County Faces: Sister Aurelie of Madawaska

5 years ago

At age 97, Therese Michaud — or Sister Aurelie, as she prefers, the name she took when she became a nun — is still sharing her gifts of faith and joy with those around her.

She was born in St. Agatha in 1921, one of her parents’ six children. She only grew up with four siblings, though, as one of her brothers died at 6 months old just before she was born.

Michaud and her family lived for most of her teen years in St. Agatha, where she graduated from school at 16. After graduation, she moved to Ottawa, Ontario, to enter a Catholic convent there. She continued in the religious life and made her full profession of vows, becoming Sister Aurelie.

“And then I went where they sent me,” she said.

She first was transferred to Long Island, New York. Though she originally wanted to be a nurse, her superiors thought she would make a good teacher.

“So,” she remembered, “they taught me how to teach, and I taught school for about eight years.”

After her work in education, she had an opportunity to pursue her dream of nursing, and began her medical studies. She received her nursing degree in 1953.

“When I graduated they took me to St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York,” she said. “I was there for about 20 years.”

It didn’t matter to her what the occupation was; she loved what she did.

“I was just happy wherever I was,” she said. “It was my life.”

Later on, she adopted a new challenge: serving the homeless.

“Someone started a shelter for people who were looking for a home,” she said.

She was invited to help. Once her superiors cleared her for the project, she moved to help with the shelter for about five years.

Her life of service led her to several locations. She worked in Appalachia for a while, then returned to Maine to work with the less fortunate at a shelter.

“I went to Lewiston because there were a few sisters there working with the poor. I would stay home and give a hand at the shelter,” she said. “I used to teach the women there. We received a whole lot of donations and I taught them how to crochet.”

Life went on, and she returned to the St. John Valley in 2008. She resided at Montfort Heights in St. Agatha for a time, and later moved to Ridgewood Estates in Madawaska, where she remains. She continues to share the light of faith, reading for the Mass and leading the Rosary every night.

“We pray for people who are dying and very sick,” she said.

Family, friends and Ridgewood staff hosted a celebration for Sister Aurelie in February, honoring her for achieving not only her 79th anniversary as a Sister of Mercy, but for being the oldest living Sister of Wisdom in the United States.

At the gathering, her nieces Pierrette Soucy and Mona Lavoie sat in the VIP section of the room and looked on in admiration and pride as their Tante Therese gave a full recount of her life journey.

Sister Aurelie said her next life goal is to meet “the sisters” — some of her fellow nuns — in Canada.

“And that is going to be very beautiful,” she said.