Venerable Jeanne Mance
French nurse who co-founded Montreal and opened its first hospital
- Rank
- Venerable
- Kind
- Layperson, Founder
- Life
- 1606 – 1673
- Era
- 17th century
- Countries
- France, Canada
Life story
Jeanne Mance was baptised on 12 November 1606 in the parish of Saint-Pierre, Langres, in Champagne, the second of twelve children of the lawyer Charles Mance and Catherine Émonnot. She probably did nursing work in Langres within charitable efforts organised by the local bishop. In 1640 she learned of the missions in New France through a cousin and went to Paris, where she was introduced to the backers of the planned mission town of Montreal.
She sailed from La Rochelle on 9 May 1641, reached Quebec in early August, and with the group led by Maisonneuve took part in the founding of Ville-Marie on 17 May 1642. In the autumn of that year she founded the Hôtel-Dieu of Montreal; the hospital building was completed in 1645. The chief benefactor was Angélique de Bullion, who asked that her name be kept secret. Mance managed the hospital's funds, and in 1651 she offered 22,000 livres of hospital money to help Maisonneuve go to France to seek aid for the colony.
She made several trips to France. The journey of 1658, made with Marguerite Bourgeoys, led her to recruit three Hospitallers of Saint Joseph, who reached the colony in 1659. Her last trip came in 1662 and she returned to Montreal in 1664. She died there on 18 June 1673 and was buried the next day. The Archdiocese of Montreal opened her cause in 1959, and on 7 November 2014 Pope Francis authorised the decree declaring her Venerable; she has not been beatified.
Works and witness
- Left Langres in 1640 and sailed to New France in 1641
- Took part in founding Ville-Marie (Montreal) on 17 May 1642
- Founded the Hôtel-Dieu in autumn 1642; the hospital building was finished in 1645
- Brought three Hospitallers of Saint Joseph to Montreal in 1659
- Ran the hospital until her death in 1673
Saints from the same country
References
- Archdiocese of Montreal: 'Venerable Jeanne Mance: Joy for the Archdiocese', diocesemontreal.org/en/node/2377
- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: 'Church declares Jeanne Mance Venerable', cccb.ca
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography: 'Mance, Jeanne', biographi.ca/en/bio/mance_jeanne_1E.html
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.