During my 8th and 9th grades, Thérèse was my mathematics and faith formation teacher. She belonged to the Holy Cross Congregation. I knew she was a Sister, but we did not have to call her “Sister.” She just related with all as a sister, without any air of piety, or ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Apart from the fact that she did not wear any fancy dress, make up or jewelry, Thérèse looked absolutely ‘normal.’ She was completely ‘one among u.’ It took me years to be able to realize the generosity and distinctiveness of her commitment to God and to people.
Thérèse was a vivacious and cheerful woman. The problem was: I really loathed maths, her main subject. Thérèse thought a lot about how to help students learn and improve not only in her subject but as human beings.
One day, she came up with a new idea. She paired us, an academically strong student with a struggling one. I still remember being a bit annoyed with her plan, but she did not give us any choice. On the whole it proved a very ‘bearable experiment.’ My companion was a kind, soft-spoken boy with whom it was impossible not to get along.
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Sr Marie Gabrielle Riopel SCSM
