Sister Marguerite Hudon
Sister Marguerite Hudon, s.g.m. (1918-1974) Marguerite Hudon is born on November 1st, 1918 into a large family in Rivière-Ouelle, county of Kamouraska. After entering the Grey Nun novitiate in 1940, she works for seven years as a cook at the Motherhouse and the Saint-Charles Farm. Assigned to the Châteauguay farm in 1949, she dedicates herself […]
Sister Claire Ménard
Sister Claire Ménard, s.g.m. (1922-1998) Claire Ménard is still seventeen years old when she joins the Grey Nuns, whom she knows well from two elder sisters who preceded her and from her studies at the congregation’s École Ménagère. Throughout her life she puts her cooking talents to good use, starting at the Motherhouse kitchen (1942-1955), […]
Motherhouse, Eating
Eating The various residents of the Motherhouse eat their meals in different refectories or dining rooms, while the Nuns eat in the community refectory. Until the 1960s meals are eaten in silence while a Sister reads aloud from scripture, newspapers and other approved books. Meals are served by Nuns assigned to this task, who also […]
Motherhouse, Cooking
Cooking The Nuns, assisted by lay kitchen staff, prepare more than 2000 meals daily. Industrial-sized kitchens are set up on the ground-floor of each wing. Smaller kitchens next to the refectories are used to reheat dishes. Various industrial machines were added over the years to assist in preparing meals: steam cauldrons, roasters, mixers, percolators, freezers, […]
Motherhouse, The Vegetable Garden and the Orchard
The Vegetable Garden and the Orchard Located between Saint-Mathieu and Guy Streets, the vegetable garden and orchard occupy an area of approximately two acres. Until the 1960s, many Nuns work there assisted by hired labourers. A wide variety of vegetables and fruits are grown but despite the abundant harvests it is not enough to feed […]
Motherhouse, Food Preservation
Food Preservation A summer pavilion is built behind the chapel in 1926, a covered area serving as a place of recreation and reading for novices. In good weather the entire community occasionally gathered there for its meals. In preparation for the winter season, postulants, novices and professed Nuns gathered to preserve vegetables and fruits freshly […]
Motherhouse, 124 Years of Presence at the Motherhouse
Motherhouse, Montréal 124 Years of Presence at the Motherhouse In 1871 the Grey Nuns depart the General Hospital in Pointe à Callière, where they resided and worked since 1747, to escape the local urbanization and industrialization, the continual expansion of Montréal’s port, and the inevitable annual spring flooding of the neighborhood. They move to their […]