Sister Mary Germaine Roussel, O.P.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2004 at St. Joan of Arc Church in LaPlace, Louisiana by Rev. Ray Hymel, for the repose of the soul of Sister Mary Germaine Roussel, who died on Monday, October 4, 2004 at 3:00 a.m. at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse. Interment in the Dominican Sisters Cemetery in Rosaryville, Ponchatoula, Louisiana, followed the service. Sister was in the 61st year of religious profession and was 78 years old.

Sister Mary Germaine was born Earline Mary Roussel in Paulina, Louisiana. She was the daughter of the late Morgan Roussel and Carmen Ayme Roussel, and the sister of Thelma R. Foret, Pearl R. Hymel, Beverly R. Anderson, Carmen R. Gaudet, and Will G. Roussel and the late Whilem N. Roussel, Morgan J. Roussel, and Earl Roussel.

Sister Mary Germaine received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans and a Masters degree in Education from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Sister served the Church in Louisiana as an educator in a number of capacities. She taught and served as principal of St. Peter School in Reserve, and taught at Holy Ghost, Hammond; St. Agnes, Baton Rouge; St. Peter Chanel Interparochial, Paulina; St. Anthony of Padua, St. Leo the Great, and St. Matthias, New Orleans. She was a Diocesan Supervisor of schools in Baton Rouge for eight years, and she served as principal of St. Joan of Arc School in LaPlace for twenty-seven years. In 1997, Sister Mary Germaine received the National Catholic Educational Association Distinguished Principal Award. She was one of only eleven Catholic school principals throughout the United States to receive this award. Sister Mary Germaine also received the Louisiana State Nun of the Year Award presented by the Knights of Columbus Women’s Auxiliary in July 1998. At the time of her death, Sister Mary Germaine was the Pastoral Associate for Education at St. Joan of Arc School in LaPlace, Louisiana.