St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated at Maison Jésus-Marie

St. Patrick’s Day is always celebrated with joy and gladness by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). On this special day, green is in the spotlight throughout the house, with many Sisters sporting a touch of green in a variety of ways.

A little decorative touch

On March 17, the tradition continued at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM). At the 11 a.m. Mass, the Sisters were united in prayer, thought and spirit with all their Irish-born companions. The festive celebrations began with lunch.

And what better way to inject that proverbial Irish cheerfulness than with a touch of music! The Sisters of Saint-André pavilion gathered in the cafeteria to sing a Blessing to the tune of Edelweiss, from an original text composed by Sr. Suzanne Lavallée for the occasion.

During an Irish-style toast, participants raised their glasses high and wished each other “SLÁINTE MHAITH” (to your health!) in Gaelic. The meal also had an Irish flavour, with a succulent “Irish Stew”, and a dessert as colourful as the party itself.

And dessert!

The festive mood continued as everyone took part in a quiz to test our knowledge of Irish culture, before rounding off the festivities with a traditional sing-along “When Irish Eye are Smiling”.

There were smiles and twinkles in everyone’s eyes, including those of the “Irish girls” for a day!

We recognize Sisters Rita Brière, Phyllis Douillard, a “pure” Irishwoman, and Béatrice Landry, whose mother was also Irish.

Photos credit  Sr. Suzanne Brault