Sister Germaine Dargis

“Be alert, praying at all times...” (Luke 21, 36)

January 13, 2017, Sister Germaine Dargis 
in religion Marie-Lise-Thérèse  
went home to God. 

She was 90 years old and had been professed for 68 years. 

Born in Saint-Louis-de-France,
she was the 4th of the 13 children of 
Ernest Dargis and Aldéa Buissière.

Germaine was born into a family with deep faith for whom prayer was the daily bread. "For us, prayer was of prime importance: the Angelus at noon and in the evening, in common while working, morning and evening prayer: together we knelt down and prayed, not for long, but in the presence of God. On Sunday, at 4 pm, my father would always go to make his Way of the Cross at Church while Mama stayed home with the younger children...As we got older  we were free to go to the Church."

Germaine attended the parish school until the 7th grade, and then worked in private homes that were recommended to her, including that of the brother of Sister Beatrice Héon, S.N.J.M. Inwardly, Germaine wanted to become a Sister. When visiting, Sister Beatrice’s smile and warm welcome left a lasting impression on her. "She had an impact on me; I said to myself: I will enter her community.”

In the month of January, when she was 19 years old, Germaine entered the postulate of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. "I felt very much at home, and nothing surprised me. At home there had been a lot of prayer and sacrifice.  Mama told us: "When you are alone, my children, pray silently." She already had formation for prayer and work. After profession, she began a 25-year career as a cook in the boarding schools of Marie-Rose, Beloeil, Mont-Royal, Epiphany, Valleyfield, Longueuil and Verchères.

After a year of renewal, Sister Germaine was involved in a variety of services especially at the Motherhouse, and then at houses in Ste-Martine and Ste-Émélie: helping with the sick, in the linen room, with housekeeping, in the refectory, and at the reception.

As her health was diminishing, Sister Germaine felt more called to a ministry of prayer. The confidence which her mother had instilled in her and which she had remembered throughout the years, took on a new dimension: "You, Germaine, are the 4th station on my Way of the Cross - Jesus meets his Mother." and Sister Germaine intensified her devotion to Mary, expressing the wish that a hymn to the Virgin Mary be sung at her funeral.

Sister Germaine, discreet, humble and available, always gave to her full potential. Under Mary’s protection, she was ready for the moment of her grand departure for which she had so well prepared.