During the past few years Sister’s health deteriorated and within the last year she had been mostly bedridden and with very little verbal communication. We have no idea what goes on in one’s mind when one can’t verbalize, but often, expressions can be interpreted in different ways. While in bed, or sitting in her chair, her head usually turned to the right. There was a window on the right side in her room and while on the porch she had wide-open skies and the beauty of the Mount grounds before her; that seemed to be her focus.

At times when you talked with her she would turn toward you and her eyes would go up to the ceiling and down as if to say, “What now?” If she could have said something it probably would be, “Is it legal?” Those inner moments of hers could only be known by her and her God. What she was thinking was her secret. I would venture to say at times she would go through her journey in life—novitiate days where she did much decorating for our holidays and feast days—helping with infirmary decorations and table settings for holidays, word puzzle books, newspapers that she loved to read. Much of these materials would stack up in her room as she finished reading them. Every so often when Germaine was out of her room, the papers were removed. Invariably, when she returned, you would hear her famous quote, “They cleaned me out.”

Sister kept pretty much to herself and enjoyed hobbies when she wasn’t taking care of her duties. She was exact in the duties she preformed and then gave time to her prayer life, especially her rosaries and her hobbies. She loved to walk the grounds on her good days. She enjoyed the flowers when in bloom and, very often, picked up soda cans, which she didn’t understand how people would just throw them down.

Her many Franciscan Tours on the Greyhound bus in the summer kept her quite occupied. She loved those tours and you may have noticed a few pictures on the display table that give evidence to the joy and excitement it gave her. When she returned from the tours she had a captive audience as she related her experiences. She enjoyed people and was a good conversationalist in her day. She had many a story to tell about her days in St. Joseph’s Nursery on 57th Street and her days at the Dominican House of Studies as one of a team of cooks for the Friars.

I’m not sure how Germaine got her name, whether it was in the family or one of the names that appeared as we received our religious names. Anyhow, I looked up St. Germaine and in reading the life of this Saint I felt there could be some relational aspects to the two lives. St. Germaine was a shepherdess in a small town called Pibrac, near Toulouse. She welcomed any task afforded her with cheerfulness and love. Her solitude moments, as she watched her father’s sheep, gave her the opportunity for undisturbed prayer and communion with her God. A quote from St. Germaine’s life that I found interesting is: “I have what God wished me to have, and I want no more.”

No doubt in Sister Germaine’s silence these past months, God spoke to her soul as he speaks to the humble and clean of heart, and she lived consciously in His presence. As St. Germaine slipped out of this life quietly so, too, our Sister Germaine slipped out to her eternal reward, quietly. We take leave of you, Sister Germaine, with many fond memories and your helping so many in your own quiet ways. Thank you for journeying with us, and when you see St. Peter please don’t say “I’m in trouble,” because he will turn to you and say, “Germaine, welcome good and faithful servant. Enter into your Father’s kingdom. A place has been prepared for you.”

Eulogy by Margaret Scott, OP
May 26, 2004

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