Christmas Necklaces
Imagine that everything is burning. You have lost all of your belongings. Your dependency on the events and on the charity of others is absolute: it is a question of life or death. This was the case of the Christian Hurons fleeing from the Georgian Bay to Quebec at the time of the Iroquois attack in 1650. Almost 300 Hurons established their camp near Quebec's first inhabitants and benefited from an unconditional welcome from the Hospitallers, Jesuits and Ursulines communities who provided them with food and clothing.
A few months later, at Christmas in 1650, a tragedy shakes the modest festivities of the young colony. The "Holy girls" (as the Chief of the Tairaronk Hurons called the Ursulines) saw their home and most of their property destroyed by fire. Desolation and compassion filled the small community and its first inhabitants. Everyone reached out helpfully to assist the community and the young French and Amerindian girls they sheltered.
One offered a towel, another a shirt, another a coat, another one gave us a chicken, another a few eggs… Our hearts were deeply moved by so many testimonials of compassion, says Marie Guyart of the Incarnation.
The journal of the Jesuit Relations (also known as Relations des Jésuites de la Nouvelle-France), tells us that "the disaster of the Ursulines sisters deeply touched the children of the woods". The war and fire destroyed everything they had, leaving them extremely deprived. They had installed their huts in the city, near the Hotel-Dieu and were dependent on public charity. What could they do? As was the custom, the Amerindians held a lengthy Council meeting. They each expressed in turn, their will to offer comfort and support in such circumstances. They went to the Hospitallers who had fraternally welcomed the victims. The Huron Chief Tairaronk expressed, on behalf of his tribe, a speech full of consideration in regards to the Ursulines Sisters. Here are a few excerpts from his speech that allow us to see not only the compassion they had but also a deep understanding of the Christian commitment of the Ursulines Sisters, of which they acknowledged they were the beneficiaries.
Having seen this beautiful House of Jesus burn, having seen this beautiful House of charity reduced to ashes, having seen the fire reign with no respect for your persons, Holy girls who lived there… Holy girls, you are now reduced to the same misery as your poor Hurons, for whom you have had such a tender compassion. You are without a country, without a home, without provisions, and without help, if not of Heaven - of which you never lose sight… We have witnessed that your courage was not devastated under the ruins of this house…
Two porcelain necklaces that withstood the disaster will be offered by the Hurons. These necklaces are of great value to Amerindians. These beads symbolize the agreements, the contracted alliances. They also represent their sympathy and are offered to comfort in the most painful moments.
The texture of this moment surpasses any kind of material sharing. The following excerpt illustrates well the meaning of their gesture: the young Huron Church wants to comfort them in this project of the Canadian mission.
To strengthen your resolutions… they said (for leaving their family and country in order to teach them the Christian faith) here is a 1200-bead porcelain necklace, that will sink your feet so deep into this country that no love of your parents or of your homeland will be able to remove them. The second present that we now kindly ask you to accept is a similar 1200-bead porcelain necklace to lay the foundations of a building meant to be the home of Jesus again, the house of prayer, and where will be the classes in which you will be able to instruct our young Huron girls. These are our desires and also yours…
What intense communion was manifested between our Amerindian and French ancestors, united in faith in these difficult moments on Christmas Day 1650!
Catherine Jean
Article from the website Trends and issue (Tendances et Enjeu), published on January 8, 2013
