Always a lively spirit with an infectious joy for living, Sister Thérèse Lemay celebrated her 100th birthday on June 21. This woman from Valleyfield, whose roadmap is far-reaching, was honored during a well-deserved celebration in the chapel at Maison Jésus-Marie.
During her talk, Sister Beverley Wattling, a member of the Provincial Leadership Team, highlighted Sister Thérèse’s ceaseless quest for God, her need to keep her family ties intact and her great care to sustain her friendships. Regarding this matter, Sister Thérèse pointed out to a journalist last year that she still maintained ties with former teachers at École de Montarville and the community of Saint-Bruno.
The last Sister to be principal of École de Montarville, Sister Thérèse Lemay has many good memories. She set up two kindergartens in this free public school and promoted co-educational classes. She had no difficulty maintaining discipline, despite her soft voice. Sister Thérèse happily remembers her discussions with the pupils. She always sought to expand the young people’s horizons so that they could be better and more fulfilled people.
She recalled her joy at meeting a former student who had thanked her warmly. He was proud to tell her that he had continued his studies which led him to a profession that enabled him to earn an honorable living today. This statement was all the more heartwarming for Sister Thérèse because she recalled having to regularly monitor this young man who had shown little interest in school while running into failures and difficulties.