Doctrinally speaking, the Virgin Mary was prepared by God to be the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of the Divine Son who made Himself one among us to redeem us. God made her enter the Trinitarian life and allowed her to take part in His sanctifying action on our behalf in a very special way. He associated her closely to our redemption, to our redeemed life which is destined to eternal life. The Church honours her as the Redeemer’s Associate and the Mother of Grace. She is closely linked to our birth and education in faith, to our sanctification and our eternal salvation. That was God’s will.
Hence in this whole project of salvation, the Holy Spirit’s gift of counsel is of highest importance. This gift is linked to the virtue of prudence-queen of the moral virtues that presides over our personal conduct as well as over the conduct of people under our care. The gift is also linked to charity-queen of theological virtues which gives a divine value to our actions. The same gift lightens our intellect making it judge rightly and urges our will to decide what is good. The Blessed Virgin performed a unique role in God’s plan for salvation. It is in that inner light that the Bishop received in the course of his life especially from the time of his pilgrimage to Genazzano and of his deep understanding of it. Coming back from Rome in 1883 he was entrusted with teaching of Moral Theology in the Seminary. His friend Fr. Alphonse Lemieux who was teaching in the same seminary gave him the painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel which he had got from Genazzano and this he took to the Major Seminary in 1887.
In the Seminary the picture of Our Lady was fixed in the wall and in front of it was a kneeling chair and above a frame with a prayer to Our Lady. On February 6th, 1887 it was blessed and this contributed much in the growing devoted of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Quebec. Bishop Labrecque was one of the most fervent promoters of this devotion especially when he became the Rector. In 1887, he had the image printed and obtained from Cardinal Taschereau an indulgence for the prayer of Our Lady which was written at the back of the picture. He distributed it to all the seminarians and even at large. In February 1888 he got an artist make an ornament to the painting by fixing a lamp to burn day and night in honour of Mary and on behalf of those praying to her. No wonder the seminarians gave him another painting of the Beloved Madona when he was leaving the Seminary for Chicoutimi Diocese in 1892. They thought it was the best way to express their gratitude and love. Bishop Labrecque responded;
“Your choice could not have been dearer to my heart neither better to strengthen our spiritual friendship, this charm of Christian life. Through history we know, according to many a certain statue called “Pallas” had the power to bring success to all enterprises and keep away all dangers; hence the name of “Palladium”. My own palladium in the dangers of life, in the daily trials and in the inevitable difficulties in the administration of a huge diocese, will be the venerated picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel. It will always be under my eyes: It will remind me where wisdom, kindness and power reside and where help will come from to me”.
It was with such a Marian fervour in his heart that Bishop Labrecque undertook his work in Chicoutimi Diocese.
On arrival, he could not help thinking of the aspirants to priesthood of whom he was directly in charge, he acquired another painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel and gave it to the Seminary of Chicoutimi, blessed it in a colourful liturgy with priests, seminarians and assured them that the Mother was the protector of the Seminary Every year on April 27th the feast day would be celebrated in both Seminaries. In 1900 when the Seminary got a second floor, Bishop gave the seminarians a chapel named after Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Bishop Labrecque had this painting of Our Lady in the Cathedral of Chicoutimi and in his office it was always before him at his table as he thought of himself as being under her gaze, instruction and wisdom. Great theologians know the place of Mary in the history of salvation some of whom are St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori who wrote his admirable works of dogma and spiritual life under the vigilant gaze of Mother Mary and St. Ignatius of Loyola who wrote the spiritual exercises under Mother Mary’s direction- the Mother throne/seat of wisdom.4
Chicoutimi was a vast Diocese and there was a class of poor people who needed education yet teachers were un reliable because they found it better to go for ‘greener pastures’ in cities like Quebec and Montreal. He thought that having an Institute of consecrated women would be a more reliable option to carry out this burning need for the lowly in Chicoutimi.
It is amazing that one day an Oblate Father passing at Baie –St. Paul where Francoise Simard was staying, after she had confided in him the events of her life, her readiness to perform God’s design, as well as her persisting watchfulness to find out about her.
future, the kind Father gave her a picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel, telling her in such a convincing manner, that she stood
astonished; “Take it, pray to our Lady with confidence, it is she who will guide you”.
When she was still discerning her vocation, Bishop Labrecque always told her, “Pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and call upon her under the name of Our Lady of Good Counsel, she herself will be your main counsel”. Whenever he would write to her, he would say; “pray to Our Lady of Good Counsel”.
All the above came true and after Simard had accepted the will of the MASTER, on 4th November 1894, the first clothing ceremony took place and she received the name of “Marie – du- Bon- Conseil” (Mary of Good Counsel) on December 8th, 1894. Hence, with the collaboration of Marie du Bon-Conseil, he was able to found the Institute and named it after Our Lady of Good Counsel in 1894. As willed by the Bishop this new Institute dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel would be committed to the education of children in primary schools.
The Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Mbarara- Uganda, 1939 and Our Lady of Good Counsel of Byumba-Rwanda, 1994, share the same Founders, the same charisms and mission.