Everyone's story unfolds within a larger story, and mine unfolds as a sentence in the noble story of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal.  Founded in 1653 by an inspired French woman, the "Secular Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame" were born aboard the "Saint Nicolas" - a on the North Atlantic coursing toward North America, and "New France" to be exact.  I received this insight of the provenance of the CND from my sister Ann Christian Deignan whom you met on an earlier page - herself a poet, playwright, novelist and exceptional story-teller.  Much of the richness of my understanding of our story I have learned from her during the years of her gestating the story of the founder of the CND - Marguerite Bourgeoys.  If you want to know something of the mystical labors that brought the Congregation forth, please read Ann's intimate and luminous novella: The Love of a Lover: The Passion of Marguerite Bourgeoys.  It captures the 

​

cf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_Bourgeoys 

​