Sr. Marie Dorez Mehrtens

On September 10, Sister Marie Dorez Mehrtens (age 88), known simply as Sister Dorez, School Sister of Notre Dame, passed peacefully away at Trinity Trace Care Center in Covington, LA.  I was born on July 11, 1937, in New Orleans, LA, the second child of Marie Toups and Herman Mehrtens.  Their problem after I was born was to find a suitable name.  My sister, Marie, who was a year old in June, was named after my mother.  Finally, my grandmother came up with a suggestion which was accepted by all.  A few days later I was baptized, Agnes Claire, at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes.

I was the youngest for only a year, as in the following August, my sister, Katherine, was born.  I was attending Incarnate Word Grade School with my sister, Marie, when our little sister, Janet, was born.  God was bestowing many blessings upon our family.  When I was a sophomore at Redemptorist High School, we were sent another blessing by the name of Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as we all came to call her.

The next two years went by quickly and soon it was graduation time.  Now I had a new challenge, what vocation in life would I choose?  I was a person who enjoyed dances, partying and a good time as well as a steady boyfriend.  Deep down I was trying to avoid a call I was feeling to religious life.  I took a job as a bookkeeper with an Insurance Company that summer but that did not stifle my call as I had hoped it would.  Finally, on July 28, I applied for admission into the candidature, not telling my boyfriend or other friends until I knew I was accepted.  On August 30 I received the white bonnet at Redemptorist Convent and the following day travelled to St. Louis by train to begin my time of formation.

The days in the candidature were challenging.  Sister Georgianne Segner was the director of the Candidates and had high expectations of all of us candidates.  I learned a lot and on August 1, 1956, became Novice Marie Dorez’.  My parents and three of my sisters came to the ceremony, with my sister, Marie, staying at home to prepare for her marriage that same month in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Novitiate did not seem as challenging as the candidature, but I did feel my vocation being strengthened and tested during that time.  We were professed on August 3, 1957.  After profession I remained in Motherhouse for one year of study studying for my degree in English.

The following year I was sent on mission to teach first and second graders in Du Quoin, Illinois, the first of 16 years I spent with first and/or second graders.  I stayed only one year in Du Quoin as the following year I was sent to the South to San Antonio, Texas.  I was also only there for one year when I was sent to Tyler, Texas, where I remained for nine years.

In 1961 my mother called to tell me that she was expecting another baby.  She was already a grandmother to my older sister’s two children.  In June and July, I was in New Orleans for summer school at Dominican College.  In August, while I was on retreat in Chatawa, I got a call to tell me that my brother was born and both he and my mother were fine.  I returned to New Orleans to finish my last course and on the way to the convent we stopped by to see my Mom and my new baby brother.  We visited in the yard since we were not allowed to visit in our homes.  My mother did not look too well but said she was just tired.  The next day my mother’s heart collapsed and she died.  It was a tragedy for my whole family.  My mother was the center of our family and now she was gone, leaving my Dad with a one-week-old boy Paul, my sister Lizzie, who was eight years old, and Katherine and Janet who were to be married the next year.  After their marriages my Dad and Lizzie raised Paul and eight years later my Dad married Grace, our new stepmother, who was from England.  After about a year Lizzie left home and went away to college.  From then on it was just the three of them until Paul grew up and married.

In 1969 I was then called to be a principal of two schools in Fort Worth, Texas, where I was asked to evaluate the two and combine them into one.  It took two years to do that, and I stayed for two more before moving to become an Elementary Supervisor for the Diocese of Dallas.  After four years of doing that I was elected to serve as a Provincial Councilor for the Dallas Province for 8 years and then 8 years as Provincial Leader.  I enjoyed both of these ministries but was ready for a sabbatical when my term was over.

I spent one year on Sabbatical at the Center for Spiritual Development, resting and completing my certification as a Spiritual Director.  The following two years I stayed on as a member of the staff and community.  I had discerned a call to work at the Retreat Center in Sunyani, Ghana but did not get on the Quota of the Diocese of Sunyani until Fall of 1996.  At the end of October, I got my visa and traveled to Ghana.

I worked at the Retreat Center for two years.  I lived in community for one year there with the Sisters of Providence who ran the Center and then moved to the community at the West African Novitiate the second year while commuting to and from the Retreat Center.  During the second year I was asked to enter the discernment for Novice Director for the African Novitiate.  At the end of the discernment, I was called to the ministry and somewhat hesitatingly accepted the call.  I loved my ministry at the Retreat Center and found it hard to leave it.  I continued it in a limited way all the years I was serving as a novice director.

In 1996 Mary Kay Gosch and I were missioned to be Co-directors of the new African Novitiate, located in Sunyani.  Our first task was to merge the East and West Novitiates into one, as well as put on a large addition to the novitiate building.  We had one year to get everything ready before receiving the first novices there.  We continued to serve at the novitiate until 2009 when our terms were over.  We both returned to the States at that time, grateful for all our experiences as novice directors in Ghana.

Re-entry was not easy since I was out of the country for 13 years.  I was given time to rest, reconnect with my family, friends and the province, and a three-month Sabbatical Program.  I also asked to re-enter the Dallas Province.  After I was accepted back, I heard of an opening for the position of Staff member at the St. Mary of the Pines Retreat Center.   After a period of discernment and interviews, I was invited to join the staff at the Retreat Center in Chatawa.  I grew to love the ministry and all the people connected with it.  I continued to serve in the Province on various committees and for one term on the Provincial Assembly.

I am extremely grateful to God for all the wonderful experiences of my life, especially as a School Sister of Notre Dame.  I never regretted giving into God’s persistent call to religious life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marie (Toups) and Herman Paul Mehrtens.

She is survived by five siblings, Marie Mehrtens Borello (Raymond), Warrenton, VA, Katherine Mehrtens Fahy (Late Thomas), Jacksboro, TN, Janet Mehrtens Ryan (late Daniel B.), Jefferson, LA, Elizabeth Mehrtens (Andrew Jewette), Gansevoort, NY, and Herman Paul Mehrtens (Marina), Centre, AL, and many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Sister Dorez was a woman of many talents.  She served in education, was in leadership for the congregation, companioned others in spiritual direction, was a missionary in Ghana, West Africa, and novice directress.  May she now rejoice in her new life with her God whom she served so faithfully during her 68 years of religious life.

Services with take place on September 22 at Most Holy Catholic Church, 501 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, LA. 70433.  A Prayer Service/Sharing of Memories will begin at 10:30 AM followed by a Memorial Mass at 11:00 AM.  Father Rodney Bourg will officiate.  Inurnment will be at 1:30 PM at St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, MS.

Arrangements are entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home of Covington, La.

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