Sister Jacqueline Lemay

Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.”  Jn 14:12

May 1, 2009, Sister Jacqueline Lemay,
her religious name,
Madeleine-de-l’Eucharistie,
went home to God at the age of 86.
She had been professed for 61 years.
                                   
Born in Montreal, Quebec,
she was the fifth and last
surviving sibling of  9 children.
Her parents were Richard Lemay
and Antoinette Carbonneau.

Sister Jacqueline completed her studies with the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame and taught for two years with the SNJM's before entering our Congregation.

After having taught for 20 years at the High School level as well as in the Instituts familiaux (Family Life Institutes) in St-Lambert and in Ste-Martine, she then became involved, for a period of ten years, with a variety of community services: health care, sacristan, driving Sisters to appointments etc.  She was a woman of extraordinary initiative and creativity.

In 1975, she worked in pastoral animation, and most of all, she organized services and activities for the underprivileged, the elderly and immigrants: collective kitchen, meals on wheels, courses for learning French, day-care, community garden . . .
The last ten years of her life, Sister Jacqueline was responsible for the volunteers who helped out in the infirmary and she also accompanied our sick Sisters to doctors' appointments as well as being present with those who were dying, all the while keeping in contact with the underprivileged.

Even though Sister Jacqueline found community life to be a challenge, she was grateful for all that she received from her apostolate.  She developed many friendships throughout the years through her dedicated work with the poor who had no voice.
 
Indeed, the Lord must have received her with open arms!