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Sr. Alice Marie – Michelle Mugnier
of Vieugy, Haute Savoie, France
who died at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Maryland
on 18th November 2023
aged 86 years, 63 of Religious Profession
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 57:1-2 reads, “The righteous are taken away from the evil to come. They shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in their uprightness.” At the very outset, I invite every one of us to believe and pray that our dear Sr. Alice Marie has entered into peace in accordance with her uprightness. Amen.
As we have once again gathered together as a family for yet another painful adieu to our beloved Sr Alice Marie, I, Sr Rose deem it my privilege to pay our due respects and honour to this generous soul, by presenting a short enumeration of the humble and noble saga of our dear Sr. Alice Marie, to everyone present here.
Sr. Alice Marie was born on October 5th, 1937 and was a native of France, Vieugy belonging to the diocese of Annecy, wherein also belongs the Mother House of our Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy. Sr is the youngest of the nine children gifted to her late parents, Father: Mr. Remi and Mother: Alice. She grew up in the loving company of her three brothers and five sisters, amongst whom everyone except one brother has gone back to their eternal abode. Sr is now survived by her brother – Mr. Maurice, nieces and nephews who loved and respected her dearly, during her lifetime.
Sister was drawn to the religious way of living from her early childhood after the examples of her aunt, Mother Francisca who was the Superior General of our Congregation from 1952 – 1964 and her sister, Sr. Irene who was an African missionary. Sister made her First Profession on May 1st, 1957, and committed herself perpetually and irrevocably to her Lord and Master on September 9th, 1960. From then, Sister was burning with an ardent zeal to do more for her Lord and his people. This passionate desire coupled with our founder, Fr. Medaille’s insistent exhortation of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG)” meaning “for the greater glory of God” urged our Sr to renounce her homeland and adopt India as her new and only Home, in 1962.
Having come to India and embraced the Indian Mission on the fourteenth of November 1962, Sister has completed 60 diamond years of undivided love, commitment and service to the poor in the Indian soil. Sister secured her Indian Citizenship in 1972 which was indeed an explicit sign of her missionary zeal and enthusiasm. This fire was never extinguished but was continuously replenished by her ever - growing love for the poor and undaunted services, specifically through her teaching ministry.
Sr Alice Marie graduated in Chemistry from the University of Wales, U.K before her arrival to India, on account of which she was well equipped to render her services as Lecturer in Chemistry in the budding stages of St. Joseph’s College for Women. Thereupon, Sister utilized every opportunity in her religious life and through her college ministry to touch the hearts of countless students, staff and others whom she encountered daily, transforming their lives spiritually, morally, academically and professionally. The foundations laid down by her far - sighted vision, unquenchable thirst to do more, incessant good deeds and tireless efforts, for the greater glory of God and the good of her neighbour, have been soaring into great heights and have never ceased for a moment until the 7th of October 2023, when she was hospitalized for breathing difficulties in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Maryland.
Sister served in various capacities in the congregation as well as in St. Joseph’s College for Women. The first 35 years of her stay in India, Sr worked as Chemistry Lecturer, Head of the Chemistry Department and as Principal of our College. She fulfilled all her duties and responsibilities, with utmost professionalism and meticulous perfectionism; be it her personal life, religious life or apostolic life. There was no scope for compromises in her life. She participated with equal enthusiasm in all the congregational as well as college activities. She attended numerous college conferences, seminars and workshops. She was a member of various committees, academic council and syndicate of Andhra University. Under her dynamic leadership, our college became the first Autonomous Body in 1987, in Andhra University.
Sister also rendered her selfless services as animator of the communities in Srikakulam, Kakinada and Fort from 1997 to 2013. During this time, she also served as the Correspondent of the college from 2005 to 2017 and Controller of Examination from 2013 to 2017. Even after 2017, Sister continued to be a guiding star, a ray of hope, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hard work and confidence to the younger generation, motivating and enlightening both students and staff, at various levels in accordance with her expertise. Sister encouraged everyone around her to be self - motivated, self – capacitated and to be a relentless fighter instead of being a hopeless loser in life.
I am also very pleased to inform you that Sr Alice Marie was chosen for the “Best Citizens of India Award” in the year 2000, along with famous personalities: S. C. Jamir, the then Chief Minister of Nagaland; Matinee Idol, Dev Anand; Cine Star, Sunil Dutt; Lord Swaraj Paul, NRI; Cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar and Dr Naresh Trehan, Chief Cardiovascular Surgeon, in recognition of their exceptional caliber and outstanding performance in their chosen area of activity.
Yes, dear respected gathering, this was our dear Sr. Alice Marie. Sister was an iconic representation of the words spoken by St. Teresa of Calcutta ie; “God does not demand that I be successful, God demands that I be faithful. When facing God, results are not important, Faithfulness is what is important.”
Although Sister was a person of few words, she was a person of vibrant action. Nothing could stop her. She surpassed everything – unknown land, culture, language and traditions, daily struggles, failures, external challenges and oppositions, sickness, and aging symptoms. She was a little stalwart of her times, in her own ways.
The word ‘retirement’ or ‘retreat’ found no place in the vocabulary of her life. Sister lived one day at a time and lived it to the full, always pursuing for the greater in everything she lived. Sister wanted to remain unnoticed and therefore, refused and rejected openly any undue importance given to her. Sr lived her vowed life literally to the word. Despite all her achievements, she despised all glory, instead glorified God and was truly grateful. She remained humble and simple to the end and was extremely content to be so; true to Maxim 14 of our Founder, Fr. Medaille that reads, “Be very humble, since whatever you are or have, or whatever you do for yourself or others depends on God’s mercy and gracious kindness.”
Towards the end of her life, Sister had to be admitted in our hospital for intensive medical and nursing care, as she was suffering with shortness of breath and altered sensorium. Sister suffered a fall and fractured her hip on the following day of her admission which was successfully operated. Even during this phase of pain and acute struggle, she surrendered herself with prompt and complete resignation. Gradually, Sister succumbed to her illness in the morning of November 18th, 2023.
Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon her. May Sister’s soul rest in Peace. Amen.