Sister Mary Agnes passes away May 28

 Sister Mary Agnes of the Blessed Sacrament, O.Carm., entered Eternal life with her Beloved, Jesus Christ on May 28. Sister was a member of the Carmelite Community at the Carmel of Mary in rural Wahpeton.

Sister Mary Agnes, born Christine Carol Ann Tremblay, was the eleventh child born into a family of 15, 11 boys and 4 girls in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 21, 1963. In addition, she had 22 nieces and nephews and 10 great-nieces and nephews. 

This ambitious young woman worked a variety of jobs beginning at age 14: her uncle’s laundry, made sandwiches at a children’s recreation park, a jewelry shop, a travel agency, a library, VA hospital, clerical work, and a secretary for legal services. After her various daytime jobs, she went to night school and became a Certified Public Accountant. In this way, Christine was able to pay her tuition for parochial high school and college. After college Christine was a public accountant for one year, then for three years a corporate accountant. 

Christine entered the Daughters of St. Paul in Boston, Massachusetts, and made final vows. Having a growing desire for a life of prayer she entered our Daughter Foundation, Carmel-Our Lady of Grace monastery in Sam Angelo, Texas in 1997, then transferred to Carmel of Mary here in Wahpeton in 2002. In 2017, various health issues necessitated her move to Manor St. Joseph in Edgeley. Her life of prayer came first and then the joy of working near her Beloved in the Tabernacle as Sacristan, which she did with attentive awareness of His Presence. 

In May of 2022, a procedure revealed stomach cancer followed by cancer treatments and surgeries. In August 2023, Sister told the Carmelite Sisters, her family, and friends that the cancer had returned. She faithfully rose every midnight to pray the Office of Readings of the Divine Office, each morning and evening spent an hour of personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and daily prayed the Rosary and Stations of the Cross. 

Her prayer intentions were universal, including priests especially, the sick and suffering, the pro-life movement, friends, relatives and benefactors, and numerous other special petitions. “When I get to Heaven, I will be very busy interceding for all the needs of Holy Mother Church and the world over” was her faith-filled promise.