Who
would have guessed that a frightening first confession experience would lead to
Sister Marlene Berthelot's religious profession? This year she marks her 50th
anniversary of final vows as a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Mary,
New Orleans.
As a second grader, Sister Marlene, who grew up in St. Peter's
parish in Reserve, chickened out of her first confession not once but twice. As
her teachers tried to coax her into the confessional, she was thinking of how
her older brothers had called it the "dark place."
As little Marlene was fearfully kicking and crying, the
pastor, Father Jean Eyraud, came to see what all the commotion was. The priest
then sat down in the pew and heard the face-to-face confession of the young
Berthelot girl.
"He was beyond his time. He was compassionate and kind
and he was where the people were," recalls Sister Marlene of the late
priest who is a candidate for canonization. "I was impressed."
Father Eyraud, an advocate for "peace, family, and
people" (in her words) was not the only role model in Sister Marlene's
younger years. "The Dominican Sisters at our parish and school were kind
and gentle sisters," she says. All these role models, teamed with the
prayers of her mother, led to a vocation. "As a child, I always wanted to a
part of the heartbeat of the parish."
One of eight children, Sister Marlene entered a boarding
school at Rosaryville "to watch the sisters in action and decide if this is
what I wanted to do."
At the boarding school, Sister Marlene had the chance of
lifetime... to take piano lessons.
"In elementary school, I always wanted to take piano
lessons, but with seven brothers and sisters, we couldn't afford it."
Instead she sat in with a friend taking piano lessons and memorized what she
learned. She practiced on a cardboard piano keyboard she made.
"I was elated," says Sister, when she found out that
the boarding school required that the girls give piano lessons a try. She had
the talent that would eventually bring her to Southeastern Louisiana University
to study with professors when she had learned all she could from the boarding
school music teacher.
She would go on to get a bachelor's, and master's in liturgy
and sacred music in addition to her education degree, which she obtained as a
Dominican Sister.
Her reason for studying sacred music was, "to share
expertise for training in parishes and schools."
Sister Marlene found the first two years in the convent were
"the hardest." The first year included studying education classes,
theology, and Physical Education. The second year, as a novice, she and her
fellow classmates studied theology, Scripture, church history, vows, and
liturgy. "It was a time for spiritual training."
She professed her first vows and received her habit and veil
after the first two years. She was assigned to a working post where she would
continue her education for another three years before taking her final vows.
The motto she chose in 1952 for her final vows is a quote from
St. Therese of Lisieux, "Love is repaid by love alone." She and her
nine classmates' personal mottos were embossed in their rings. "My finger
was so small," says Sister Marlene, "that I couldn't have all those
words." Even after wearing the ring for the past 50 years, the words
engraved inside can still be read - "Love for love."
Sister Marlene has served in four dioceses of the state:
Diocese of Alexandria, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Houma-Thibodaux (for the
last 10 years).
"I have mostly touched people's lives through
music," says the jubilarian. "Music is a way to pray without
words."
She is rewarded in hearing that former students around the
state are still using their talents in the church. Working today at St.
Genevieve as pastoral associate, she sees that young people are more than
willing to fill in on weekends when cantors are out of town on vacation.
"It is important to allow children to be enthusiastic and discover their
gifts."
As a campus minister for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and
for Nicholls State University in the 1980s, positions she "thoroughly
enjoyed," Sister Marlene has planted seeds of leadership and has seen them
flourish as young people graduated from Nicholls and went back into the
community to be active in their church as adults and parents.
Today at St. Genevieve, Sister's jobs include liturgical
training, music, RCIA training, small Christian communities and Catholic update
sessions.
"People are yearning for faith and they want to learn
more," she says.
In church parishes all over the state, she has made close
friends whom she considers family. It is no different at St. Genevieve. "No
one works alone," she says of St. Genevieve parish. "Everyone works
together…"
She credits the people at St. Genevieve with helping her deal
with the tragic deaths of three family members within a two-week span shortly
before her arrival at that parish three years ago.
"They helped me so much, and they probably don't even
know that."
Many people cannot believe that this Sister is celebrating a
50th anniversary. What keeps her so youthful and full of hope? It's the
children, she says. "When they are singing with all their little hearts,
it's so beautiful. That inspires me."
This June, Sister Marlene celebrated her Golden Jubilee in New
Orleans with her two remaining classmates, Sister Mary Jeanne Girshefski and
Sister Marjorie Millet.
A record-breaking crowd packed St. Anthony's Church in New
Orleans for the celebration. Among those in attendance was Bishop Michael
Jarrell. The families of the three jubilarians were involved. Music was provided
by Thibodaux Jazz Band and friends of Sister Marlene including Father Wilmer
Todd, St. Genevieve pastor, who played bass. Sister Marlene composed one of the
pieces of music for the celebration.
A beaming Sister Marlene describes the celebration as
"jubilant. It was unique, different. (At the reception) there were people
from wall to wall. My family waited until I'd greeted everyone and then we
danced. We had the dance floor to ourselves," she says with a grin.
"Where have the years gone?" wonders Sister Marlene.
She is enjoying her ministry at St. Genevieve as well as working with priests in
the diocese since she came here 10 years ago. "We have the best
bishop," she says enthusiastically of Bishop Michael Jarrell.
The Lord has always guided her ministry thus far. Over the
past 50 years, she has stayed in parishes just long enough to plant seeds, while
knowing when to let go and move on to bring life and energy to a new place. At
her current post, she finds happiness. Under the circumstances, she says,
"I'm staying where I am."
