Good morning. First I would like to express my deepest condolences, on behalf of all of us, to Sr. Mariette’s family-to her surviving brothers John, Frances, William and Raymond, and to their families, and to the families and loved ones of her brothers Kenneth and Robert who preceded her in death and now celebrate the fullness of life in God with her. Know that the love and prayers of all the Franciscan Sisters, Daughters {and Sons} of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 10 countries around the world surround you and accompanyyou at this difficult time of loss.

The opening line of today’s first reading says it all when we seek to discover the essence of S. Mariette’s life: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. Mariette experienced this reality very early in her life. Being the eldest child with 6 brothers, she no doubt observed over and over again how her parents cared for all of them with dedication and self-giving love. With so many active younger brothers, I’m sure that she occasionally found herself tasked with keeping track of them, and perhaps even rescuing them on occasion. She carried this loving and caring spirit with her as she moved through life.

S. Mariette always seemed to excel at whatever she did-she was highly praised for the quality of her work during high school, finishing first in her class year after year. She edited the school newspaper during her senior year as well. During her last 2 years of high school, she served as a secretary for the Franciscan Friars in St. Louis. Her excellence continued throughout college as she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in mathematics. Throughout her various ministries as a member of our congregation, S. Mariette always studied and prepared herself for each new challenge. (you no doubt have already read about the many ministries through which she served others in her obituary).

In the 1960’s the Second Vatican Council called for religious women to study and deepen their understanding of their founding charisms and to make the changes necessary to speak to our present-day realities. As a young sister, she was deeply involved in prayer, discussion and discernment processes that helped to chart the way forward for our religious community amidst these changes. Most challenging of all were the two 4-year terms that she served as Provincial Directress of the US Province of our congregation. During this time she became immersed in our international congregation as well and made
many friends and acquaintances. No doubt, her 4 semesters of college German helped her to communicate, since our international congregational language at the time was German.

Through it all, St. Paul’s words in the letter to the Romans guided Mariette: for if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

But Mariette life wasn’t all work and no play. She had a wonderful disposition characterized by a ready smile for everyone she met. One could always feel her welcoming presence, no matter how difficult the circumstances were. This was especially exemplified when she was working with immigrants who were new to our country. Her smile put them at ease. She liked to learn a few words in their language too, as she taught them English as a second language, or prepared them for taking their US citizenship test. She always encouraged them and made sure they were ready and able to pass the test on the first try. I don’t know how many new citizens she worked with, but I do know that they were all respected, encouraged, and loved.

S. Mariette also loved music. She played the piano and organ, and later in life taught herself how to play the recorder-just for fun. Swimming was another one of her ways of relaxing, and she enjoyed the pool that was on the property next to Maura Hall. She played a mean game of tennis. Some of the sisters used to go over to the IBVM motherhouse here in Wheaton to use their tennis courts when time permitted, and Mariette was always ready for a good game. She enjoyed roller skating and ice skating. She told me that she had had figure skating lessons when she was a child, so when the rest of us were just trying to stay on our feet, she was gliding gracefully over the ice like a dancer.

She learned to sew from her mother. When the sisters moved from wearing a habit to wearing modern day clothing, Mariette began making some of her own clothes. She was always impeccably attired in a simple dress, business suit or slacks and blouses appropriate for the occasion. As she began to experience health issues, I’m sure it affected her greatly that she was not able to care for her own needs. But, despite this, she never lost her welcoming smile or her positive attitude towards life.

It seems most appropriate that today’s gospel reading from Luke is Mary’s wonderful Magnificat. It is Mary’s hymn of praise to God for God’s presence with her and her people. It is also an expression of thanksgiving for God’s many blessings in her life. This passage “proclaims the greatness of the Lord” in Mariette’s life as well, and gives thanks for the many blessings she received, and shared with all those she met. We can almost hear her singing: for the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. Gratefulness and hope radiated from Mariette through her smile, her welcoming presence and her prayer and peacefulness, even in difficult times. She lived active hope and joy, never failing to remember the many blessings in her own life and always open to sharing these with others.

When asked how she wanted to be remembered, S Mariette wrote:
“As a sister companion on the journey through life, helping and being helped to walk in the
footprints of Jesus, as Francis and Clara Pfaender did.”
I would like to close this reflection with a brief poem by Joanna Macy which captures the
life of S. Mariette:
Active Hope is not wishful thinking.
Active Hope is not waiting to be rescued ….
Active Hope is waking up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act.
We belong to this world.
The web of life is calling us forth at this time.
We’ve come a long way and are here to play our part.
With Active Hope we realize that there are adventures in store,
strengths to discover, and companions to link arms with.
Active Hope is a readiness to discover the strengths
in ourselves and in others;
a readiness to discover the reasons for hope
and the occasions for love.
A readiness to discover the size and strength of our hearts,
our quickness of mind, our steadiness of purpose,
our own authority, our love for life,
the liveliness of our curiosity,
the unsuspected deep well of patience and diligence,
the keenness of our senses, and our capacity to lead.

Thank you, Mariette, for journeying with all of us and for bringing hope and love
into your world and ours. Well done. May you now enjoy the fullness of life in
God.

Written by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez FCJM