At the end of the 19th century as politics became increasingly hostile towards religious orders, the Society of Saint Edmund decided to establish a new ministry in Canada. By the start of the 20th century, the Society lost everything they built in France. Forced to leave the country, a small group of Edmundites began again by ministering the French-speaking Catholics in Quebec.

Asked to serve the French-speaking Catholics of northern Vermont, the Edmundites responded and established several parishes as well as Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT. The College’s first building, Founders Hall, was dedicated in 1904 and in 1913, Saint Michael’s became the first Catholic college in Vermont, empowered to grant college degrees. In 1904, the Bishop of Burlington also asked the Edmundites to administer Saint Anne’s Shrine in Isle LaMotte, a sacred place in the Champlain Islands visited by thousands each year for reflection, prayer and recreation.