By Beth Donze
Clarion Herald

Other than having an aunt who was a nun and admiring the habit worn by the local Marianites, Sister of Mercy Mary Victor Allain never gave much thought to convent life as a child growing up along the bayou in Plaquemine, Louisiana.

“It was kind of a strange thing that happened,” Sister Victor said, describing the time she was asked by her mother to be the traveling companion of a Sister of Mercy on her long train ride to the St. Louis motherhouse. Shortly after arriving at her destination, the 17-year-old liked what she saw and decided to enter the convent herself.

“I just wanted to save my soul, and I thought this would be a good way to do it,” said Sister Victor, who at age 92 is still in active ministry 75 years after taking her vows.

SERVED IN MANY SCHOOLS
In 1968, after spending more than 30 years as a first, second and third grade teacher at schools in Mississippi and Louisiana, Sister Victor was assigned to Holy Name of Jesus School in New Orleans, first as a third grade teacher and then as its librarian, a post she held for 25 years.

After her retirement, she stayed on at the library as a loyal volunteer, processing books, assisting students in their weekly check-outs and organizing the library’s “Birthday Club” book donation program with current librarian Patricia Stuart.

“She is able to relate to everybody, from the littlest child that comes in here to the oldest adult,” Stuart said. “Sister Victor just has that special gift. She can make everyone smile.”

Sister Victor credits God, whom she says is “right there with me all the time.”

A FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES
She puts in five mornings a week at the library – full days considering that she rises at 5 a.m. and attends the 7:30 daily Mass before being dropped off for her volunteer work.

“I say my rosary every day and sometimes more than once a day when I can’t sleep – I’m awake most of the night,” she said. “But I feel good.”

A highlight of Sister Victor’s service to New Orleans was ministering to inmates of Orleans Parish Prison, a corporal work of mercy in which her congregation been involved since 1869. She prepared Mass for the prisoners, led them in scriptural rosaries and assisted those seeking spontaneous prayer.

“You find that these people are not all bad; it’s just that they made bad choices, and you think might be able to help them,” Sister Victor said, noting that she finds strength in Jesus’ promise of “I am with you always. Do not be afraid!”

ON GETTING OLDER
In that spirit, Sister Victor recommends older Americans to “just keep going as long as they can” and not let age be an impediment to a meaningful, vital and positive life. As someone who survived the Louisiana flood of both 1927 and 2005, Sister Victor should know.

“Some of our people retire early and are just miserable because they don’t have anything to do,” Sister Victor said. “My parents died very young – that’s why I can’t understand why I’m getting so much older,” she said.

“Getting to 93 was my goal for a while because my godmother lived to 93, but my nephew told me to plan being around even longer.”

Reprinted by permission of the Clarion Herald, May 23, 2009.