Monastère des recluses missionnaires – Archives Department

BRIEF HISTORY
Les Recluses Missionnaires are a contemplative Institute founded in 1943 in Alberta, Canada by two Montrealers, Rita Renaud and Jeannette Roy at the behest of the curate of Tangent, Father Louis-Marie Parent, Oblate of Mary Immaculate. The link between the first two Recluses emerged thanks to their shared admiration for Montreal’s recluse Jeanne Le Ber (1662-1714).
 
The Recluses Missionnaires are devoted to Eucharistic adoration and to intercession for their brothers and sisters. They celebrate the Eucharist, pray the Canonical Office and live in community in a customary atmosphere of silence. In earlier years, the Recluses undertook several projects, such as teaching the catechism. Since 1970, their focus has been on monastic hospitality, offering their guests rooms and an environment conducive to reverence and contemplation. Thus, through prayer and welcome, the sisters are both recluses and missionaries.
 
During the 1980s, the order extended its mission to laypersons wanting to share in their spirituality. Little by little the famille reclusienne emerged, wherein there were several different ways to be involved.

Having expanded to Montreal in 1950, and to several other monasteries including some abroad, the order now resides in Montreal, in Rivière-des-Prairies. The monastery currently consists of 22 nuns.

DESCRIPTION OF FONDS AND COLLECTIONS
Private fonds of the Recluses Missionnaires       
Series 1    History and Foundation of the Institute

• SS1 Founders 
• SS2 Jeanne Le Ber, inspiration - Collaborators of the foundation
• SS3 History of the community and the monasteries
• SS4 Newspaper articles  
• SS5 Photo album 

Series 2 Administration

• SS1 Corporate structures
• SS2 Canonical structure – General chapters
• SS3 Superiors general
• SS4 General Council

Series 3 Members of the Institute

• SS1 Staff
• SS2 Stages of religious life
• SS3 Deceased Sisters 
• SS4 Former Sisters
• SS5 Knowledge of the Sisters

Series 4 Famille reclusienne

• SS1 Definition and diverse activities 
• SS2 A.M.F.R.
• SS3 Spiritual monastery

Series 5 Spirituality  - Training

• SS1 Constitutions and rules 
• SS2 Directories -  Customaries -  Ceremonials
• SS3 Liturgy - Prayers - Hymns
• SS4 Training

Series 6 Mission of the Institute

• SS1 Hospitality
• SS2 Catechism – Religious surveys
• SS3 Works in Haiti
• SS4 Rosary Chapel - N.-D. Lourdes, Mtl
• SS5 Gardiennes Chapel - St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal

Series 7 External Relations     

• SS1 Publications since 1950 
• SS2 Website
• SS3 Golden Books
• SS4 Jubilees of the Institute 
• SS5 Public celebrations

Private fonds of the Reclus Missionnaires de Jésus-Marie (1953-1957)

Foundation attempt by a group of men  - 4 Dossiers

Jeanne Le Ber Collection, recluse of Ville-Marie (1662-1714)

• 28 Books
• 13 Multimedia
• 142 Photos 
• 10 Museum objects                                    
• 2 Albums: articles, reports, celebrations, photos

Other collections:

60 objects with links to the foundation, the founded monasteries, and the sisters’ knowledge.

Time span included in archives: 1943-today.
Iconographic documents: 1 m.l.
Text documents: 13 m.l.
Hours of audio recording: approx. 5
Hours of video recoding : approx. 25
Digital data: 1 250 000 ko
Number of fonds: 3

MANDATE AND MISSION
The archives department aims to conserve the documents and objects related to the order’s history, with a particular focus on the period of its foundation.
 
Additionally, through its Jeanne Le Ber Collection, it sheds light upon the figure of the recluse of Montréal (1662-1714) whose life and spirituality inspired the founders of Les Recluses Missionnaires.