Treasure Found at the Archives of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame

In the summer of 2023, while cleaning a room at the Archives Services of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, a ring was discovered in a metal box similar to a toolbox. It was an episcopal ring in yellow gold, the band of which is adorned on each side with an angel overlooking a radiating cross in an oval frame. This ring belonged to Mgr Giacomo della Chiesa, Archbishop of Bologna, who, under the name of Benedict XV, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1914 to 1922.

How did this ring wind up at the Archives Services of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame? The archivists were able to establish that Pope Benedict XV presented this ring to Archbishop Paul Bruchési, Archbishop of Montreal, in April 1919 during his last trip to Rome. Contemporaries in age, one born in 1854, the other in 1855, the two prelates certainly struck up a friendship as they entered the ecclesiastical world. Archbishop Bruchési described Benedict XV as “his ordained confrere.” Subsequently, Archbishop Bruchési offered the ring to the sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame in 1938, probably in early July.

In fact, Archbishop Bruchési was friends with the sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame. He was chaplain to the Pensionnat Mont-Sainte-Marie, a boarding school run by the Congregation, from 1890 to 1897, and continued to maintain ties with the establishment, attending events such as awards ceremonies. He was also president of the Montreal Catholic School Commission from 1894 until 1897, when he was appointed Archbishop of Montreal. He maintained his ties with the Congregation and the world of education, among other things by supporting the efforts of Sister Sainte-Anne-Marie (Marie-Aveline Bengle) to gain acceptance for the project to create the first classical college for girls in Quebec, École d’enseignement supérieur, which received official approval on June 16, 1908.

A few years later, Archbishop Bruchési worked with Sister Sainte-Anne-Marie to found a teacher training college, dedicated to the training of future secondary school teachers, and other teacher training colleges. After more than ten years in the planning stage, the Institut Pédagogique finally opened its doors in 1926. However, Archbishop Paul Bruchési never had the opportunity to discover the establishment in the company of Sister Sainte-Anne-Marie, who died in 1937. It was not until June 15, 1938 that he visited the Institute. The event is recorded in the annals.

Bishop Bruchési kept very fond memories of his visit to the Institute, as he wrote to the sisters: “It seems so extraordinary that I sometimes wonder if it is not simply a beatiful dream? ” Finally, he mentions that he had missed Sister Sainte-Anne-Marie during this visit, but that he was certain she was watching over him and the sisters on this walk, as she watches over the entire work of the Congregation. [Taken from: Archives Congrégation de Notre-Dame – Montréal (AL206 – Fonds Institut pédagogique et du Collège Marguerite-Bourgeoys, 308.600.094)]. This renewal of ties with the Congregation probably led to the gift of the episcopal ring around 1938.

The Congregation preserves the documents that recount the epic story of the ring, and that bear witness above all to the spiritual union between the archbishop’s pastoral mission and the mission of liberating education carried out by the daughters of Marguerite Bourgeoys.

As the ring does not fall within the rules of conservation, it was decided that the Congregation would not conserve the ring. It will be offered for sale at an auction to be held in Paris on July 4, 2024. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Fund, which provides one-time and recurring donations to a number of organizations dedicated to supporting students and their families in the Montreal region, and in all parts of the world where the Congregation is present. Through this gesture, it hopes to participate in the “beautiful missionary dream” shared by Archbishop Bruchési and Sister Sainte-Anne-Marie.