A life given.... to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus!
Here is the tribute presented by Sister Marlaine Lalancette, Prioress General, at our Sister Gisèle Carrier's funeral on Monday January 8. Here is a brief overview of our dear sister's life, illustrating the unique gift she was to the world, to her community.
Dear family and friends, good morning!
To talk about s. Gisèle, we must first situate her as the 9th of a family of 16 children. Of her parents, Mr. Joseph Carrier and Mrs. Rose-Alma Tardif, she would say: I inherited from them the sense of self-giving, the sense of depriving myself for the benefit of others, the sense of sharing, of forgiveness.
She also writes: "From my earliest childhood, on my mother's knee, I learned to murmur the name of Jesus, without knowing what it meant, but I knew it meant someone. Over the years, I came to understand that it was someone, and someone important, because that name was spoken with reverence by my parents and siblings. And when Mum or Dad made us 'say' our evening prayers, the name of Jesus was invoked; and to this Jesus we entrusted our intentions.
Moreover, the large, well-explained catechism in pictures taught me a lot about the character of Jesus. In my teenage years, Jesus became more intimate to me, and I loved praying to him.
As a boarder at the Normal School in Ste-Rose-du-Dégelis (Témiscouata), s. Gisèle seriously experienced loneliness, the real nostalgia of the family home. In addition, her shyness accompanied her everywhere, making it harder for her to adapt.
Graduating at the end of three years, she taught for three years at Notre-Dame des Laurentides. During this time, she met a friend who asked her to marry. Faced with this proposal, she told him that her plans were to enter consecrated life.
In 1959, she entered the congregation of the Dominican Missionary Adorers. Over the months and years, she discovered the depth of its spirituality: adoring the Father through Jesus, the perfect Adorer.
In 1960, she began her novitiate under the name Sister Marie du Christ-Roi. Before her first vows, she wrote: "Those formative years were particularly happy for me. I was favored by the presence of wonderful companions, with whom I could talk, study, get involved in theatrical activities and laugh as much as needed!"
After her perpetual vows in 1965, she took on various tasks at the Mother House before receiving a missionary obedience for Alberta, in Brosseau, a township in the diocese of St-Paul (Alberta). On the eve of her 1st departure, Sister Gisèle expressed her heartfelt thanks to Mother Julienne du Rosaire and her sisters. Mother Julienne echoes her words: "If Sister Marie du Christ-Roi saw in her mother the prototype of the Dominican Missionary Adorer, we have just heard the prototype of the daughter of Mother Julienne du Rosaire. Thank you for these sentiments expressed with such delicacy, warmth, and depth".
In a second mission, at Fishing Lake, Sister Irène Paquin, one of her companions, testifies: "With s. Gisèle I lived happy years. At school, I benefited greatly from her many and delicate attentions to me. As a teacher myself, my class benefited from her pedagogy and competence, because she also taught catechism and prepared children for the sacraments. She also received some parents at home for preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, the Eucharist and even Marriage. Intuitive, she was happy to help wherever possible. And, like the Virgin of the Visitation, she would hurry to take my lunch to school. And knowing my lack of physical strength, she would lend me her hands and feet to relieve me. Yes, how precious her help was! More than once, I even hired her as my private secretary.
After 35 years in this Métis colony, her dedication continued in St-Paul. In September 2013, this last house in Western Canada was scheduled to close. S. Gisèle admits: "I left this 'adorable' province of Alberta, this environment where friends grew like wheat."
Back at the mother house, Parkinson's disease was a constant companion, and her health was deteriorating. On October 10, 2017, she was entrusted to the care of the Augustines Sisters at their Intercommunity Infirmary. Once again, she generously accepted the great sacrifice of leaving her sisters of the Cenacle. Her joviality and self-forgetfulness quickly won the hearts of the nursing staff. However, her illness rapidly reduced the strength of her legs and her balance, causing her to fall again and again. Gradually, she lost almost all her motor skills, but Sister Gisèle did not close herself up in self-pity; her sense of humor remained. She writes to a religious friend on November 17, 2019: "After a period of falls, I was ordered to walk around with my walker - since then, the floor remains free for others!"). And February 25, 2021: "As for me, my health hasn't improved - falls are still the order of the day, whatever the day or the hour. My arms remain blue or purple, depending on the liturgical season".
After eight years in hospital, as her illness progressed, the doctor declared, around December 18, that she had reached the end of her strength. Comfort care was then provided.
On December 21, she received the sacrament of the sick, and on December 25, she heard the voice of her Spouse: Come my beautiful one, the winter of your sufferings is over. It was her final encounter with the Lord.
Thank you s. Gisèle for your dedication to community and fraternal life. With your humor and your witty remarks, you knew how to thwart the fatigue or boredom of one or the other. Your sensitive heart responded to the pain and joy of a companion, relative or friend. Thank you, also, for your life of adoration. For you, being in the presence of the Eucharistic Heart was your daily bread.
sr. Marlaine Lalancette, o.p.
Monday, Janvier 8 2024
