Sister Therese Beaudin

Gentle, fun-loving, peaceful

Sister Therese Beaudin was born April 5, 1937, in Hancock, Michigan, the only child of Raymond and Diana (Toutant) Beaudin.

She graduated from St. Joseph’s School which was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Since there was no Catholic high school in Hancock she went to the public high school. “Even after I went into high school there was a group of us who would go back to meet with the sisters, like once a week and we would fold gauze and do different things for the hospital up there. My contact with the sisters is what, I think, encouraged me to enter.”

Therese also had an aunt who was a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister Jane Frances Beaudin, but she had been in community since before Therese was born so Therese never knew her well. After three years of high school, Therese decided to enter the convent. This was difficult for her parents to accept, especially for her dad.

She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph September 15, 1951, and was received as Sister Raymond Therese. Her first task was to make up the year of high school that she missed—as well as doing what was required of the others in her group. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fontbonne College in 1966.

I was in the novitiate with Therese ... Although we weren't close because I was a 'first-year' novice, and she a 'second-year,' we did have a connection because both of us had a great devotion to the Little Flower. In fact, Therese gave me a relic of that saint. I found Therese a lot of fun in … [those] times we were together when the rule of silence gave way to being able to talk and celebrate. Mary Ann Hilgeman, CSJ

S. Therese served in elementary education at St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Louis (1954); Bishop Baraga, Marquette, Michigan (1957); St. Mary’s, Littleton, Colorado (1961), and at St. Joseph’s, West De Pere, Wisconsin (1965). Then she taught at St. Philip Neri, St. Louis (1967) and at St. Vincent de Paul (1968), followed by a year at American Martyrs, Kingsford, Michigan (1969).

Returning to St. Louis, she taught at Nativity of Our Lord (1970) and St. Louis Cathedral (1972). In the mid 70s, about five years after her father had died, Therese became concerned about her mother who was not in the best of health. “I wrote to her and said that I would be glad to go up there [Hancock] and be with her. Then I prayed and I asked God to let me know what I should do. This is interesting. Within two weeks I got a letter from my mother saying that she was going to remarry.”

In 1975, S. Therese had an opportunity to teach music, which she loved. She was one of four sisters whom Sister Mary Tobias Hagan organized to visit multiple schools and assist music teachers in the teaching of classroom music. In 1983, Sister Therese was assigned to full-time classroom teaching at St. Thomas the Apostle, Florissant.

S. Therese then taught music and/or piano at St. Roch, St. Louis (1987); St. Thomas More, Florissant (1989), and St. Kevin, St. Ann (1990).

S.Therese taught piano at North American Martyrs, Florissant (1991-1997). She also taught music at St. Luke the Evangelist (1992-1999); St. Jerome (1997-2002); and All Souls Grade School (1999-2002) in St. Louis.

Returning to teaching piano, she gave lessons at Good Shepherd (2002-2005); St. Norbert (2002-2013) and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (2005-2013).

In 2013, S. Therese began her ministry of prayer and presence at Nazareth Living Center. In her oral history she said, “… my life has been a very happy life. I feel very gifted.”

By Sister Helen Oates