Blessed Émilie Tavernier Gamelin

Biography

Blessed Émilie Tavernier Gamelin, also known as Émilie Tavernier, was born on 19 February 1800 in Montreal, Canada. She was the youngest of 15 children born to Antoine Tavernier and Marie-Josephte Maurice. Sadly, Émilie was orphaned at a young age and was raised by her aunts.

Émilie received her education from the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Street school. It was during her time there that she felt a strong calling to work with the poor and disadvantaged. This compassionate inclination would shape her life's work.

At the age of 18, Émilie went to help her widowed brother, but she made one condition: their table would always be open to the hungry who came to their door. This act of charity and hospitality set a precedent for Émilie's future endeavors.

On 4 June 1823, Émilie married Jean-Baptiste Gamelin, a wealthy and pious apple farmer. Together, they had three sons, but sadly, all of them died as children. Tragically, Jean-Baptiste passed away on 1 October 1827, leaving Émilie a young widow.

During her time of mourning and prayer, Émilie turned to Mary, Mother of Sorrows, as her guide for dealing with her losses. It was through her deep spirituality that she came to see the poor and needy as her new family. Émilie converted her home and inheritance into a shelter, known as the House of Providence, for the orphaned, abandoned, mentally ill, homeless, handicapped, immigrants, and destitute individuals. Her compassion knew no bounds, and she even worked with prisoners and cared for the sick.

For fifteen years, Émilie labored tirelessly, submitting her ideas to her priest and bishop and remaining obedient to their guidance. However, she often faced challenges, such as scarce funds and resources, diseases within the community, and internal dissent that endangered her relationship with her bishop. Despite these trials, the House of Providence endured and grew.

In 1841, Bishop Bourget asked the Daughters of Saint Vincent de Paul for assistance. Unfortunately, unforeseen problems prevented their arrival. In light of this, the bishop called upon the faithful in his diocese, leading to the formation of the Sisters of Providence in Montreal. Émilie, as the foundress and Mother Superior, made her first vows as a novice and nun on 29 March 1844.

The early years for the Sisters of Providence were challenging, but they persevered. Even with only 50 sisters at the time of Émilie's death, less than eight years after the congregation's formation, the order continued to grow and expand. To this day, over 6,000 Sisters have joined the congregation, serving in various countries such as Canada, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Haiti, Cameroon, Egypt, the Philippines, and El Salvador.

Émilie Tavernier Gamelin's dedication to the most needy and marginalized in society earned her recognition and admiration. Pope John Paul II declared her venerable on 23 December 1993, acknowledging her heroic virtues. She was later beatified by the same pope on 7 October 2001. The beatification miracle involved the miraculous cure of a fatally ill 13-year-old on 18 December 2000.

Blessed Émilie Tavernier Gamelin, with her unwavering commitment to serving the poor and vulnerable, stands as a model for all in nurturing a compassionate and selfless approach to life's challenges.