Sister Violette Blais

On July 7, 2025, at Maison Jésus-Marie, Longueuil, Quebec,

Sister Violette Blais (Richard-de-Marie)

was called home to God

Violette, the daughter of Fleurette Renaud and Edgar Blais, was born on October 31, 1933, in Montreal,

and died at the age of 91, with 69 years as a vowed religious sister.

Violette’s parents lost three children at birth. Two survived to adulthood, Violette and her older brother Richard. Violette attended elementary and high school with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) in Hochelaga Convent. Following that, she got her teacher’s diploma at the SNJM Teachers’ College in Valleyfield.

Violette’s apostolic commitment had two branches: classroom teaching, mostly in the Montreal Catholic School Commission (CÉCM) schools, and her mission as a musician, teaching music at the SNJM Vincent D’Indy Music School, and then ministering as director of the music department at Outremont Convent.

Violette loved young people and she was particularly attentive to disadvantaged students and to students who manifested behavioural problems. Her heart welcomed with joy the youngsters from the Sainte-Domitilde Reformatory. She answered the call to do volunteer pastoral work in the Tanguay prison for women and to participate in support groups for ex-prisoners, including pedophiles.

“Just as a profound peace has graced my entire life,

so, in heaven, I will be happy to hear the singing of my favorite hymn:

‘My soul is longing for your peace, near to you, my God’.”