Marie-Josephte Fitzbach (October 16, 1806 – September 1, 1885) was the founder of the Good Shepherd Sisters of Québec. The daughter of Charles Fitzbach, a native of Luxembourg, and Geneviève Nadeau, she was born in St-Vallier de Bellechasse,

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

. She did not go to school as a child and left home at the age of 13 to become a housekeeper in

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

to support her family. Three years later, she began working for François-Xavier Roy, a merchant. At the same time, she paid a student to teach her how to read and write and basic accounting. Following the death of her employer's wife, she married Mr. Roy in 1828 at

Cap-Santé Cap-Santé () is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the county seat of Portneuf Regional County Municipality and was as well the county seat of the designated Portneuf County, Quebec, Portneuf County. The name of the town means "C ...

; he had two children and the couple had three more daughters. After her husband died in 1833, the two older children were put in the care of grandparents and she was left to raise her three daughters. One daughter died in 1846. In 1849, her two daughters joined the Sisters of Charity of Quebec. She moved to the Sisters' hospice to be closer to her daughters. In December 1849, at the request of bishop

Pierre-Flavien Turgeon Pierre-Flavien Turgeon (November 13, 1787, in Quebec City, Quebec – August 25, 1867, in Quebec City) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest and Archbishop of Quebec for 17 years. Life Pierre-Flavien Turgeon was born in Québec on November 13 ...

, she established St. Magdalen's Refuge, a home for women released from prison. In February 1856, as Mother Mary of the Sacred Heart, she became the first mother superior for the Good Shepherds of Quebec. She was the first person born in Quebec to found a religious order. Her portrait was painted by painter

Marie-Elmina Anger Marie-Elmina Anger (December 24, 1844 – November 5, 1901) was a Catholic nun and artist in Quebec. She was also known as Sister Marie de Jésus. Biography The daughter of Séraphin Anger and Rose de Lima Anger, she was born in Pointe-aux-Tremble ...

, a member of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Quebec who also painted the portraits of other Quebec religious figures. She was declared

venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

in June 2012.

Good Shepherd Sisters

The Community developed from the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Quebec. In 1849, upon visiting the city jail, lawyer George Manly Muir was moved to create a women's shelter. Muir was president of the SVP and persuaded the other members to undertake a house of refuge. The Society rented a house, but needed someone to manage it. Bishop Turgeon recommended the widow Roy."Our History", Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Good Shepherd Sisters of Québec
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzbach, Marie-Josephte 1806 births 1885 deaths Canadian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns 19th-century Canadian nuns 19th-century venerated Christians Founders of Catholic religious communities Venerated Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI Canadian people of Luxembourgian descent 19th-century Roman Catholic nuns