Obituary Notice
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SISTER ÉMÉLIE GULBRANDSEN
in religion
SISTER SAINT CÉCILE
May 6, 1910
Sister Emilie Gulbrandsen was born in Christiana, Norway, daughter of Andersen Gulbrandsen, blacksmith, and Christine Erickdater.
She entered the Novitiate on September 13, 1860 at the age of 18 years, 5 months and 14 days, and made her religious profession on October 2, 1862.
Arriving from Norway at the age of 12, she was already an orphan, her parents having been victim of the epidemic which was rampant in Quebec where they had stayed on their journey. The mother was stricken the night before their departure for the United States which had been their destination, and she died within twenty-four hours. The father followed his wife to the grave. Their five children were taken into custody by the Protestant government agents to be returned to their close relatives, but through one of these providential happenings where God’s love is evident, there was in Quebec a broker, Mr. Hans Hagen, employed by the Norwegian Consul for Canada, and a recent convert to Catholicism. Having heard of these unfortunate orphans, he accepted, at the recommendation of Fr. J. Bolduc, to be named legal guardian for these children. He pleaded with the court, in his right as one of the same nationality, having as his witnesses three captains of the Norwegian frigate docked in Quebec for national business, and he promised to contact the family so as not to arouse suspicion on his designs to raise these children in the Catholic faith.
This good Mr. Hagen adopted the eldest and placed Amelia, our late sister, at the boarding school of the Ursulines. After a time at the monastery, she was transferred to the Grey Nuns of Quebec where she prepared to receive Baptism. Her godfather was Fr. T. Hamelin, a priest of the Bishop’s residence, and her godmother was the Assistant General of the community.
Three years passed. One day, our beloved Mother Bruyère, visiting the Quebec convent, spoke to many of the students of the Grey Nuns about the beauty of religious life and the need she had of good subjects for her young community. All wanted to follow her as often happens in such circumstances. The Reverend Mother spoke to Amelia among others, and told her that Bytown was very far away. The young girl responded, “Oh! I would go to the ends of the earth to be a Sister of Charity!” A few days later, she traveled to Bytown. She was then 18 years of age; it was in 1860.
At this time, the Grey Nuns in Ottawa had no other works but the General Hospital, a boarding school and parish schools. Several orphans had been accepted at the mother house, it is true, but the limited resources of the community had not allowed the sisters to purchase a spacious enough home to receive any more.
Our venerated Sister Thibodeau, who knew how to find and treat all physical and moral ills, was moved at the sight of so many children who were abandoned to public charity, or rather, were condemned to a life of ignorance and vice. She felt in her heart an immense desire to open a home where she could, following in the footsteps of the Venerable Mother d’Youville, receive and educated these poor orphans. With this in mind, in December, 1865, she had rented a modest dwelling on Bolton Street, where she received some thirty children.
Having witnessed the wealth of charity that filled the heart of Sister St. Cecile, this initiator of a new ministry succeeded in obtaining her services as her bursar, or rather as the provider for the orphanage, as was St. Joseph whose protection was invoked since he had provided for the Holy Family.
Sister St. Cecile took up her duties on August 10, 1866. Her zeal and dedication were such that by the spring of 1867, the number of residents had doubled and there was a need to find a more spacious home, one that was quickly found on Church Street, next to the present residence of the Archbishop. And this dear bursar, whom Sister Thibodeau had entrusted with the full burden of the mission, could say in gratitude: “Just as we seemed to be lacking in everything, Divine Providence did not abandon us and saw to our needs.” One must admit that her unshakable trust in God and her peerless courage were often her main resources. She worked untiringly according to the proverb, “Help yourself and heaven will help you.”
Each day, she could be seen leaving for some errands of charity, or rather, to seek food, clothing, needed furniture. Several generous ladies, whose names have been religiously preserved in the registers of the house, would accompany her and encourage her with their own offerings.
She was always seen as giving of herself for others. Doing good, bringing relief to the neighbour, using her ingenuity to respond to the needs of her protégées, that was the ongoing concern of each of her days, actually of her entire life. And, after all this activity, rather than seeking to store up some strength for the next day, she would go to the laundry late at night, to teach the older girls how to wash clothing, how to iron, or make and repair mattresses, sew bed coverings, etc.
Up at four o’clock each morning in order to perform her spiritual exercises, she would find herself “fresh for the day” as she would say. In less than two years, the home on Church Street was inadequate. Again, through heroic acts of dedication was she able to undertake the construction of an $11,000.00 building at the corner of Sussex and Cathcart, thanks to the collaboration of a very charitable Mr. Beland, adoptive father of her sister, Sister St. Edouard. They took possession of that building in May, 1868.
There was a blessed rivalry in zeal among these collaborators, our Sisters Marie du Rosaire, Saint Gertrude, Saint Lucie, Saint Victoire, and those admirable ladies who were the Mrs. Trudeau, Tache, Beland, Cote, Beauset, Dufresne, Coursoles, Lusignan, along with so many others.
The ladies established a sewing group and spared no trouble, no activity, not even their own purses to help clothe, feed and shelter the young abandoned children who were brought to them from all parts.
Once the home was built, Sister St. Cecile succeeded in providing large closets to protect the clothing, a cellar which was well furnished, practical out-buildings, even a stable where they kept their first horse, a gift from a generous friend, and the first cow for which the younger children had prayed fervently to St. Joseph in their own childish way: “Good St. Joseph, please send us a cow so we can have milk in our porridge.” And Sir Tache, who one day heard the prayer of these little ones, was moved to tears and gave them the first cow for their stable.
Illness often comes as a result of deprivation, and so it was for the sisters and the children. Motherly concerns increased to eradicate both the cause and the effects. In her solicitude, she would have the cradles of the little ones who were bedridden brought close to her cell so that she could watch over them herself until they were well again. With much ingenuity, she set us a pharmacy that was sufficient to respond to the most urgent needs.
Once she had managed to bring one task to term, she would be looking forward to another. One in particular haunted her since the foundation of the orphanage, knowing full well the source of the strength that created heroines. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament did not yet live under their roof, although she had obtained the favour of having the Holy Mass celebrated one or twice a week in the home’s provisional chapel. Bishop Duhamel wanted to give in to these holy desires of the superior and soon, in the shadow of the tabernacle, a corner of heaven opened up in St. Joseph orphanage. It was the stimulant that brought about miracles, a powerful springboard for this ministry.
Where else can be found the explanation for the gradual disappearance of the debt incurred by this construction? But, also, how many raffles, how much begging, how many bazaars! And in all of this, Sr. St. Cecile always took upon herself the most arduous tasks. For many years, she assumed the begging in the local parishes. In all seasons, in spite of storms and poor roads, in spite of rebuffs and poor reception from some, this strong woman was always happy with the hospitality she received and she called down blessings from heaven for all, those who were generous as well as those who gave but a pittance for her dear orphans.
Only toward the end of her life, did she concede to having others who were younger and stronger perform these difficult excursions.
In 1895, she undertook several trips to Quebec, to Montreal and to Toronto, to visit modern orphanages. She then began preparation for a project that would give her increasingly numerous family more space, more hygienic commodities and a larger piece of land whose fresh air would strengthen the health of both the sisters and the children.
After three years of prayer, she chose a superb site on Rideau Terrace. The intervention of St. Anthony was evident in the light of the many advantages that were offered in the new construction. Her joy was only matched by her gratitude to God, when she was able to sign the contract that would ensure that within two years she could move her dedicated collaborators and the orphans into this new space, since the Cathcart Street home had become so crowded.
The site which housed another of our work, Bethlehem Asylum, was in an area that was unhealthy. The sisters in charge there would plead with heaven to come to their help. Listening only to the kindness of her heart, Sister St. Cecile made an request to the mother house Council offering a section of the Orphanage land to the superior of the Manger and even the spacious brick house which was located there, at a nominal cost of a few hundred dollars. The offer was accepted with joy and once more, one could admire not only the generosity of our dear sister but also her abundant love for the congregation.
On September 8, 1898, the first Magnificat was sung in the new St. Joseph Orphanage whose terrain bore the name Mount St. Anthony, because this piece of land was found and the negotiations were fruitful after the third novena to this great saint. There is no need to speak of self-denial and sacrifice; they were the daily bread of the superior and her sisters. However, Divine Providence who always saw the anguish of the day took care of tomorrow. The question was always present: How does the good Sister St. Cecile see to so many needs? Oh! She had in her soul this living faith that moves mountains and an unshakable trust in God’s help.
Could she not enjoy, here and now, the fruits of her labour? ... God’s will, expressed through her superiors, took her away from the work of her life, in spite of her understandable pain, the pleas of her collaborators, the tears of the children who felt that with her departure, they were orphaned once again.
No, where she had suffered so much deprivation, she was not to taste the legitimate satisfaction of seeing this fully functioning organization, beautiful and spacious classrooms where minds would be fed, as well as the fresh air and the new expressions of charity which would revitalize the bodies of her dear protégées. The hour had come for a heroic sacrifice and so, in September, 1901, she bid farewell to her disconsolate family and went to Mattawa to take up the direction of its hospital.
The obedience and acceptance of Sister St. Cecile were perfect. With increased trust in God, she gave herself totally to her new mission. A terrible tragedy, that of a fire that destroyed the hospital in a few hours, came to test her courage, but it did not weaken. In long periods of prayer in the presence of Christ Jesus, she prayed for his help. The Divine Master helped his servant understand that this disaster could carry some benefits; that the insurances, which had been doubled through her own diligence, would provide the means, not only to re-build the destroyed entity but to add several modern improvements which would make of it a center of good taste and cleanliness.
Strengthened with new energy, she encouraged her helpers and set to work, in spite of her weakened health, and soon a practical and spacious Mattawa Hospital rose from the ashes as she had dreamed. It had been truly her work. Will she now be able to enjoy some rest? She does not request it, since she had promised God to die, if need be, on the altar of the cross. He will give her more bitterness to drink in the cup which He offers her.
In spite of her age and her exhausted spirit, she accepts in 1908, at the request of Bishop Lorrrain, to be transferred as superior to the Hospital in Pembroke which will be for her an arena of hard labour, fruitful in beautiful and admirable works, but for which she will not be able to count on any other help than that from on high. So many worries! So much distress! What personal martyrdom as she weighed the undertaking, not only within the hospital itself, but in the construction of a sizeable wing, as her own physical strength began to wane. She gave it all her energy. Like Mary, she remained on Calvary, her eyes focused on Jesus, until the moment when the divine invitation would call her to the eternal banquet of the heavenly spouse.
It was on May 6, 1910 at 6 o’clock in the morning, that, at the mother house, she succumbed, victim of her zeal and of her love for God and the congregation.
R. I. P.
Taken and translated from: "Nécrologies des Soeur Grises de la Croix", Tome II, 1810 to 1927, Mother House, Ottawa, 1933, p. 8 - 14.
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