Mother Marie Louise Recton

Trochu

1876-1930

Description

Life and Work

Mother Marie Louise Recton was born December 9th, 1876 at Aron, Mayenne, France. Later she entered the noviate of the Sisters of Charity of Notre Dame d'Evron and after pronouncing her final vows in 1903, she joined the new foundation of sisters in England. The English language proved necessary for her next mission, which was to lead eight sisters to Trochu, arriving August 16th, 1909. With the help of the men and women of the area, they set up a hospital and welcomed their first patient within the first week. They started a school and lived in "the stopping place" in the coulee. Over the next two years Mother Marie Louise acted as architect, designing and overseeing the construction of a large building that housed a hospital, a convent, and a boarding school. This was the original St. Mary's, which stood on the hill in its typical French style.

These words to her sisters ring true today: "We are the stones of this foundation and we know it is extremely important that to succeed in having a solid building, one must dig deep in placing the footings. The foundation stones do not appear because they are underground. In the same way, let us disappear and love to hide ourselves in our nothingness." Mother met her God on August 22nd, 1930.

To honour Mother Marie Louise Recton, you can visit her grave in the Sisters' Cemetery just behind St. Mary's Hospital.