A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Mary Vénard LeBeau, CPPS, was celebrated on April 4 at St. Joseph Chapel in O’Fallon. Sister Mary Vénard died March 10. She was 102.
Georgine Alde LeBeau was born on Feb. 22, 1923, in Zurich, Kansas, the second of eight children of Arthur and Anna (Thyfault) LeBeau. In 1939, when Georgine was a student at St. Elizabeth Academy, Mother Wilhelmine visited and told of the mission recently established in Finland. Georgine immediately decided that this was her calling. She was received into the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood’s novitiate on July 25, 1942, professed first vows on Aug. 10, 1944, and received the name Sister Mary Vénard. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in education at Helsinki University.
Sister Mary Vénard taught for five years at St. George School in St. Louis, a seeming eternity to her, before her yearning for Finland was fulfilled. On June 22, 1949 (a day she celebrated annually), Mother Borgia missioned her to Finland. She only returned to the U.S. for good on February 20, 2023, two days before her 100th birthday.
During her years in Finland, Sister Mary Vénard taught preschool and elementary grades at The English Schools in Helsinki and Tampere. She also served as the principal in Helsinki. For two brief interludes, she returned to the U.S. for additional studies at Saint Louis University, and she taught at St. Stephen Protomartyr and St. John the Baptist schools in St. Louis.
After more than 40 years, Sister Mary Vénard retired from teaching in Finland. To escape the potential fanfare of a 70th birthday celebration, she accepted an invitation from Kersti Nigesen, director of Vanalinna Hariduskolleegium in Tallin, Estonia. This marked the beginning of more than 20 years of service in Estonia, where she documented and demonstrated her methods for total immersion teaching of the English language at the school in Tallin and at Katolu Kool in Tartu.
Only recently freed from Soviet control, Estonia was struggling spiritually and financially. Sister Mary Vénard brought her faith and her intrepid ability to ask for money. Through friends worldwide, she received funds for the schools in Tallin and Tartu and for organizations caring for the handicapped, the blind, the sick and the elderly. She said, “I beg for help. Be careful; my hand is always open.” Her begging continued when she returned to Finland in 2015 and began ministering to African refugees.
Small of stature but mighty in deeds, Sister Mary Vénard was recognized for her dedication by the Rotary Club of Denver, the Ebenezer Foundation of Finland, the president of Estonia with the Pro Terra Mariana Medal of Honor, and Pope Benedict XVI with the Pontifical Maximus Award, the Church’s highest lay honor.
Sister Mary Vénard was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters Ella Marie, Victoria (Joe) Bordes and Elaine (Joe) Otzenberger; her brothers Ambrose (Lily) and Lionel (Lucette); and her sister-in-law Judy. She is survived by her brother Paul and her sister Diane.
Burial was in the convent cemetery.
