Sister Marie Pierre — God’s Messenger of Love and Joy

Day 38 of Photo Inspirations – Sister Marie Pierre
I was so thrilled to see this precious lady at a luncheon on Tuesday — I just knew she would be my photo inspiration for today.  She retired to St. Joseph’s Monastery a year or so ago — after being over Pastoral Care at Church of the Madalene for many years.  She’ll be celebrating her 60th year as a Benedictine nun later this year. Sister Pierre is the epitome of deep devotion and commitment for God, His Church and His people, and at the same time — she is so real and down to earth.  She is delightful and hilariously funny, yet exudes her love for God and His people in such a practical way. She moves slower these days, but her charm and wit have never ceased.

I’ll never forget hearing her tell her personal story.  She said, “I made my first public appearance on December 17, 1928.  When the news of my birth reached the party lines the whole country fell into a depression.”  Her own critic, she said,  “I had the kind of hair that belonged under a veil.  My cousin said it looked like the first rays of the morning sun reflected in a pan of cold dishwater.  I struggled with it until the day it was shorn and I had no regrets over that. There was a movie star that had her hair around her head and I thought it was so pretty and I worked and worked to try to get my hair like that.  I still can’t figure out how she did it.  But the movie star I looked like was Mickey Rooney.”

While teaching at Marquette she had this experience.  “I was on the playground with Cora Jackworth one time.  She was the 4th Grade Teacher.  One of her kids got in a fight and she sent him in to write about which commandment he had violated.  They were learning the Ten Commandments.  After a while she brought me his paper and he had written ten times, “Thou shall not commit adultery in vain.”

I just wanted to share how much she has meant to me.  She was relentless in her visits to the hospital and to our home when my sweet husband was so ill….and after he went to heaven, she continued to check on me to be sure I was okay.   This precious woman of God, no doubt, will one day have a royal homegoing and I’m quite sure the red carpet will roll out, the bands will be playing, and choirs singing…..but most importantly, there will be lines upon lines of peope there giving her a standing ovation because of how she impacted their lives with God’s love.  Whether here, or up there with her, I’ll be among those singing her praises and celebrating the gift God gave us in her.