Publication Date: October 21, 2024
Inspired by True Events
At the stroke of a pen, Sister Cassandra Lalonde has gone from being a teacher in an orphanage to a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, and her beloved students have been “reclassified” as mental patients. Set against the backdrop of Québec’s Grande Noirceur (Great Darkness) of the 1940s and ’50s, Day of Epiphany tells a haunting, riveting story inspired by the true events of the Duplessis orphans scandal, a much overlooked national tragedy.
Invisible to society, and with no rights under the law, the children of Sainte-Madeleine Institute are subjected to horrific experimental treatments and unspeakable abuse. Alone against the combined powers of the Catholic Church, the autocratic government of Maurice Duplessis, and the province’s medical authorities, Cassandra must resort to increasingly drastic measures to protect those under her care. Ghostly hymns and desperate prayers build to a crescendo. When Cassandra’s plans to save one of her best and brightest students fall apart, she renounces her vows, and is left to pick up the threads of a shocking criminal scandal with roots stretching far beyond the walls of Sainte-Madeleine.
This is a story of faith and betrayal, irreconcilable loyalties, and one courageous woman’s dauntless humanity in the face of institutionalized oppression. Part historical fiction and part mystery, with the atmosphere of a noir thriller, Day of Epiphany underscores a transformative moment in Canadian history.
For about three decades, thousands of Canadian orphans were falsely diagnosed with mental illness to maximize governmental funding.
Author Jerome J. Bourgault uses the Duplessis orphan scandal as inspiration for Day of Epiphany. Readers are taken back to 1950s Quebec to meet Sister Cassandra Lalonde, initially assigned to an orphanage.
She grows close to her charges, taking special care to watch over a group of four. When the orphanage burns and reopens as Sainte-Madeline Institute, Cassandra’s role changes to nurse. More concerning, however, is the reclassification of the orphans as mental patients.
What ensues is brutal abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church in conjunction with the provincial government. The four young girls under Cassandra’s care find themselves subject to unnecessary medical procedures, beatings, and sexual abuse.
Cassandra proves to be a resilient character, not only through her intervention attempts, but also through her determination to effect change. Disillusioned by an entity meant to show compassion, Cassandra is determined to find answers.
While the subject matter is painful, the author accurately tells a powerful story where innocence is exploited by the very people charged with keeping the children safe.
Day of Epiphany sheds light on a Canadian national scandal and the gross abuse of orphans under governmental care.
Jerome J. Bourgault is a French-Canadian author, actor, visual artist, and educator. His debut novel, The Perpetual Now, was named winner of the 2021 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) for Science Fiction and the Eric Hoffer Award for Commercial Fiction. Day of Epiphany was named winner of the Whistler Independent Book Award for fiction in 2025 and the 2026 CANREADS Award for Historical Fiction. Jerome holds degrees in Anthropology (McGill University) and Communications (University of Ottawa)
