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Montreal Gazette
41 minutes ago
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: A woman was 300 years ahead of the Pope
By Special to the Montreal Gazette A puff of white smoke. An inaugural mass. Countless headlines. More than two months have passed since the election of Pope Leo XIV, celebrated as the first American pope. But how many people realize he is 300 years behind the first American nun? Or that she was basically Canadian? I came across Lydia Longley's story more than 25 years ago when researching my husband's Eastern Township roots. History is my passion. I've been an educator in Canada, the U.S. and beyond, and am the editor of the Victoria Historical Society's quarterly publication. I've also written for the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. What follows is drawn from dozens of original documents and 19th century accounts. Longley was born in 1674 in Groton, Massachusetts Bay Colony. She was a Puritan woman, Wabanaki captive, Catholic convert and member of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame (CND). She has been called 'the first American nun' — the subject of a 1958 children's book of that title. Like Pope Leo, Longley was a teacher. She worked at a small CND mission on l'Île d'Orléans and the order's large Pointe-St-Charles farm. Like Pope Leo, she served the church for decades, far from her native home. She, too, lived in times of global strife. Unlike the Pope, she was kidnapped, held hostage, made a new life for herself and never returned to America. From 1650 to 1775 the Haudenosaunee and Wabanaki raided the New England/New France borderlands in order to defend their territories, dissuade settlers from further encroachment and take captives who could be ransomed or sold. Colonial powers retaliated. Settlement disrupted the lives of Indigenous peoples in every way imaginable; its impact is still felt in Canada and around the world. Attacks intensified when France and England were at war. At one point, Massachusetts authorities forbade civilians from abandoning rural settlements; they were the first line of defence, protecting larger towns. On July 27, 1694 a group of Wabanaki attacked Groton. Most of Longley's family and several neighbours were killed. Longley was among a dozen people captured. Her story, like that of many others caught in border conflicts, is one of dislocation and death. Historian Emma Lewis Coleman accounted for more than 1,600 colonial Americans who were captured and taken to Canada. Most returned home but approximately 200 stayed in Quebec permanently. Around 50 captives were fully incorporated into Indigenous communities. At least seven young women became members of Catholic religious orders; Longley was the first known to have taken permanent vows. By March 1696, Longley was at the CND in Montreal (Ville-Marie). Accounts of how she got there, where she stayed and what — or who — influenced her religious conversion are all speculative. But it is fact that she was baptized as a Catholic in April 1696. She signed the register Lydia Magdalen Longley. In December she joined the congregation. By September 1699 Longley was a professed nun, Sister Ste-Madeleine, named after the patron saint of women, converts and penitent sinners. CND nuns went freely about Montreal and to missions throughout Quebec. They taught their students, tended farms and transacted congregation business. Longley was not cloistered; she learned to live and work in a new language and culture. Longley died in Montreal in 1758 at age 84. She was interred at the parish church, site of today's Notre-Dame Basilica. She spent most of her life in New France. Nonetheless, the burial record referred to her as an 'English Woman' — not French, not Canadian. Longley's story is still relevant. Today, no matter where they settle or what contributions they make, immigrants and refugees often are seen as 'the other.' Yet Longley's story offers hope. It's one of resilience, comfort in community and adaptation in times of turmoil. Longley's life also speaks to the glacial pace of change in religious and secular institutions. 'First Canadian Pope,' 'First Woman Pope,' even 'First Woman Pope is Canadian.' Imagine those headlines.
CTV News
41 minutes ago
- CTV News
Michael Walters running to be Edmonton's next mayor
A photo of Michael Walters from his 2025 mayoral campaign materials. Former two-term Edmonton councillor Michael Walters has entered the mayoral race. He announced his campaign and website via press release Monday morning. 'We can't have a repeat of the last four years. We need to turn the page, be more focused and more decisive. We need cool, calm and clear leadership grounded in collaboration – a leader that can work well with anyone – across political and ideological lines," he said in the announcement. He called things like road and LRT construction delays and zoning and land-use challenges a sign of a good problem – the city's rapid growth – that can be managed better. His platform will consist of fast-tracking housing, reforming infill rules, making the city safer by expanding social services and reducing homeless camps, and improving city services. 'The greatest responsibility of the mayor and council is to create the conditions for an Edmonton that thrives and succeeds. That will be my focus. I know I can make a positive difference for Edmonton, and help us fulfill our incredible civic potential,' Walters said. He served as a councillor from 2013 to 2021 in the ward now called Métis. He chose not to run again in 2021 and has since worked for Berlin Communications. The list of people who have either announced their intent to run or officially entered the race consists of Tim Cartmell, Andrew Knack, Rahim Jaffer, Malik Chukwudi, Vanessa Denman, Omar Mohammad, Olney Tugwell and Tony Caterina. The election is on Oct. 20. This is a breaking news story. More to come…
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Apply now: Windsor seeks new Ward 2 councillor
Those interested in becoming a city councillor in Ward 2 can now apply. Nominations opened Monday to fill the vacant seat after city council voted in favour last week to hold a byelection. This decision comes after former Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante resigned on June 22. Candidates seeking nomination will have until Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. to register. Those wishing to run for the election must be a resident of the City of Windsor, a non-resident-owner or tenant of land in the city, or the spouse of such owner or tenant. They must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18-years-old. Residents will head to the polls on Monday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting will take place on Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, October 18, at Campbell Baptist Church on Wyandotte Street West. Polling locations for October 27 are still being finalized and will be released in the upcoming weeks. Interested candidates must fill out the prescribed forms in the City Clerk's Office at City Hall Square. A nomination filing fee of $100 applies.
