Sainte Marguerite D’Youville (1701-1771. Feast, October 16th)
I have to laugh when they call me a dangerous woman;
A woman of ill-repute; a drunken whore.
It’s true that my step-father was merely a commoner,
And my husband, bless his soul, was little more
Than a profligate philanderer who made money
By selling liquor to the Indians for their furs.
But I’ve kept my dignity throughout it all—
What’s more, I’ve extended the same respect to others.
I have with me a little band of sisters.
We serve les misérables: the riff-raff, the scum,
The boozers, the mad, the good-for-nothing people,
We never close our doors to them when they come.
We are mothers to the poor and those in need.
We are drunk with love! Les soeurs grises,* indeed.
* The Grey Sisters; “grises” is slang for “drunken (women).”