Excerpt from The Life of Henriette D'osseville: In Religion, Mother Ste, Marie, Foundress of the Institute of the Faithful Virgin

The following life of the Foundress of the Congregation of the Faithful Virgin has been compiled, as its perusal will show, from the first archives of the new Institute, and from letters, chiefly of spiritual direction, addressed to the members of her own community. Although the history of Mother Ste. Marie and of the work which she achieved does not claim any very marked character istic of novelty or exciting incident, it cannot fail to be of general interest as describing the career of one raised up by God for the especial work of educating and taking charge of Catholic orphans, than whom there is no class more exposed to danger, particularly in a Protestant country. The Sisters of the Congregation of the Faithful Virgin received the warmest possible welcome on their arrival at Norwood both from Cardinal Wiseman and Bishop Grant, they have been held in the highest esteem by the whole Catholic body in England, and their Foundress must have possessed many sincere personal friends who will be most glad to become, through these pages, further acquainted with the earlier incidents of her life.

The hand of God stamped in deep, sharp lines on her whole course those characteristics by which He invariably accredits to us the founder of a new work.

He spared her none of the obstacles, delays, and bitter disappointments which often seem to render almost hopeless the success of an undertaking designed by Him to receive His especial blessing. The opposition which Mother Ste. Marie had to encounter for a long period was of a very peculiar nature, and singularly harassing and perplexing. But she persevered through all by reason of the deep faith and humility, and the rare confidence in God and conformity to His will, with which her soul was imbued. Her generosity of self-oblation was equalled by her generosity of self sacrifice, and her disinterestedness may be pronounced truly heroic.

The solid virtue of the infant Congregation was tested in two opposite ways. It had been scarcely formed when Divine Providence called it to a most arduous Work, not its own, the attendance on the sick during a terrible visitation of cholera. It was but a little older when it was summoned to the still more trying work of tending for a time the wounded soldiers in the Crimea. This appears a strange training for the special charge of protecting and educating orphans of the poorer class; and, had it not been for the firm and watchful rule of the holy Foundress, directed with a pure and single intention to the one great object of her life, her foundation might have been easily drawn aside from the vocation which had called it into existence. She had the happiness to see that all helped to purify and develope more rapidly the religious tone of her Institute.

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