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Nine Sisters of Mount Carmel celebrate their Jubilee of vowed for 2021.
Seven sisters were honored in celebration of the anniversaries of their religious professions at a liturgy at Mount Carmel Academy’s Mother Thérèse Chevrel Assembly Center on Saturday, Nov. 27.
Honored were Sister Denis Rodrigue, O. Carm. (75th), Sister Odile Theriot, O. Carm. (70th), Sister Fatima Mouton, O. Carm. (70th), Sister Mary Martin, O. Carm. (60th), Sister Jane Frances Remson, O. Carm. (60th), Sister Gwen Grillot, O. Carm. (50th), and Sister Lena Collins, O. Carm. (50th).
Two sisters celebrated their 25th Jubilee in the Philippines. Sister Remedios Natonton, O. Carm. celebrated in Fairview, Quezon City and Sister Gina Yabo celebrated in Balugo, Dumaguete City.
Since they were unable to gather for 2020 due to the pandemic, also honored were Sister Angele Marie Sadlier, O. Carm. (70th) and Sister Cheryl Scheaffer, O. Carm. (50th).
Sister Denis Rodrigue, O. Carm., celebrated 75 years of religious life as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Denis, formerly Marie Therese Rodrigue, was born Nov. 17, 1928, in Chackbay, and is the ninth of 12 children of the late Denis Rodrigue and Elma Marse.
Sister Denis entered the Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1943 and made her first profession of vows in 1946. She attended Mars Elementary School, Mount Carmel High School in Thibodaux and Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans. She received her undergraduate degree in Education at Loyola University, New Orleans in 1948 and a master’s degree in Theology from Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1969.
Sister Denis also attended Dominican College Institute of Theology, Nicholls State University, Barry College, Miami, Florida, and various workshops in education, theology, and gerontology.
Sister Denis dedicated 48 years to education, served on the leadership team of her congregation, novice directress, vocation development directress, and taught CCD classes in several church parishes.
She taught at Mount Carmel, Lafayette; St. Dominic School, New Orleans; St. Joseph High School, Rayne; St. James Elementary and High School; served as principal at St. Joseph the Worker Elementary, Marrero; a teacher and the first principal of St. Joseph Elementary in Thibodaux; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Westwego; Mount Carmel New Iberia High School; E.D. White Catholic High School, Thibodaux. Sister was inducted into the E. D. White Hall of Fame in 1997 and was named Alumna of the Year in 2005.
Sister Denis cared for her mother from 1989-97 while teaching part-time at E.D. White Catholic High School. After the death of the mother, in 1997, she took a sabbatical program for Ministry to Ministers in San Antonio, Texas.
Sister has ministered to the homebound, in hospitals and nursing homes in St. Edmond Parish, Lafayette and brought communion to the homebound in St. Pius X Parish, New Orleans.
Sister Denis currently resides at Chateau de Notre Dame in New Orleans.
Sister Odile Theriot, O. Carm., celebrated 70 years of religious life as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Odile, born Mildred Marie in New Orleans, is the first of two children of the late Joseph S. Theriot and Odette Marie Jung.
She entered Carmel in 1948 and professed first vows in 1951. Sister attended St. James Major Elementary and Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette and a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux.
Sister Odile taught at St. Dominic, New Orleans, Mount Carmel High School, New Iberia, E.D. White High School, Thibodaux, and Vermilion Catholic High School, Abbeville. She was principal for 20 years at St. James Major High School, New Orleans.
She also served at Mount Carmel Academy as supervisor of plant operations and as coordinator of retired sisters at St. Leo Convent, Lafayette. Sister Odile resides at the Carmel Community in Lafayette where she serves as Local Coordinator.
Sister Fatima Mouton, O. Carm., celebrated 70 years of religious life as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Fatima, born Florence Ann in Lafayette, is the 10th of 10 children of the late Rene Joseph Mouton and Elise P. Martin.
She entered religious life in 1948 and professed first vows in 1951. Sister attended Mount Carmel Elementary, Lafayette and Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Loyola University, New Orleans.
Sister Fatima devoted 45 years to Catholic education. She taught at St. Elizabeth, Paincourtville, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Westwego, St. Augustine and St. Dominic, New Orleans, Mount Carmel Elementary, Abbeville, Rayne Catholic Elementary, Rayne, Cathedral-Carmel, Lafayette, all in Louisiana;, and St. Euphrasia, Granada Hills, California.
She also ministered in pastoral care, bereavement ministry, and to the homebound in St. Mary Magdalen and St. Theresa Parishes in Abbeville. Sister served as spiritual assistant to Lay Carmelites in the Abbeville and New Iberia area and ministered to the homebound in the Abbeville area.
Sister Fatima resides at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Nursing Home in Opelousas, LA where she is a Carmelite presence of prayer and hospitality.
Sister Jane Frances Remson, O. Carm., celebrated 60 years of religious life as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Jane is the youngest of four children born to the late Marcel Remson and Josephine Frey Remson of New Orleans.
Sister Jane pronounced her first vows in 1961. She is a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Medical Technology from St. Mary’s Dominican College, New Orleans. Sister Jane ministered in the United States and the Philippines as a medical technologist where she was a co-founder of the Mount Carmel Mobile Clinic.
She served on the Executive Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mount Carmel. Sister Jane established the annual Walk for the Hungry in metropolitan New Orleans.
She served on the Advisory Board of Hands Across America, President of the New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness, member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Nutrition in New Orleans, the Governor’s and Mayor’s Task Forces for Welfare Reform in Louisiana, Human Services Task Force for Louisiana Legislature, White House Discussion on Welfare Reform in Louisiana, Board of Directors Bread for the World National, U.S. National Committee for World Food Day. She was a delegate to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Bali, Indonesia and Johannesburg, South Africa and represented the Carmelite NGO at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sister Jane presented at the Carmelite International Commission for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation Conference at Fatima, Portugal.
Sister Jane continues her ministry serving as main representative to the United Nations for the Carmelite NGO.
Sister Mary Martin, O. Carm., celebrated 60 years as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Mary, formerly Sister M. Joachim, is the fourth of five children born to the late Charles James Martin and Marcella Anne Erhart of Pennsylvania.
She entered Carmel in 1958 and professed first vows in 1961. Sister Mary attended St. Raphael Elementary and Bishop Conaty Memorial High School, Los Angeles, California. She received a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Dominican College, New Orleans; M.Ed. degree from Loyola University, New Orleans, in Guidance and Counseling, with certification in Elementary Administration and Supervision; an M.A. degree in Theology from St. Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont.
Sister taught at St. Dominic, where she was principal from 1971-1981, St. Louis King of France and St. James Major, New Orleans, and Mount Carmel Junior High, New Iberia. She was principal and teacher at St. Euphrasia, Granada Hills, California, and Rayne Catholic Elementary.
She was coordinator of retired sisters at the Motherhouse in 2002 and began working at the Lay Carmelite Office in Darien, Illinois in 2003 as Assistant to the Director of Lay Carmelites and Provincial Coordinator to the Lay Carmelites of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province. Sister Mary currently volunteers at the Lay Carmelite Office, Darien, Illinois.
Sister Gwen Grillot, O. Carm., celebrated 50 years as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Gwen is the first of seven children born to the late Marion Grillot and Marian Fagot of New Orleans.
She entered Carmel in 1968 and professed first vows in 1971. Sister Gwen attended St. Agnes, St. Dominic Elementary, and Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans. She received a B.A. in Special Education from Nicholls College, Thibodaux.
Sister Gwen taught in Catholic schools in Marrero, Abbeville, Thibodaux, New Iberia, and New Orleans before becoming director of religious education at St. Dominic Parish.
Sister served as general administrator of the Congregation property in Lacombe and assistant finance officer for the Congregation.
Sister Gwen was Executive Director of Carmel in the Central Business District until its closing in 2003. Sister has served as Executive Director of Cub Corner Preschool since 2003.
Sister Lena Collins, O. Carm., celebrated 50 years of religious life. Sister Lena is the third of seven children of the late Fernand Collins of Frenchville, Maine, and Edith Dufour of Saint Agatha, Maine.
She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery in 1971 and transferred to the Sisters of Mount Carmel in 2008. Sister attended Zipple Elementary School, Cunningham Junior High School and Presque Isle High School in Presque Isle, Maine.
She attended Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She spent a number of years as a staff nurse at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut and at the Infirmary of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, attending to the health care of the elderly members of her community.
In 1985 Sister Lena responded to a call to Liberian West Africa as a missionary nurse providing health care and vaccinations to people in isolated villages. In the early 90’s, she served Liberian refugees in Tabon, Ivory Coast until returning to the USA in 1996.
Following her service in Africa, she met the Sisters of Mount Carmel while attending the sabbatical/renewal program at Blessing Place in Lacombe. She later worked for the Edmundite mission in Vredenburg, Alabama, in outreach ministry.
After Hurricane Katrina, Sister Lena transferred to the Sisters of Mount Carmel where she served as general administrator of the congregation property in Lacombe and as House Manager of the Carmelite Spirituality Center there.
Sister is currently serving in the Pastoral Care Department of Wynhoven Health Care Center, Marrero.
Sister Remedios Natonton, O. Carm., celebrated 25 years as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister is the second of seven children born to Zosimo Natonton and the late Elsa Morano of Barangay Saring, Miagao, Iloilo City, Philippines.
She entered Carmel in 1993 and professed first vows in 1996. Sister Remedios attended Ticdalen Elementary School and Southern Iloilo Politechnic College in Miagao. She attended St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, Philippines in Social Development and Community Organizing.
Sister Remedios has served on the staff at Cub Corner Preschool, New Orleans; as a volunteer at the Thérèse Chevrel Outreach Program, Quezon City; Canteen Manager at Holy Child Hospital and served on the staff of the Mount Carmel Mobile Clinic, Dumaguete City; Sisters of Mount Carmel Catholic School assistant librarian; Munting Sambayanang Kristiyano (MSK) worker and parish staff in San Luis Rey and San Luis Obispo Parishes; and pastoral worker in Bianoan Casiguran Aurora.
In 2013 Sister Remedios departed the Philippines to establish a new mission in Timor-Leste where she served as pastoral worker in Zumalai and formator of novices. In 2019 Sister Remedios returned to the Philippines where she is currently in charge of the Canteen at Sisters of Mount Carmel Catholic School, Fairview, Quezon City, Philippines.
Sister Gina Yabo, O. Carm., celebrated 25 years as a Sister of Mount Carmel. Sister Gina is the youngest of 11 children born to the late Remigio B. Yabo Sr. and Leonisa G. Langam of Macalibre Alto, Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental, Philippines.
She entered Carmel in 1993 and professed first vows in 1996. She professed perpetual vows in 2002.
Sister Gina attended Macalibre Alto Elementary and High School and received a Bachelor of Secondary Education in Math and English from Immaculate Conception College, Ozamiz City, Philippines. She recieved her Master of Arts degree in Educational Management from St. Paul University of Dumaguete in 2002.
Sister went on to take Bachelor of Laws and received her Juris Doctor non-thesis degree from Foundation University, Dumaguete City in 2013. She is yet to finish the final step towards her masters in Hospital Administration at Silliman University, Dumaguete City.
Sister Gina served as assistant to the director of Bread for the World, New Orleans Chapter while in senior novitiate. As a junior professed sister, she served as a vocation animator in Mindanao, Philippines, a teacher at Holy Cross High School, Dumaguete City and hospital canteen manager while doing part time work at Holy Child Hospital business office.
She also served as principal of Sisters of Mount Carmel Catholic School in Quezon City from 2000-2005 and 2009-2012, she served as Philippine Regional Coordinator and, at the same time, assistant administrator and financial auditor of Holy Child Hospital, Dumaguete City.
Sister Gina is currently Philippine Region Treasurer and Administrator of Holy Child Hospital, Dumaguete City, Philippines.