Born in Riviere-Ouelle,

Kamouraska, Québec in 1934,

Sister Madeleine D’Anjou joined

the convent despite her parent’s

disapproval. As a Good Shepherd

Sister, she held numerous

assignments, many of which she

had not envisioned. The first

challenge she was presented with

was to move to the US, where she

taught at St Joseph’s Parochial

School in Biddeford. Other

teaching assignments included

Lawrence Massachusetts and

Vancouver, BC. Her career path

then led her to social work, which

included involvement during a

transitional period for St Andre’s

Home for unwed mothers. In

another unplanned twist in her

career path, she served as CEO

for St Andre’s Healthcare from

1987-2004. Her contributions

include participation in numerous

boards and councils.

SISTER MADELEINE D’ANJOU

INTERVIEW DETAILS

Date of Interview: 11/6/2018
Location: Good Shepherd Sisters Convent, Biddeford Maine
Interviewer: Nicole Morin-Scribner
Transcriber: Jessica Antonez/Nicole Morin Scribner

LINK TO INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

SELECTED INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Experiences as someone who only spoke french until later in life
“We were not allowed to speak English (at St Joseph’s) because we were here to preserve the language and the faith…French is a beautiful language, its my maternal tongue. But I wanted to learn a second language…I went to Suffolk University…it was not easy…I was out there with 5000 students, gabbing all around me and I couldn’t understand a word….I was the first nun to ever go to that college and they didn’t enjoy having a nun in their classroom”
St Andre’s Home for Unwed Mothers: how it began and its evolution
Adapting to undesired assignments. “I had expressed a desire not to work with adolescents…I was then asked to go work with unwed mothers…asking a nun, on Good Friday, how can I say no!” “God writes straight on crooked lines. Detours brought me to a beautiful place”
The evolution of life as a nun including the reason behind the move away from traditional habits.
See encouraging signs for the future. “New type of religion, commitment to the other…don’t give up if they don’t go to church”