Origins

On September 8, 1853 the Church of Canada welcomed a new religious Congregation, the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin which grew out of St. Gregoire le Grand Parish in Nicolet  in the Province of Quebec because of a number of providential circumstances :

• the parishioners' interest in education ;

• Jean Harper's desire to confide the education of local girls of the parish to religious women who were teachers ;

• the collaboration of his associate, Calixte Marquis;

• failure to obtain other religious  Congregations for the education of local youth ;

• the desire of four women, (two were qualified teachers,) to enter religious life;
  

Léocadie Bourgeois, Mathilde Leduc, Hedwidge Buisson and Julie Heon accepted to be the first members of this new Congregation.