Photo Geneviève Thibault
a living whole and an everlasting source of inspiration and wisdom
The Ursulines Sisters
and the Quebec
Monastery:
The Ursulines,
pioneers of girls' education
Origins
In Renaissance Italy, Angela Merici founded the Company of Saint Ursula (Brescia, 1535). The Company brought together women who wished to devote themselves to God and serve their neighbours while remaining in the heart of the community.
Shortly thereafter, in the wake of Roman Catholic church reforms brought by the Council of Trent (1545–1563), the Company became the Order of the Ursulines, a cloistered religious order, with the vocation of girl's education. Ursuline monasteries with schools spread throughout France, and then across Europe and New France.
The school survived three catastrophes, two fires, in 1650 and 1686, and the devastation of the Conquest of 1759. Generations of students had already passed through the school’s doors when young English-speaking girls began arriving from outside Quebec City.
In the first half of the 19th century, the curriculum, which had focused on reading, writing, religious history, arithmetic, the catechism and needlework, was expanded to reflect a changing world. New courses were added, including languages, French and English literature, natural sciences, history, geography, physics, chemistry, astronomy, drawing, painting, theatre and music. Teaching methods were also thoroughly revised. The school was gaining recognition: American families were now sending their daughters to be educated in Québec.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bishops throughout the province turned to the Ursulines for the education of children and the training of schoolteachers, for the provision of care and spreading of the Gospel at large in Québec, and for the preservation of the French language and the Catholic faith in regions where Anglophones and Protestants churches dominated. Ursuline communities thus sprang up across Québec and elsewhere in Canada. As well as in Japan, Peru and the Philippines.
The 1960s marked a turning point. In Rome, the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) heralded a new era. The Ursulines, remaining true to their roots, voted to leave the cloistered life, returned to their maiden names and took up wearing lay attire.
The Parent Report (1963–1966) launched a sweeping reform of Quebec’s education system. The classical course taught by the Ursulines was abolished in 1967, and the Normal School in 1972. By 1998, the secondary school had also closed its doors, leaving only the elementary school in operation.
The École des Ursulines de Québec continues to prepare the citizens of tomorrow. Every day, its classrooms welcome some 600 students from more than 40 nationalities, including boys since 2010.
Looking to the future, the Ursulines founded a cultural centre in 2016, the Pôle culturel du Monastère des Ursulines. In 2021, they established the Ursuline Cultural Heritage Trust to ensure the preservation of their educational, cultural, archival and spiritual legacy for the benefit of the people of Quebec.
400 years of service
On August 1, 1639, three french Ursuline Sisters, including Marie de l’Incarnation, and their benefactor, Madeleine de La Peltrie, arrived in Québec and settled in a modest dwelling on Place Royale. Very soon, young Indigenous girls were entrusted to their care, marking the establishment of the first school for girls in North America. In 1642, the teaching Sisters moved to their newly built monastery, in the Upper Town.They began welcoming young French girls the following year.
Shaping lives and destinies
Nuns, teachers, builders, women of letters, diplomats, advisors, confidantes, architects, noblewomen, scientists, businesswomen: the Ursulines are truly women of action, conviction and contemplation. They have provided material and spiritual assistance to bring about change, to meet needs, and to contribute to the development of Quebec society.
The Ursulines paved the way and set an example for generations of students who dedicated themselves to the recognition of women’s rights and to building a place for women in society.
A legacy of human values
As pioneers in education, the Ursulines remain faithful to the human and spiritual values they
inherited from their founder, Angela Merici. For them, education extends far beyond the imparting
of knowledge and skills to helping each person thrive and develop to their full potential so they
can contribute to building a more fair and just society.