St. Ninian's Cemetery

Stone #16

Description:

Dimensions: 27 3/4 inches in height, 12 1/4 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches thick

Orientation: east

Inscription: "IN MEMORY OF / BERNADETTE SAILLANT / DIED / JUNE 10, 1886 / AGE 15 YRS / R.I.P."

Carver: J. McIsaac

Condition: good condition with a few cracks at the top and some chips and moss

Bernadette Saillant's white marble stone is an example of a domed tablet. It curves at the top to simulate the shape of a portal. The stone projects a stern simplicity. The main decorative motif is an ornate, five-pointed crown bi-sected by an ornamental cross. The crown represents the Crown of righteousness and denotes the supremacy of Christ over all living things. The cross echoes this symbolism, emphasing the trinity and religion.

Although Bernadette's stone stands in a row with eight other identical stones belonging to the Sisters of St. Martha, she herself was not a nun. There is one further irony as well, for Bernadette was connected with the nuns of the Congregation of Notre Dame (C.N.D.) rather than the Marthas. There is one possible explanation for the puzzling placement of this stone. Bernadette was one of the first women affiliated with the C.N.D.'s to be buried in the new St. Ninian's cemetery. Her stone betrays little about her personal identity. It blends in perfectly with the standardized design of the Sisters' tombstones around her. This rigid uniformity of tombstone design clearly echoed the paramount importance of the group over the individual.

It should be noted that Bernadette was not even a Novice at the time of her death. She was actually a student at Mount Saint Bernard College. Her aunt, Sister St. Zephyrine, was one of the original sisters to arrive in Antigonish; she was Mother Superior at Mount Saint Bernard College from 1883 to 1894. Bernadette came with her aunt from Montreal to study at the new school, but unfortunately died from a sudden attack of appendicitus the year of her graduation. Although the Mount Saint Bernard Annals reported Bernadette's wake and funeral, her death was not noted in the Casket.

Lindsay MacDonald