This story begins with an audacious and adventurous Quebecer by the name of Délia Tétreault. As a child, Délia had a prophetic dream. She saw an immense field of wheat, and as she watched, the golden stalks transformed into the faces of children of different nationalities. She understood that these children did not know the Good Lord. From then on, her life had a purpose. Délia planted her dream and let it take root.

In 1902, the first leaf sprouted. Délia, always known for dreaming big, founded the first Canadian missionary institute: The Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Conception (MIC), a community devoted to the Mission. Her goal was not to impose conformity, but to convey style, spirit, momentum, and spirituality. Délia often said: “The spirit which ought to animate us is by all means a spirit of gratitud… doing all things, accepting all things in thanksgiving, this is the main ‘raison d’être’ of our Society.” Offshoots of the organization quickly spread, and soon her good work was blooming all around the world.

Délia Tétreault always knew how to substantiate her far-reaching vision. She was an educator who knew how to communicate her ideas in simple terms. In a rapidly changing society, she recognized how important it was to spread the missionary spirit. The written word could be the key to mobilizing the population. Délia realized there was only one reason to start a missionary magazine: to spread the mission’s good work. This MIC initiative became a precious educational tool. Délia, an innovative and self-educated woman from Marieville, took charge of the project with the help of a specialized and skillful team of experts.

Le Précurseur began to reach thousands of families. Most members of the MIC Community became involved in the publication, either by writing articles or distributing issues. Back then the magazine was part of the missionary formation. For years, the missionary Sisters would distribute copies in person with the permission of the parish priests and bishops. Many families still remember the regular appearances of the Sisters whom they would call “Les Soeurs du Précurseur.” To promote the magazine, Délia also believed in collaborating with the secular community. The first issue’s editorial therefore reads: To our Immaculate Mother and Patron, during this month consecrated to her, we ask that she inspires new and fervent propagandists, apostles of the Mission; as our readers multiply, so do friends of the Mission.

The secular community helped the mission and missionaries in countless different ways: by providing volunteer drivers, free lodgings, and delicious meals, to name only a few. The number of magazine subscribers steadily increased from 1920 to 1952, from a modest 200 to a remarkable 172,574. Almost every article was written by a missionary working abroad in the mission field. At the beginning, Délia oversaw every stage of the publication, revising every article and page layout with a fine-toothed comb. Our readers deserve the best and nothing should be left to chance, she wrote. Later on, the Sisters, working from the magazine’s basement head office, took care of every phase of creation: research, layout, photography, typography, computer graphics, and printing – not to mention subscriber services and mailing.

At the time Le Précurseur was launched, Délia was struck with prophetic insight. A true trailblazer, she recognized the importance of missionary animation and encouraged it – not only through the magazine, but also through different audiovisual projects. In 1926, with the advent of the first “magic lantern,” Délia sent the Sisters to various schools with photographs of Canton, China, mounted on glass plates – the earliest form of slides. She knew that cultural media was relevant to the cause; the Church’s presence in the world could not be limited to the press. Driven by the need to proclaim the Gospel to as wide an audience as possible, the Church felt it had a duty to preach salvation through instruments of social communication (Vatican II). If Délia were here today, she would undoubtedly be on every available social networking site, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google.

Our two MIC publications continue to be the only missionary magazines in Quebec. Both are run entirely by a group of lion-hearted women who firmly believe in the importance of their mission. Although we have cut back our print-run, we are proud to say that the MIC Mission News / Le Précurseur are both still active and widely read as they approach their 100th birthday. We are facing new challenges with determination, because we believe that our magazine and the world share the same important mission: to sow joy and hope.