The Quick Answer
Sister Alphonse (Marie Jacques) was a Grey Nun, one of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal. She arrived at Lac Ste. Anne in 1859 with two other sisters, moved to the new St. Albert mission in 1863, and became the mission's first teacher. Sister Alphonse Academy, a Greater St. Albert Catholic school, is named after her.
I'm John Carle, a REALTOR with Homes & Gardens Real Estate Limited, and I've been selling homes in St. Albert since 1999. St. Albert is one of the oldest communities in Alberta, and its first teacher has a story worth knowing.
On this page
Who were the Grey Nuns?
The Grey Nuns, officially the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, were founded in 1737 by Marguerite d'Youville. They cared for the poor and the sick, and in the 1800s they sent sisters to the West.
How did Sister Alphonse get to St. Albert?
On September 24, 1859, three Grey Nuns arrived at Lac Ste. Anne to work with Father Albert Lacombe's mission: Sister Zoé Leblanc-Emery, Sister Adèle Lamy and Sister Marie Jacques-Alphonse. In 1863 they moved to the new St. Albert mission, bringing seven orphaned children with them. There they started an orphanage, a school and a hospital.
What was she like?
The Grey Nuns remembered her as "jovial, resourceful; a real sunshine for somber days." She was 23 when she served the mission. She learned Cree to connect with First Nations families. She was also a skilled seamstress who sewed, knitted and made straw hats to bring income to the young community.
Where does her name live on today?
Sister Alphonse Academy, at 1 Joyal Way, is part of Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools. The Grey Nuns' wider work in health care and education in this region carried on for well over a century.
Key takeaways
- Sister Alphonse was one of three Grey Nuns who came to Lac Ste. Anne in 1859.
- She moved to St. Albert in 1863 and was the mission's first teacher.
- She learned Cree and used her sewing skills to support the community.
- Sister Alphonse Academy is named in her honour.
St. Albert's history is right there on Mission Hill. If you'd like to live close to it, I'd be glad to show you around.
Just Call John. 780-937-7534
Sources
- Sister Alphonse Academy, Our Namesake: https://www.saa.gsacrd.ab.ca/about/our-namesake
- Grey Nuns of Montreal, Edmonton: https://sgm.qc.ca/en/the-grey-nuns/the-sisters-in-america/edmonton/
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, Grey Nuns: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/grey-nuns
- Provincial Archives of Alberta (HeRMIS), Grey Nuns record: https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/Details.aspx?ObjectID=PR1323&deptID=1&dv=True