Nearly 50 years ago, Linda Taylor, CSJ, visited the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan where Sister St. Protais Deboille is buried. One of the six Sisters of St. Joseph of Cardondelet to first come to America in 1836, Protais led a long and fascinating life—much of it among the Ojibwe. Her story and accomplishments intrigued Sr. Linda.

Sr. Protais longed to serve Indigenous people even before she came to America, but it wasn’t until she had helped establish and serve in CSJ schools and orphanages in America for 36 years that she was sent to teach at the St. Francis Xavier Mission in Assinins, MI, which served a large tribe of Ojibwe. She remained there, living her dream of serving Indigenous people, for the last 20 years of her life. When she died, the Ojibwe buried her body in their cemetery.

Sr. Linda’s memory of her visit stayed with her for 50 years. She told Agrégée Lois Mineau about her desire to return. Mineau, who is Indigenous, offered to accompany her. “Lois wanted to support my bucket list wish to return to the Upper Peninsula and visit Sr. Protais’s grave,” says Sr. Linda.

The duo found Sr. Protais’s grave on a beautiful autumn day in September. “A large rainbow filled the sky all afternoon, and we took it as a sign that we were on the right path and that Protais’s spirit was with it,” she says. “We also put flowers on the graves of the four other CSJs who are buried next to Sr. Protais to honor the kindness they offered to the Ojibwe people and their legacy of love for the dear neighbor.”

Prior to the trip, Lois had done her own research. She found that, while many Native children had suffered abuse in boarding schools operated by religious organizations, at Sr. Protais’s school the children were treated with respect and allowed to speak their own language.

Sr. Protais’s story is showcased in the novel “Like a Swarm of Bees,” written by Carol Anne O’Marie, CSJ, and published by Good Ground Press. “It’s a great story about Sr. Protais’s life during the early days of the CSJs in America,” says Sr. Linda. “It shares how her call to be among Native people was so strong. I highly recommend it.”

For Sr. Linda and Lois, the long car drive (accompanied by Lois’s two dogs!) and stay in a “very rustic motel” were well worth it. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to make this journey with Lois,” says Sr. Linda. “It was certainly a bucket list adventure.”