Mary Elizabeth Turgeon (1840–1881)

Biography

Canadian religious, María Isabel Turgeon brought Christian education to poor children in rural areas of Quebec. She was a teacher for nearly ten years and, despite her fragile health, responded to the invitation of the bishop of Rimouski to form a community of educators. As the first superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, she prepared and sent nuns to small rural schools where teachers and resources were lacking. He faced misunderstandings, poverty and illness with serenity and confidence in providence. He died at the age of forty-one, leaving behind a mission that continued to grow.