Sister Thérèse Thauvette
On April 30, 2026, at Maison Jésus-Marie, in Longueuil,
Sister Thérèse Thauvette (Sister M.-Jean-Maurice)
went home to God.
She was 90 years old and had celebrated 70 years of religious profession with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM).
A woman of faith, of service and of resourcefulness, Sister Thérèse consecrated her simple life to responding to the needs of her community with generosity and good humour. Those who knew her were touched by her smile, her kind sensitivity to others, and her deep attachment to the Lord.
Family and Youth
Thérèse was born on November 29, 1935, in Notre-Dame-des-Anges, Moose Creek, Ontario. She was the sixth of the ten children of Wilfrid Thauvette and Dora Saint-Denis.
At a very early age, she was taught the art of housekeeping when her mother became ill and withdrew her from school in order to help around the house. Even though she had few good memories of her school days, early on Thérèse developed a good work ethic and a great capacity to attend to the needs of others.
While still a child, she felt an attraction to religious life, influenced by her aunt, Sister Henri-Ferdinand, who, during her visits, talked about vocation. Also, her preparation for First Communion, with the Holy Cross Sisters, nourished her desire to be close to the “Good God”. Throughout her life, she loved to pray while accomplishing her daily tasks and found that work in solitude offered her a space appropriate for meditation.
Religious Life and Mission
After a few years as a housekeeper and cook in private homes, Thérèse joined her sister Rita in the SNJM community on January 23, 1954. She made her temporary vows on February 5, 1956 and her final vows on August 5, 1960.
From her earliest days in community until 1977, she worked as a cook, first at the Motherhouse, and then in several other SNJM residences and convents, including Viauville, Outremont, and Beloeil.
Then began a long period of 29 years in service at the Motherhouse. Seemingly tireless, Sister Thérèse collaborated in food services, while also working at many other practical tasks. Installed in the basement, she became the shoemaker for the house for close to thirty years, giving a second life to innumerable shoes, boots, and handbags. She could be relied upon for many other kinds of repairs, for haircuts, and later on, for the many tasks related to preparing for the big move from the Motherhouse.
A Faithful and Smiling Presence
After a short time in a small SNJM community housed in the Cartierville Motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence, Thérèse was missioned to Résidence Sainte-Émilie in 2012, where she continued to support her sisters, especially those who were sick and those in the infirmary.
In 2017, she was welcomed into Maison Jésus-Marie, where she remained firm in her desire to be of service, despite her physical limitations, including migraines from which she had suffered for a long time. She continued to find joy in pleasing others with her acts of kindness, her warm and expressive face, and her spontaneous, witty words.
Sister Thérèse leaves us with an example of a simple life, filled with a deep faith and a commitment to serving others.
“The Lord is the meaning of my life. I always feel very close to him;
I talk to him and he answers me.”