SISTER ELIANE LAGASSE (SOEUR ROSE-ELAINE)

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SISTER ELIANE LAGASSE (SOEUR ROSE - ELIANE) March 1, l934 - January 13, 2019 Sister Eliane Lagassé, f.d.l.c. was born on March 1, 1934 in Saint-Adolphe, Manitoba to Eugène Lagassé and Marguerite Carrière. She is survived by her two sisters, Yolande Lagassé and Gertrude Lagassé - Batistello (Lorenzo). Her two brothers and their wives, Léo and Amanda Meilleur, and Auguste and Claire Desrosiers preceded her in the house of the Lord. She leaves to mourn her passing her religious family, les Filles de la Croix, many loving nieces and nephews, as well as many friends especially among the newly arrived Canadians whom she accompanied on their arrival. Sister Eliane did her schooling in Saint-Adolphe. In 1953, she began her religious formation with the Sisters of the Cross with her final commitment taking place in 1960 at Saint-Boniface. Gifted and determined, she obtained her ARCT diploma in 1962 and her teaching certificate in 1973. For a number of years, Sister Eliane taught individual children, attentive to their potential and honing their skills as piano players but also as organ players so they could accompany the church services of a number of communities where she worked: Saint-Adolphe in Manitoba, and Laflèche and Bellegarde in Saskatchewan. In time, Sister Eliane broadened her experience teaching elementary school and setting up music programs in a number of schools: Saint-Claude and Taché School in Saint-Boniface, and École Gabrielle Roy in Île des Chênes. She always encouraged her pupils to develop their personality and their talents especially in the art field, and many keep fond memories of her. She loved them and they loved her. Dynamic and creative, Sister Eliane also worked with the church choirs to develop beautiful and meaningful celebrations during the liturgical year. She assumed leadership in many of our congregational festivities. After her retirement from teaching, Sister Eliane gave herself, heart and soul, to work with the newcomers to Canada. Her caring relationships, her courage and perseverance in dealing with complex situations, and her openness and competence developed lasting relationships. She gave of herself but she also received inspiration and found a great sense of fulfillment from her contact with different cultures and her collaboration with many organizations involved in the same work. Her sense of community proved a real asset in her efforts to promote integration into the Canadian way of life. We are proud of her work in this field. Sister Eliane had a real sense of contemplation. She loved nature, dancing, sculpture and fine musical performances. Her deep spirituality was nourished by her daily contemplation of God's word in the Bible. She was inquisitive and always striving to understand and to grow. As a religious community we benefitted from her organizational skills, her various abilities such as sewing and cooking, and her acceptance of leadership roles and responsibilities. Her sharing and involvement in missions was often inspirational. She was fun to be with and we will miss her. A prayer service will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at Villa Aulneau, 601 Aulneau Street, Winnipeg, MB. The Funeral Mass presided by Father Fernand Desjardins will be celebrated at Villa Aulneau at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2019. Interment will follow at the Saint-Adolphe Parish Cemetery. LECLAIRE BROTHERS 475 Provencher Blvd., in care of arrangements, 204-775-2220

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 16, 2019