• Sources:
  • Drouin Institute (Archived marriage record - see attached in Media tab)

Jeanne Le Ber (4 January 1662 - 3 October 1714), daughter of Jacques Le Ber and Jeanne Le Moyne, was a religious recluse in New France (Quebec, Canada).

Jeanne was raised in a weatlthy and influential family. As a child, Jeanne was a frequent visitor with her godmother, Jeanne Mance at the Hotel-Dieu in Montreal. She also had a friendship with Marguerite Bourgeoys, foundress of the Congregation of Notre Dame. She was interested in a religious vocation at an early age and spent three years, 1674 to 1677 as a border with the Ursulines in Quebec where her aunt, Marie Le Ber de l'Annonciation, taught. Jeanne performed many acts of self denial while with the Ursulines.

At 15, Jeanne returned to her family in Montreal. As the only daughter of her wealthy family (she had three younger brothers), Jeanne's dowry was approximately 50,000 ecus. She was therefore considered the most eligible girl of New France.

In 1679 Jeanne entered seclusion for a five year period. She lived in a cell at the rear of the Hotel Dieu church and left only to attend mass. When the sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame decided to build a church on their property, Jeanne paid for a three room apartment behind the altar. Jeanne's ammended vows covered perpetual seclusion, chastity and poverty did not require her to divest herself of properties given to her by her family.

In November 1682 she refused to leave her seclusion to attend her dying mother and refused to manage the household for her widowed father. On 24 June 1685 Jeanne took a vow of perpetual seclusion, chastity and poverty. However, these vows were tempered by the fact that she retained an attendant through her years of withdrawal from the world. Her cousin Anna Barroy saw to her physical requirements and accompanied her to mass.

Her father visited her twice a year. When he died in 1706, he was buried in the church of the sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame to be near his daughter. However, Jeanne did not attend his funeral.

Jeanne was a well known person in her community and met with important visitors. Jeanne also attended to business matters, for she had not felt obliged by her vows to divest herself of property. She ceded her farm at Point Saint-Charles to the Hopital General of the Charon Brothers, Today this land is the Jeanne Le Ber federal election district.

Jeanne became ill in September 1714. She divested herself of her remaining possessions at this time. The sisters of the Congregation received 18,000 livres and all her furniture. She died on 3 October 1714 and is buried next to her father.

The Roman Catholic Church, prior to considering cannonization of Jeanne, required proof that the remains buried are hers. They sent a forensic team to analyse the remains. As a recluse, Jeanne spent her days sewing vestments and praying. The team found that the teeth were notched as if they had regularly bitten thread. The knees were marked by arthritis, as the knees of a person who often kneeled to pray would be. Other notable features agreed with Jeanne's known age and size, establishing that the remains were hers.

Jeanne Le Ber (4 janvier 1662 - 3 octobre 1714) est une recluse.

• Elle née à Montréal le 4 janvier, deuxiéme enfant de Jacques Le Ber et Jeanne Lemoines. Elle est baptise le meme jour par Gabriel Souart, sulpicien avec parrain Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve et marraine Jeanne Mance.
• Elle avait quatre frères: Loius, son aîné, Jacques, Jean-Vincent et Pierre. Son père était un riche négociant de la Nouvelle-France.
• Après ses études chez les Ursulines de Québec, de 1674 à 1677. Jeanne revient à Montréal. Elle opte pour une vie de recluse.
• Avec l'autorisation de son directeur, François de Séguenot, sulpicien, et celle de ses parents, elle se retire en réclusion dans une partie isolée de la maison paternelle.
• En 1695, les Sœurs de la Congrégation de Notre-Dame projettent de construire une chapelle attenant à leur couvent. Jeanne défraie la majeure partie de la construction à condition qu'on lui aménage un petit logement contigu à la chapelle pour lui servir de reclusoir. Marguerite Bourgeoys et François Dollier de Casson preside la cérémonie.
• Dans son reclusoir, Jeanne prier et elle travaille.
• Elle confectionne donc des vêtements sacerdotaux et des linges d'autel qu'elle brode à la perfection, utilisant du fil d'or, d'argent et de soie qu'elle fait venir de France. Certaines de ses pièces sont conservées au musée de la Maison Saint-Gabriel à Lachine (Montréal) et à la Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. Sont conservés également des vases d'autel dont elle a fait don à plusieurs paroisses.
• Jeanne Le Ber confectionne des vêtements pour les plus démunis alors qu'elle-même porte une tunique grise en haillons et des souliers faits d'épis de maïs. Elle défraie plusieurs pensions pour l'instruction de filles amérindiennes ou pauvres.
• En 1691, avec son père et son frère Pierre, elle cède une ferme à François Charon de La Barre pour la fondation de l'Hôpital Général.
• Le 3 octobre 1714, à l'âge de 52 ans, Jeanne Le Ber meurt d'une pneumonie.

Sources

• Wikipedia
• Congrégation de Notre-Dame
• {http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=928 Dictionary of Canadian Biography]