the education and care of the most disadvantaged, playing a decisive role not only in the expansion of the Catholic faith, but also in the improvement of living conditions and the education of the local population. They embodied the ideals of compassion and education rooted in their devotion to Divine Wisdom.
In 1884, the arrival of the Daughters of Wisdom in Canada marked another important milestone in their mission of international expansion. Establishing their first community in Montfort, they quickly immersed themselves in local communities, providing invaluable support in the fields of education and health care.
“Montfort. First establishment of the Daughters of Wisdom in Canada.
