Marie de l'Incarnation, 1599-1672

Marie Guyart, later known as Marie de l'Incarnation, was born at Tours, France, in 1599. She displayed exceptionally religious tendencies even at an early age, and entered an Ursuline convent after her husband died. She soon felt an inspiration to come to New France, and arrived at Quebec in 1639, where she founded the Ursuline order and acted as Superior of its convent until her death in 1672. She dedicated herself to the education of French and Indian girls. To do this she mastered several Indian languages and compiled Algonquian and lroquoian dictionaries. She was declared venerable in 1911 and beatified in 1980. These stamps designs are based on statues of the subjects, by sculptor Emile Brunet. Mère Marie's statue stands in the courtyard of the Ursuline Convent in Quebec; whereas that of Kateri Tekakwitha is to be found in the shrine at Caughnawaga. The stamp designer, Laurent Marquart of Montreal, has used high-contrast photos of work in appropriate colours and combined with identifying graphic elements for the stamp: the lily, insignia of the Ursuline Order.