religions Article Lived Religion among Montreal’s Grey Nuns during the Vatican II Era: A Subject of Debate † Dominique Laperle Department of humanities, Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie, Montreal, QC H3V 2C5, Canada;
[email protected] † All quotations have been translated by the author from French except those from the Providence Province and the St. Joseph Province which were already in English. Abstract: This article deals with changes in the devotional practices of the Grey Nuns of Montreal in the context of the Second Vatican Council. This apostolic Congregation, active since the 18th century, has preserved the prayers and devotions instituted by its foundress, Marguerite d’Youville, in its daily religious practice. Under the effects of the decree Perfectæ caritatis and the motu proprio Ecclesiae Sanctæ, the general chapters of the ad experimentum period became the theatre of exchanges and debates around this heritage. Between the desire to adapt and the fear of losing popular and spiritual traditions, these consecrated women testify to their ability to make choices, to make necessary changes, and to preserve a delicate balance between the past and the present in their lived religion. Keywords: Vatican II; lived religion; devotions; piety; Grey Nuns; women religious; experience; Montreal 1. Introduction The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) is recognized as a defining moment in the his- Citation: Laperle, Dominique. 2021. tory of the Catholic Church (Alberigo and Komonchak 1995–2006). In Canada, the Church’s Lived Religion among Montreal’s aggiornamento has been the subject of several studies (Routhier 2001; Schultenover 2008; Grey Nuns during the Vatican II Era: Attridge et al.