MOTHER MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION, DISCALCED CARMELITE NUN

[graciandelamadrededios]

 

Birth:  Jul. 23, 1915 Shawinigan Mauricie Region Quebec, Canada Death:  Sep. 24, 1977 Davao City Davao del Sur Province Davao, Philippines Mother Mary of the Assumption, (Marie Simone Germaine Spenard) Marie Siomone Germaine was born and baptized on July 23, 1915 at Shawinigan, Canada. She immigrated with her family to Lowell, Massachusetts in 1922. She studied there and in 1925 moved to North Grosvenordale, Connecticut. At the age of 14, she made further studies at Holy Cross, St. Laurent, Canada. She attended the clothing ceremony of Sr. Rachel in 1934, and that evening, she asked her parents if she could enter Carmel. She was asked to wait for at least one year.  Marie again came for the Profession of Sr. Rachel and remained outside until her entrance into the cloister on August 22, 1935. She took the habit on May 8, 1936 and was given the name of Sister Mary of the Assumption. Sr. Mary made her First Profession on November 21, 1937 and three years later on November 21, 1940 made her Solemn Profession. She received the veil on November 24, 1940.  Just before the war, Carmel of Jaro, Philippines requested some English-speaking sisters from Carmel of Montreal, Canada for a foundation in the Philippines. Because of the outbreak of the war, communications between Carmel was difficult, so the foundation had to be postponed for a time. Finally in 1946, Sr. Mary of the Assumption left for the foundation in the Philippines. In March 1946 she boarded an army ship "Marine Panther" and arrived in April in Manila Bay where she went to stay at Manila Carmel for a time. She arrived in Jaro, Iloilo City the same month via an army plane and stayed for nine months before proceeding to Davao City. Finally she arrived in Davao City on February 11, 1947 and had the first mass on March 10, 1947.  Sr. Mary was the first Prioress of Davao Carmel for six years. The community of nuns transferred to a partly built permanent monastery in June 1954, Feast of the Holy Trinity. Little by little the monastery was built through the hard work of Mother Mary and the sisters, which took a long time to finish. On September 24, 1977, Mother Mary of the Assumption was called home to God and was buried in the cemetery inside the enclosure.

 

[truthfinder]

The Carmel of Montreal has a simple but very beautiful choir. Do you have any idea why her mantle is brown/black and not the usual Carmelite cream? Is is because she would be travelling?

[graciandelamadrededios]

On 4/6/2017 at 10:34 PM, truthfinder said:

The Carmel of Montreal has a simple but very beautiful choir. Do you have any idea why her mantle is brown/black and not the usual Carmelite cream? Is is because she would be travelling?

Mother was wearing a travelling mantle / cloak; black instead of white/cream to practical reasons. Light colored fabric gets dirty easily.

 

 

[vee]

I guess that was before they could just go out in a coat.  

[graciandelamadrededios]

 

Sister Rachel of the Holy Family (elder sister of Mother Mary of the Assumption, Foundress of Davao Carmel, Philippines)

Birth:	Feb. 25, 1913 Quebec, Canada
Death:	Nov. 18, 2002 Davao City Davao del Sur Province Davao, Philippines
Sister Rachel of the Holy Family, (Marie Agatha Rachel Spenard) Marie Agatha Rachel Spenard was born and baptized the same day on February 25, 1913 in Ste. Sophie de Levrard, County of Nicolet, Quebec, Canada. She made her First Communion on December 25, and was confirmed along with Leopold and Germaine on the Eve of Pentecost in 1922.  At the age of 9, her family immigrated to the U.S.A. where she studied at St. Louis School, Lowell, Massachusetts. On June 11, 1933, Rachel entered the cloister of the Carmel of Montreal, Canada where she received the name of Sister Rachel of the Holy Family. She was Clothed with the holy habit on July 15, 1934, and on July 16, 1935 made her profession. The night of Christmas 1938, she made her solemn profession.  In 1946, Carmel of Jaro, Philippines asked Sr. Rachel to join the future foundation of Davao Carmel. She accepted and on August 2, 1947 she left Montreal, Canada via California to take the army boat "Marine Adder" for the Philippines, arriving in Manila on September 1, 1947 after a stop-over in Tokyo, Kobe, Japan, Shanghai and Hongkong. Sr. Rachel arrived in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines by army plane on September 5, 1947. Then she took a plane for Davao City, Philippines on September 9, 1947.  November 2002 - Southbridge Evening News Obituary Sister Rachel of the Holy Family, (Marie Agatha Rachel Spenard) Obituary: Carmelite Monastery, Davao City, Philippines - Sister Rachel of the Holy Family, (Marie Agatha Rachel Spenard), 89, of the Carmelite Monastery, Davao City, Philippines, died Monday, November 18, after an illness. She leaves two sisters of Southbridge, Irene (Spenard) Bergeron and Gertrude D. (Spenard) Gregoire of Southbridge, and many nephews and nieces. She was born in Ste Sophie-de-Levrard, Quebec, Canada, daughter of Alphonse and Aurore (Monpas) Spenard. Six sisters preceded her; Alice (Spenard) Toutant, Sister Marie Berthe of the Blessed Sacrament (Berthe Spenard), Mother Mary of the Assumption (Germaine Spenard), Rita (Spenard) Gauthier, Georgette (Spenard) Cadarette, Theresa Spenard, and three brothers; Leopold J. Spenard, Bruno Spenard, and Gerard M. Spenard.

 

 

 

Sister Marie Berthe of the Blessed Sacrament (elder Sister of Sr. Rachel and Mother Mary)

Birth:  Jul. 3, 1909 Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets Centre-du-Quebec Region Quebec, Canada Death:  Jan. 11, 1982 Montreal Montreal Region Quebec, Canada Sister Marie Berthe of the Blessed Sacrament, (Marie Marguerite Berthe Spenard) Marie Marguerite Berthe Spenard was born on July 3, 1909, and baptized on July 4, 1909 in St. Pierre les Becquets, County of Nicolet, Quebec, Canada. Her parents were Joseph Alphonse Adrien Spenard and Aurore Zepherin Monpas. In 1922, her family immigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts where she studied at the Sisters of the Assumption. In 1925, the family moved to North Grosvenordale, Connecticut.  In 1928, at the age of 19, Berthe entered the Carmel of Montreal, Canada as Our Sister. However, because of failing health she had to leave. Then on August 5, 1933, at the age of 24, she joined the Sisters of the Holy Cross in St. Laurent, Canada and took the religious name of Sister Marie Ste. Aquila. She received the habit on February 11, 1934, and made her first profession on August 15, 1935. She made her Perpetual Profession on August 15, 1940. She had missions in the U.S. and Canada, preferring manual work to teaching. After long years of service as a Holy Cross Sister, she was given six months of vacation in 1976, and she asked to spend this vacation in the Philippines to see her two Carmelite sisters, who had been missionaries in the Philippines for a long time. She arrived in Davao City in February 1976.  After her three months stay outside, she was allowed by her community to enter Carmel in order to try the life inside the cloister. Berthe decided to join the Carmelite community of Davao as a Novice. She was accepted and took the holy habit of Carmel on September 14, 1976. Mother Mary of the Assumption (Germaine Spenard - blood sister of Berthe) was Prioress at the time. On September 15, 1977, Sr. Berthe made her profession a a Carmelite.  In 1981, she became sick, underwent surgery and was advised by the doctor to have the treatment in Canada, because of the climate. Sr. Berthe, accompanied by Sr. Rachel and Sr. Susan, left for Canada in August 1981 where she was treated and which seemed to be very successful. Then on January 15, 1982, Sr. Berthe had a heart attack and in less than half an hour, she passed away to her heavenly home. She was buried in the crypt of the Carmel of Montreal, Canada.

 

 

 

[Kelly]

This is my great Aunt Rachel. I think I met her once when I was little. She was one of three nuns in the family. My grandmother is her younger sister Gertrude who was born in 1923. She is the last in her family still alive.There was 18 children born in their family.My Memere was the 15nth child born. She also was the first child born in the USA and she was born during their migration. That made Aunt Rachel 8 years older than my grandmother. Gertrude just turned 96 yesterday.... this was really neat reading this about Aunt Rachel. Thank you

Edited July 28, 2019 by Kelly