Sr. Mary 'Michelle' MacDougall
Born In: Glace Bay
Passed on: March 18th, 2013
Sister Mary Michelle MacDougall (Sister Michelle), 79, a Sister of St. Martha of Antigonish, died at Bethany, the motherhouse of the Congregation, on Monday, March 18, 2013. She was in the 53rd year of religious life.
Born in Glace Bay, N.S., Sister Michelle was one of five children born to the late Michael Joseph and Laura (Gouthro) MacDougall of Glace Bay.
Before entering the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha in 1958, Sister Michelle worked at the Royal Bank of Canada in Glace Bay for six and a half years. She pronounced her first temporary vows August 1960, and made her final commitment in 1965. Sister worked in the Admitting Office of St. Martha’s Hospital from 1960 - 1963. For two years, she assisted in the Family Welfare office of Holy Redeemer Parish in Whitney Pier. For three years Sister worked in the laboratory at St. Martha’s Hospital and as a lab student at St. Rita Hospital in Sydney. In 1971, Sister Michelle graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with her Bachelor of Arts. She received her Master’s in Sociology in 1974 from the New York School of Social Research. That same year she began her ministry with St. Francis Xavier University’s Extension Department as a staff member and field worker. For 23 years she carried out this ministry in Sydney, Antigonish, Guysborough and Inverness. She retired from the Extension Department in 1998. Since her retirement she was a full-time volunteer with Community CARES Youth Outreach in Sydney Mines. Besides her involvement as Sister Coordinator with Martha Associates in Sydney Mines, Sister Michelle has served the sisters as local community leader in three of the local communities in which she lived.
Besides her parents, Sister Michelle was predeceased by a brother, Basil Roy. She is survived by two brothers: Henry Joseph, Halifax, and Michael Gerard, Kitchener, Ont., and by one sister, Joan Marie, Glace Bay.
Sister’s remains will be resting at Bethany, beginning today, March 20, at 1:15 p.m. A Celebration of Vigil will be held on the same evening at 7:30. Liturgy of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, March 21, at 2 p.m. in Bethany chapel.
Arrangements are under the direction of C.L.Curry Funeral Services, Antigonish.
Online condolences: www.clcurry.com.
