Sister Yvette Gravel

November 15, 2009, Sister Yvette Gravel,
in religion, M.-Lise-Anna
went home to God.

She was 89 years old and had been professed for 68 years.
Born in St-Jean-de-Matha, she was the 6th of 10 children
of Joseph Gravel and Anna Lafrenière.

Yvette grew up in a family where education and religious formation were greatly valued. 'God is always first!'  "At school,the example shown by my SNJM teachers and the quality of their teaching helped me to love our Community.”  When the time came for her to choose between marriage or religious life . . .“after prayer and reflection, I chose religious life.”

Sister Yvette entered the Postulate at the age of 19 and began teaching two years later. Her teaching career spanned 45 years, educating elementary and high school students in both the public and private boarding school sectors. "In all that I undertook, I tried to live the maxim: ‘What is worth doing, is worth doing well.’  My students respected this."

Gradually, as she grew older, Sister Yvette became more relaxed and serene. At the age of 67, she helped out with various community ministries for the next 15 years. During the last 7 years of her life, she was in the infirmary at the Motherhouse in Outremont and then at Maison Jesus–Marie in Longueuil.  Throughout her life, Sister Yvette had a great devotion to the Eucharist. “He took care of my omissions, my weaknesses and erased my human failings.” At the end of her life, she said, “Lord, give me a joyful heart once again.”